[Dave]

Been for days now with Virgin ISP. Paying for 1MB service & only getting approx 60K on average Phone their tech support line at 25p a minute to only be met by what must be a bunch of shaved chimps....nope that's insulting to chimps !!

They've had me running speed tests via a BT url for the weekend, only for me to phone back for them to say BT haven't a record of any of my tests.....even though I enetered my tel no. correctly etc !! Told to do it again & same result. Then one of them said I need an ID to login with. Off I go again but can't find any area to put ID in. Phone back yet again to be told that was dropped about 6 months ago & they need me to run test yet again over next 24 hrs, as BT "may" have lost the records or had a problem. At this point I had lost my patience & wanted to speak to a superior & was told NO !!! Can you believe it...they utterly refuse to let you speak to someone else. Notes gone off asking for complaint adress plus a MAC code so I can move service elsewhere.

Stay away from VIRGIN !!!!

[stepheno]

25p a minute It'll cost you a couple of quid just to get past the automated responses.

[Dave]

Annoying thing is I got 800K at 07:00 this morning , then within 20 mins it's down to 140K. It's got to be bandwidth problem somewhere !!

[stepheno]

I know what it is like - had my problems as you knoiw but I can't praise my ISP (Plusnet) enough. Support is local call rates, line tests done in three hours and constant feedback via texts to my mobile and on their support ticket

[fionaB]

but is it virgins fault, i know when u pay for a higher speed connection it always says "up to" it doesnt gaurantee it cos i think it has something to do with how busy the lines are etc doestn it?

[Dave]

It could well be BT Fiona, but Virgin are who I am paying, so they must stand up to resolving the problem....which at the moment they are finding every excuse not to

[Markulous]

Originally Posted by fionaB

but is it virgins fault, i know when u pay for a higher speed connection it always says "up to" it doesnt gaurantee it cos i think it has something to do with how busy the lines are etc doestn it?

True, but the "chimps" should be able to tell whether there's a capability (taking into account the contention rate). Virgin is run by NTL with whom I've been from the very start. Day one I had a problem, had 4 engineers and spoke to the Technical Director. Now I suggest where the fault lies and the answer is "We don't know so you'll have to pay for the engineer callout". Personally, I refuse to ring their support line but ring their 0800 setup line and get them to transfer me (doesn't always work!)

First line support is total rubbish but there are still a few knowledgeable techs - but they're more and more difficult to contact

[John]

I have been having a nightmare trying to change ISP's from AOL to BT,AOL are charging me £17.99 for their silver service,supposed to be 1 MB,but rarely gets above 126 KB's.

BT are offering up to 8 MB for the same monthly charge,but getting the correct MAC code and getting activated are another problem altogether.

I got my first MAC code from AOL on October 26th,gave it to BT who informed me that my account would be activated on October 30th. That date came and went,nothing,back on the phone to BT's call centre in India,ask the operator to repeat everything twice because of his heavy accent,eventually found out that the MAC code was wrong.

Back onto AOL's call centre in India,you know the rest,(heavy accent) got another MAC code,gave it to BT, again told account would be activated on the 1st November.

That date also came and went,nothing again. Forced myself to pick up the phone and contact BT again, after over an hour of being transferred to different departments,was informed that the second MAC code was wrong.

Starting to feel a bit paranoid by now,all sorts of conspiracy theories running through my mind, don't BT want me? are AOL being obtuse because they don't want to lose my account?

Again contacted AOL,but this time use email,slower but less danger of the MAC code being said wrongly,the next day recieved the third MAC from AOL by email. Unable to email it to BT,but luckily I spoke to a Scottish accent who was very sympathetic to what had gone on,he entererd the new MAC code into BT's system and informed me that it had been accepted and my account would be activated on November 17th,tomorrow,I'm not holding my breath though.

The strange part of all this is,the third MAC code was exactly the same as the first MAC code which was rejected by BT's system. That says to me that there is an incompetant entering codes into BT's system and then telling prospective customers that they have given the wrong MAC codes.

Another strange thing,the morning after the operator told me my account would be activated on Nov.17th,my phone rang at 08:30,looking at the caller ID I noticed it was my own number calling me,it was a voice mail telling me that my account would be activated on the above date,then another voice mail call yesterday telling me exactly the same thing as well as telling me to allow up to 6pm for the delivery of the broadband router,software and cables which I've had since October 28th.

I await tomorrow in great anticipation.

John.

[fionaB]

erm ok im abit thick...but whats a MAC code?

Fi

[Markulous]

Just as long as you don't need to know what MAC actually stands for (s'pose I could look it up, but like all acronyms CBA!).

It's the hardware address code (bit like IP address but for modems and the like) so your service provider can identify your connection

[John]

Migration Authorisation Code

I think
John.

[fionaB]

ah....... lol ok im none the wiser, i thought that thats what the IP code was