Never heard of O2 offering 2 meg packages, it's either upto 8 or 20 meg. Never heard of them having a threshold of 1.8 meg either.

May well be you were on their Access product based on BT Wholesale's network in which case IP Profiles would kick in.

Only way to check what speeds you should be getting is check your routers setup pages and get your line stats, up/down connection rate, noise margins and attenuations.

Also, again assuming your on BT wholesale network check their speedtest for your profile (possibly this threshold thing they talk about). If you're on O2's network the test won't work though but at least your line stats will still give the info you need to prove/disprove your assertion that they've been short changing you.

Line stats

BT Speedtest

Samknows Exchange Checker - see what's available to you.

Also check it isn't your own wiring that's giving you grief - if you do have the split soket then get line stats before and after using the test socket, any changes in downstream noise margin or connection rate (or even attenuation) will show you need to sort it. Increase in connection rate and/or downstream noise margin = good, decrease in downstream attenuation = good when using the test socket.

Thanks once again re Ofcom. I'll leave 'em be then :)

Yes my contract time is done now and no I wasn't going to wear that one from them.

Interesting service though isn't? Shut up, leave or accept a crumb from us and still shut up and put up!

They definitely have not heard the last of this from me.

Best wishes

Nick

kitos:

I was thinking of Offcom as well.

OFCOM (bless them) won't investigate an individual complaint. They will merely log it. I have yet to see any effects on any issue I have ever asked OFCOM to log.

I edited my last post with an important addition while you were viewing it.

Jalexa,

Thank you, that's brilliant. I was thinking of Offcom as well.

kitos:

Re customer service, trust me I have tried, I have gone to their first line, second line and finally a manager today who told me that she could no longer see the point of my complaint and taht I should accept one of theri offers...MAC and go or a months freebie.

If you feel that your issue has not been addresed to your satisfaction you are entitled to ask Otelo to consider your complaint.

http://www.otelo.org.uk/

There is no cost to you. I am not sure how Otelo is funded but I do know that the (similar) Financial Ombudsman Service is funded by a hefty case fee levied on the organisation - whether or not the complaint is upheld.

Switching ISP at this stage would not affect any rights you have for remedy (if any) regarding your previous O2 service. I take it that your minimum service term has expired? In that case you already have the right to a MAC so don't accept that as an O2 offered outcome.

Hi Jalexa,

Thanks for replying. Yes I think in part that you are right BUT o2 went out of their way 18 months ago when BT was getting so much bad press, promising a better service. What they are doing now is nothing short of fraudulent in that they are billing people having set minimum standards which they now know that they cannot always achieve (or in some cases like mine ) all of the time. That is purely and plainly obtaining money through deception.

Re customer service, trust me I have tried, I have gone to their first line, second line and finally a manager today who told me that she could no longer see the point of my complaint and taht I should accept one of theri offers...MAC and go or a months freebie.

I will write to o2 and in the meantime try and find another provider ASAP.

kitos:

Can anyone point me in the direction of a decent provider that has decent customer service, is honourable and can provide me in rural Devon with something that even equates to a service?

I think you have given the game away, probably the main problem is the local loop and all ISPs are likely to struggle on speed.

Regarding customer service failure, you need to deal with that via the organisation's complaints procedure with no quarter given. That's it.

I have been with o2 for the past 18 months and pay for 2mb broadband. Trouble is I have never got anywhere near 2Mb download and at it's highest was running at about 1.5. I discovered on 23rd March that o2 have a threshold of 1.8 and anything below that is not right and poor reception (please do remember that!!). However they have never advertised that.

I have called and called them to report that my speed was dropping and if I am lucky I may get 1-200kbps out the system. They have now 3 times written off my complaint by saying it is fixed....when it hasn't been.

I have been informed that o2 are investing in new gear for exchanges costing them over 1 million to increase the speeds, but they have no idea when they will be installed - could be 4 months, could be 14 months, could be 4 yrs for anyone knows (or cares it would seem). They state that numerous people around the country are suffering from 'congestion' but that people will just have to wait for new equipment or leave!

Having just spoken to them today I was told that I was outside of the terms of my contract (because I was complaining???) and that I was welcome to leave and that they would give me my MAC code today OR accept one months free rental. As they have broken their contract for the past 18 months by continually supplying me with speeds under their own threshold and continue to take money from me...... am I the only one to smell a big rat?

The only reason I went to o2 from BT was that I was sick to death with the latter and their useless attitude, customer service (sorry that's an oxymoron if ever there was) and speeds.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a decent provider that has decent customer service, is honourable and can provide me in rural Devon with something that even equates to a service?

Thanks and do I need to say treat o2 with extreme suspicion?