...here is a copy of the email I sent to pipex in February. It's now April and I have just received an email from Jane in the Customer Team who tells me she's checked my account and it appears that Pipex DO NOT owe me any credits. She believes I cancelled my contract and I have paid the termination fee. (Honestly, everyone else in Pipex who I've spoken to has confirmed that this is not the case...)

To whom it may concern: I've been a customer for a fair few years ('onestly I can't remember quite how long) and I decided in July 2007 that I might not be getting the best deal so I called you up to see what you could do for me (why, oh why didn't I just get my MAC code?!?) Anyhow, you offered me a pretty good deal! My monthly cost would come down to £20 and you were going to throw me £30 towards a wireless router - life was sweet! Now, don't get me confused with someone who's permanently checking their bank account every day because that just ain't me so when I decided to look at a bank statement a couple of months later I was pretty put out when I noticed I was still being charged £23.44 each month? You cheeky little monkeys!! No matter, I just gave you a call and then it started. Not the refund and reduction in monthly outgoings that's for sure but the baffoonish customer service.

But let me point out that I'm not blaming your first line support team for this! Jeez, they must sigh and shake their heads every time they see the little light flashing on their phones. No, the blame rests simply with the senior management of your business who insist on such complex and confusing customer support processes with the sole intention of causing the customer to give up or pop one's clogs (aka die)!

Sorry, I realise I rambled on a bit just now but the truth is I'm not sure what's really happened since July 2007. (Shhh, and I don't think you lot do either...)

Here's my best shot (and abridged version):

- You offered me a package/contract that you could NOT deliver * (see below)
- You forgot to tell me this
- You forgot to reduce my monthly cost
- You forgot to deposit £30 into my bank account

I called several more times in 2007 but nothing changed.

But in Jan 2008 we had a breakthrough!! You told me that you couldn't provide me with a better service so I decided to get my MAC code and try pastures new. But not before you offered to refund the monthly cost difference from July 07 - Jan 08 (basically £3.44 x 7 months = £24.08). I was pretty disappointed to be honest, all I wanted was the package/contract we'd discussed 7 months ago but never mind.

However, it all went "Pete Tong" on the 22nd January when perused my bank statement I saw:

15/01 - PIPEX INTERNET - £235.58 - Withdrawn from my account.

I called up customer services and worked out with a representative that you'd changed me a penalty fee for cancelling my contract early. * (remember above?) Funny, I thought this never happened. Ha-ha, I was expecting a credit not debit in my account....

I wasn't very happy especially when told I'd have to wait about 7-10 days before the money was back in my bank account. But still...beggars and all that!

So, here I am, today, Wednesday 27 February 2008, 36 days later. 36 days later!!!!! And I've still received diddly-squat, nada, naught, nothingness, nought, zip, zulch!!


Frankly, it's not good enough. I've been more than fair but Pipex's standard of service has been very simply, unreasonable. Only from searching your website for your complaints procedure did I find that you're members of the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS). I will not hesitate to contact them if I don't receive a fair and considered resolution offer from Pipex.


Thank you.