Pipex - the escape !

Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !

FWIW, my email was as follows - and i'm guessing the email addresses are
correct because the second reply said it although it had been sent to
Peter Dubens and Mike Read, it had been passed to him to resolve:

(Clare had also emailed me first thing to say she'd chase it up)

-----
To: (E-Mail Removed), (E-Mail Removed) (and cust services)
CC: (E-Mail Removed)

Ref: user ID: xxxx64

Could you please follow up to see why Pipex seem unable to provide
me with a MAC code, which I first requested on 10/03/07.

I have so far spoken to at least 6 employees regarding this matter
(Tom, Shamal, Shane*, Sally, Fran, Clare) - the most helpful of these
being Clare XXXXXXX - who actually seems suited and dedicated to her
job. Fran, thankfully, took my complaint seriously, and passed it to
Clare.

* Shane was unable to help as your systems were down

I gave Tom and Shamal two different email addresses for the MAC code
to be sent to which they *ignored* completely and didn't update on
my account. There was no way I could have received a MAC code to the
old address you had on record.

My leaving - after approximately 4 years - is due in part to failing
service levels - my connection has suffered quite severely over the
last few months, to the point where a paid plain-text-only usenet
provider was taking up to 20 minutes to download the days' headers,
and five minutes to download a single message. I have been able to
independantly confirm by use of a friends' account with another ISP
that it is you at fault.

I sent a support ticket on this issue - PSN-27-05621-1129 - which was
never followed up by anything other than an autoresponder message.

I remained on the by-now overpriced 1Mbit service for some
considerable time due to the failure by Pipex to allow existing loyal
customers to regrade without being tied to a new 12 month contract.
Yes, I was being fleeced, but the connection was reliable at the time.

When I first tried to obtain my MAC code Tom was able to instantly
offer the ADSL Max package with free calls for £9.99 - why the hell
are existing customers not offered this in advance of them trying to
leave ? - this has only left a bitter taste in my mouth.

It was, however, Tom who said I didn't need a MAC code to move to a
particular competitor, putting my account into a closure status that
appears to have caused the ongoing issues.

I am starting to feel I have no alternative other than to refer this
matter to OFCOM, and / or go direct via BT paying the ~£40 fee for the
MAC code, and claiming this back from yourselves through small claims
court / moneyclaimdirect.gov.uk

I find it unacceptable to be still waiting for this 14 days after my
initial request in direct contravention of OFCOM guidelines which
state 5 days - and feel I am no closer to leaving a company I was
once happy to recommend to others.

I await your urgent response.

> Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
> Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
> received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
> follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !

Small follow-up - in the time it took me to post the previous message,
i've since had another email from them confirming the MAC and account
closure...

It looks like I rattled all the right cages :-p

"Colin Wilson" <(E-Mail Removed) o.uk> wrote
in message news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
>> Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
>> Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
>> received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
>> follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !
>
> Small follow-up - in the time it took me to post the previous message,
> i've since had another email from them confirming the MAC and account
> closure...
>
> It looks like I rattled all the right cages :-p

I would still report them to OFCOM as they refused to issue a MAC code
within the specified period.

"Colin Wilson" <(E-Mail Removed) o.uk>
wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !


Report em anyway.
Think of all the other poor Pipex customers tryin to get their MAC
codes.

> > It looks like I rattled all the right cages :-p
> I would still report them to OFCOM as they refused to issue a MAC code
> within the specified period.

It wasn't a refusal as such, just a muppet wrongly closing the account,
which caused further problems reactivating the account in order to
process the MAC.

I might report them anyway though !

don't get excited yet, pipex have a reputation for providing bad mac codes,
i was one victim, now very happily relocated to vivacity.
good luck with the switch, going anywhere good?


"Gonz" <T o p @ S e c r e t . c o m> wrote in message
news:uiSNh.109420$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Colin Wilson" <(E-Mail Removed) o.uk>
> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
> Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
> received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
> follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !
>
>
> Report em anyway.
> Think of all the other poor Pipex customers tryin to get their MAC codes.

Can you explain the offer of Max plus free calls for £9.99 I cannot find
this on their website.

Alec


"Colin Wilson" <(E-Mail Removed) o.uk> wrote
in message news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !

FWIW, my email was as follows - and i'm guessing the email addresses are
correct because the second reply said it although it had been sent to
Peter Dubens and Mike Read, it had been passed to him to resolve:

(Clare had also emailed me first thing to say she'd chase it up)

-----
To: (E-Mail Removed), (E-Mail Removed) (and cust services)
CC: (E-Mail Removed)

Ref: user ID: xxxx64

Could you please follow up to see why Pipex seem unable to provide
me with a MAC code, which I first requested on 10/03/07.

I have so far spoken to at least 6 employees regarding this matter
(Tom, Shamal, Shane*, Sally, Fran, Clare) - the most helpful of these
being Clare XXXXXXX - who actually seems suited and dedicated to her
job. Fran, thankfully, took my complaint seriously, and passed it to
Clare.

* Shane was unable to help as your systems were down

I gave Tom and Shamal two different email addresses for the MAC code
to be sent to which they *ignored* completely and didn't update on
my account. There was no way I could have received a MAC code to the
old address you had on record.

My leaving - after approximately 4 years - is due in part to failing
service levels - my connection has suffered quite severely over the
last few months, to the point where a paid plain-text-only usenet
provider was taking up to 20 minutes to download the days' headers,
and five minutes to download a single message. I have been able to
independantly confirm by use of a friends' account with another ISP
that it is you at fault.

I sent a support ticket on this issue - PSN-27-05621-1129 - which was
never followed up by anything other than an autoresponder message.

I remained on the by-now overpriced 1Mbit service for some
considerable time due to the failure by Pipex to allow existing loyal
customers to regrade without being tied to a new 12 month contract.
Yes, I was being fleeced, but the connection was reliable at the time.

When I first tried to obtain my MAC code Tom was able to instantly
offer the ADSL Max package with free calls for £9.99 - why the hell
are existing customers not offered this in advance of them trying to
leave ? - this has only left a bitter taste in my mouth.

It was, however, Tom who said I didn't need a MAC code to move to a
particular competitor, putting my account into a closure status that
appears to have caused the ongoing issues.

I am starting to feel I have no alternative other than to refer this
matter to OFCOM, and / or go direct via BT paying the ~£40 fee for the
MAC code, and claiming this back from yourselves through small claims
court / moneyclaimdirect.gov.uk

I find it unacceptable to be still waiting for this 14 days after my
initial request in direct contravention of OFCOM guidelines which
state 5 days - and feel I am no closer to leaving a company I was
once happy to recommend to others.

I await your urgent response.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)> ,
(E-Mail Removed) .uk says...
>
> Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
> Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
> received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
> follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !
>
Don't suppose they are the same people who deal with Bulldog do you? No
that it is a Pipex owned company.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:52:57 +0100, Colin Wilson
<(E-Mail Removed) o.uk> wrote:

>Finally, after CC'ing a copy of a complaint to Peter Dubens and Mike
>Read (Chairman and CEO of Pipex) - guessing at their email addresses - I
>received my MAC code today - *twice* - and in the last few minutes a
>follow-up phone call just to make bloody sure !

Colin, I understand the suffering.. I went via their MD (who entered
into pipex from XO Networks) - guy called Dominic.
I even have his Mobile number through my escapade with Pipex.

I think Pipex have one hell of a huge Meltdown.. I see recently they
are up for sale, and now there is industrial espionage being talked
about..

I read this recently : "Pipex, the £300m quoted internet provider
that put itself up for sale last week, has become embroiled in a legal
action by arch rival Rackspace, a US-owned London web-hosting
business, alleging industrial espionage, says the Sunday Times."


I must confess MD, Dominic got me out of Pipex within 24 hours of
requesting a MAC, I even paid them what I felt i owed them as their
Billing was totally to cock.. And that was in January - I still get
threatening letters to cut me off (What a joke, I left them 3 months
ago!) - but more worryingly get letters suggesting legal action due to
poor credit.. This annoys me because I've not only paid up, and the
director has cashed my cheque, but my credit rating could be hammered
if these so called "threats" result in them passing details via
Experion etc..
If my credit rating gets a hammering, I will have no option than to
seek legal advice.

I'm with BE* now.. yes, they too have service type issues, but after
my Pipex experience, I'd much rather have a company that you can
actually "talk to"

I have great respect for Dominic at Pipex (Retail MD).. I've had a few
conversations with him, and I when I asked for things to get sorted he
did so (I had a shed load of issues which went on for months), but at
the end of the day, Pipex as Organisation are just totally screwed..
and I don't expect one man to try and sort it. He did his best, but
his whole bunch of goons around him clearly let him down.

That's my take on the issue.

Regards
Steve

> Can you explain the offer of Max plus free calls for £9.99 I cannot find
> this on their website.

Who from ? (i.e. Pipex / A.N.Other ISP ?)

If you mean Pipex, it would appear to be a bullshit marketing ploy to
sell a more expensive package including calls - although I can't see the
specific offer you're referring to.

Where Sky are concerned (who i'm moving to), they offer up to 16Mbit on
top of the regular price of the TV "mix" and call packages for £10/month
(which, according to the adslguide forums is not yet traffic shaped /
restricted)