Virgin Hopeless - need a recommendation

Been with Virgin on 8megADSLMax since September and although it started
reasonably poorly, its went well downhill since then...

Speed can get as low as dialup at peak times, but the one thing that is
steady is PING times to ANYWHERE on the net of 240ms plus...
For me, playing online games (Americas Army) is now impossible.
Even as late as this, 11.23 at night, I cannot get a server with a ping
lower than 300ms. Just did tracert's and test pings alongside a friend on
messenger and although he gets 50ms pings to servers, I cannot get lower
than 300ms...

My tracert's ALWAYS trip at the first hop out of my router as follows -
2 230 ms 230 ms 199 ms winn-bam-1.inet.ntl.com [194.145.148.190]

and that is a GOOD hop... so you can see its NTL (Virgin) kit that has the
problem.

To add insult to injury, the online support service has disappeared (the
button to access it has gone) and I typed in an online email to complain and
the webpage failed on me just as I hit the send button.


Anyway, any ISP out there to recommend as an alternative.
Virgin have conned me out of £25 per month and they will request a £50
cancellation fee...

frustrated,
g.

Fat Freddy's Cat <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Anyway, any ISP out there to recommend as an alternative.
> Virgin have conned me out of £25 per month and they will request a £50
> cancellation fee...

I couldn't be happier with BT - I'm on Broadband Option 3.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:31:23 GMT, "Fat Freddy's Cat"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Been with Virgin on 8megADSLMax since September and although it started
>reasonably poorly, its went well downhill since then...

May be you could answer this one.
I am amazed that, given the public reputation of Virgin.net
that people still sign-up with them. The news groups carry umpteen
really sad stories each week about the quality of the service and of
the support service offered (or should I say poor quality!).

Why do right thinking people still feel compelled to give Branson or
whatever he is called even more money! I gave up on Virgin Trains
years ago, I now fly. I gave up on Virgin dial-up after 2 days. Never
been back. I'm not even tempted.

Maybe no one can answer my question. I sure would like to know what
motivates good sensible people to give away hard earned cash so
easily and regularly.

Fred.

PS

They have just moved in on NTL.
I am also looking for a recommendation!
F

On 14 Feb 2007, "Fat Freddy's Cat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>and they will request a £50 cancellation fee...

Did they charge an "activation" fee when you signed up ? Many ISPs
will either charge the fee up front (BTWholesale charges them 40+VAT)
or have a 12 months minimum. Most will allow a customer to go earlier
but it is unreasonable to expect them to pay out the activation fee if
a customer decides to leave within a few months. So this part may not
be a 'con' if you consider the activation charge...


(Agree if service doesn't work at all, that it'd be a con to have to pay,
though most ISPs will get refund from BTW if connection never worked
at all, and refund customer afterwards.)


--
www.netdimes.org - mapping the internet.
Join team UK-24x7 (position 135) Let's beat "Italy" :->

Change to DSL Max the way I did: switch ISP <http://www.dslmax.info/>

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:31:23 GMT, "Fat Freddy's Cat"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Been with Virgin on 8megADSLMax since September and although it started
>reasonably poorly, its went well downhill since then...

If you want to drop me an e-mail with full details including full
account details I'll see if I can get someone to help.



Alex

--
Alex Brown
Senior Product Manager
Product Management, Virgin Media

"SteveH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1htjtlx.v2u5wb1xc0rj9N%(E-Mail Removed) ...
> Fat Freddy's Cat <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Anyway, any ISP out there to recommend as an alternative.
>> Virgin have conned me out of £25 per month and they will request a £50
>> cancellation fee...
>
> I couldn't be happier with BT - I'm on Broadband Option 3.
> --
Is it only £50 to get away from Virgin, I thought I had to pay the 12 months
fee (Option 1)
If it is just the £50 what will they charge for the modem as I didn't keep
the packing etc to return it?

Mike

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:VRXAh.11273$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "SteveH" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:1htjtlx.v2u5wb1xc0rj9N%(E-Mail Removed) ...
>> Fat Freddy's Cat <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> Anyway, any ISP out there to recommend as an alternative.
>>> Virgin have conned me out of £25 per month and they will request a £50
>>> cancellation fee...
>>
>> I couldn't be happier with BT - I'm on Broadband Option 3.
>> --
> Is it only £50 to get away from Virgin, I thought I had to pay the 12
> months fee (Option 1)

I joined when they offered a monthly contract with the proviso you paid £50
to get out within the year.

g.

"Alex Brown" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:31:23 GMT, "Fat Freddy's Cat"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Been with Virgin on 8megADSLMax since September and although
>> it started reasonably poorly, its went well downhill since then...
>
> If you want to drop me an e-mail with full details including full
> account details I'll see if I can get someone to help.
> Alex
> Alex Brown
> Senior Product Manager
> Product Management, Virgin Media
>
Can you do anything about daytime / early evening throttling

If not, then writing to you would be a waste of time

Steve Terry
on Virgin ADSLMax option 2

I've been with Virgin.net ADSL for over 3 completely fault free years now.
Before that I used their dial-up service.

The thing is you generally only hear from people who have bad experiences.
Those of us who are happy don't tend to say anything.


"Fred" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:31:23 GMT, "Fat Freddy's Cat"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Been with Virgin on 8megADSLMax since September and although it started
>>reasonably poorly, its went well downhill since then...
>
> May be you could answer this one.
> I am amazed that, given the public reputation of Virgin.net
> that people still sign-up with them. The news groups carry umpteen
> really sad stories each week about the quality of the service and of
> the support service offered (or should I say poor quality!).
>
> Why do right thinking people still feel compelled to give Branson or
> whatever he is called even more money! I gave up on Virgin Trains
> years ago, I now fly. I gave up on Virgin dial-up after 2 days. Never
> been back. I'm not even tempted.
>
> Maybe no one can answer my question. I sure would like to know what
> motivates good sensible people to give away hard earned cash so
> easily and regularly.
>
> Fred.
>
> PS
>
> They have just moved in on NTL.
> I am also looking for a recommendation!
> F
>

Piers James wrote:
> I've been with Virgin.net ADSL for over 3 completely fault free
> years now. Before that I used their dial-up service.
>
> The thing is you generally only hear from people who have bad
> experiences. Those of us who are happy don't tend to say anything.

Think you'll find a lot of the flack isn't coming from the likes of
you Piers, it is coming from the NTL/Blueyonder users who think that
because the name has changed to Virgin things should get better. What
most hadn't realised is the the NTL/Blueyonder group bought the name &
that there is no change in the (mis)management..


..