Beat the broadband bastards at their own game

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

Two things I have learned recently:

1) It costs twenty-five pounds (Twenty-FIVE pounds? Twenty-five POUNDS?) just to move your ADSL broadband connection from one address to another if you are a Wanadoo customer.

2) The managing director (sales and communications) of Wanadoo has posted his email address (and mobile number!) on his squash club's website.

Whoops.


----- Original Message -----
From: The Clown of Pevensey Bay
To: <xxxxxxxx@UK.WANADOO.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 12:49 AM
Subject: The small matter of transferring my broadband connection


> Dear xxxx,
>
> Forgive me for this intrusion into your personal email. Perhaps you
> shouldn't post your address on your squash club's website. And you
> definitely shouldn't have put your mobile number on there if my experience
> at the hands of Wanadoo customer "service" is anything to go by. (Well done
> though! Premier Division! Blimey!)
>
> Anyway. Earlier this month I moved house: something which, if you've ever
> done it, you'll know is pretty stressful. I was counting on the normally
> cordial relationship I have with my broadband provider to continue. Imagine
> my surprise upon hearing that not only would it cost me £25 just to have my
> ADSL broadband re-routed (something which I hardly believe could not be done
> at the stroke of a computer key somewhere in the offices of either Wanadoo
> or British Telecom), but that after making my request to have this done, I
> was advised to call back in five days to make sure it had happened! That's
> like going into a butcher's shop, ordering some meat, and then returning to
> the shop hours later and asking: "I can still have that lamb shank, can't
> I?"
>
> Frankly, xxxxxx, in these days of high competition between broadband
> providers, I find it staggering that Wanadoo is so blatantly rubbing its
> customers up the wrong way just because they need to move house. I would
> appeal to you to offer me a decent credit on my next bill (say, £25?)
> because I could very easily sign up for that deal Carphone Warehouse are
> going to start offering, now couldn't I?
>
> All the best
> The Clown of Pevensey Bay

 

[Cian]

He posted his WORK email address?

Oh dear oh dear oh dear

 

[Bry Nylon]

(Well done though! Premier Division! Blimey!)

If that doesn't get you £25 credit on your next bill, nothing will!!

Post the geezers details on here - that will teach him to spend more time in the office sorting out his toss company instead of warming his balls down the squash club ...

"Whatever you Wannado today, you Wanna be careful where you post your email and mobile details..."

 

[TSB]

I'm fairly sure that if there is not a broadband cable leading to your new house that they have to sort one out so that would explain the £25...however, being advised to call back in 5 days?!

I work in customer service and would be crucified for saying something like that because, as you have rightly pointed out, it paints a TERRIBLY negative picture of the company as if they're small children who can't remember what they have to do next, let alone 5 days!

Send,send,send!

 

[Robot Chicken]

Good on yer.

Say, is this site relevant:
http://www.anenglishmanscastle.com/archives/001828.html

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

I'm fairly sure that if there is not a broadband cable leading to your new house that they have to sort one out so that would explain the £25...however, being advised to call back in 5 days?!

Of course there's a broadband cable here. I live in west London, for pete's sake. The charge was supposedly for "asking BT to switch it over".

 

[Bry Nylon]

Of course there's a broadband cable here. I live in west London, for pete's sake. The charge was supposedly for "asking BT to switch it over".

Do a shit in his sportsbag.

 

[TSB]

Of course there's a broadband cable here. I live in west London, for pete's sake. The charge was supposedly for "asking BT to switch it over".

Rookie mistake: should have checked your location.

In that case, ring/write to BT and ask them if they charge wannadoo for it.

 

[Bry Nylon]

In that case, ring/write to BT and ask them if they charge wannadoo for it.

DO A SHIT IN HIS SPORTSBAG

 

[TSB]

DO A SHIT IN HIS SPORTSBAG

Head in his fridge?

 

[Bry Nylon]

Do a shit in his fridge?

Or maybe put a head in his sportsbag.

 

[Seagull Stew]

My Wanadoo experience was worse.

Not only did I have to fork out £25 but when I told them 2 weeks in advance that I was moving home, with my new BT phone number and all relevant details of my BT switch I was told to ring back 48 hours AFTER my new phone line was active.

It would then take up to TWENTY days for my internet connection to become active.

When I asked why, when I had notified long in advance that I was moving did I have to wait until 2 days after I had move to even order the new connection I was told it was down to BT not Wanadoo.

Can you PM me this guy's email?

 

[Wozza]

http://www.wanadooproblems.co.uk/

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

He's replied!

----- Original Message -----
From: xxxxxx @uk.wanadoo.com
To: The Clown of Pevensey Bay
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 8:05 AM
Subject: RE: The small matter of transferring my broadband connection


Dear Mr Of Pevensey Bay

Thank you for your email, and we understand your concerns. We have in fact been reviewing our procedures around moving house, and therefore am happy to credit your account with this amount (£25). Our Customer Action Team will process this for you.

For your information, every time a customer moves house Wanadoo have to pay BT £40 to set up the broadband line in the new property, coupled with our administration costs, means that we end up out of pocket.


Kind regards

etc etc

 

[Eggmundo]

You don't ask, you don't get!

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

£40 for BT to set up the broadband ? A bit steep as I think the process is now automated and it only involves a few keystrokes to initiate. Not as if they have to send an engineer out to physically set up the connection , seems like a rip off which Wanadoo is trying not to lose out on by passing on the (alleged) costs.