I just wanted to send you a warning not to use Tiscali for your broadband package. In my opinion they provide extremely poor customer service.
I have made several complaints via telephone and letter and have been given a lot of misleading information and false promises. I’ve added all the correspondence I have sent to Tiscali below. It has not ended favourably as you will see from the response I got from their Customer Relations rep. It has wasted a lot of my time and money.
To top it off the broadband service is also running slow several times a week now and I often have to restart my PC or the router to resolve it.
I’ve been advised tonight that my contract runs out on the 17th February 2009 and I can’t wait to be free of them and go with a professional provider – even if that means I have to pay more money.
and yes... I now know that the FOI Act only applies to Public organisations and that Ofcom actually don’t deal with complaints and are pretty much there just for show ;o)
Letter 1 – from me to Tiscali
30th March 2008
Customer Code UI9******78
FOR THE ATTENTION OF Complaints Department
Tiscali
PO Box 5973
Alness
IV17 0WW
Dear Sir/Madam
COMPLAINT
I am writing this letter of complaint as a result of the delays I have experienced with my order for broadband. This issue is yet to be resolved to a satisfactory conclusion i.e. I still have no broadband connection or wireless router.
In explanation I provide you with a summary of the events that have taken place since I placed my order in an effort to highlight to you the bad service I have received from Tiscali so far.
17/02/2008
With excitement and anticipation I placed an order online for the Tiscali broadband package which included a “free wireless router” at a cost of £6.49 a month for the first three months and £12.99 thereafter.
19/02/2008
I receive a welcome letter from Tiscali advising me that I could expect to receive my broadband installation kit within 10 working days.
29/02/2008
I rang 0871 222 3311 to chase my order and advise that I did not want to transfer my calls from BT to Tiscali as the phone bill is not paid by myself but may parents with whom I now live. I advised I only wanted to have broadband from Tiscali. Saieed advised me that the letter had been sent by mistake and there would be no free calls included in my package because I had not taken the option to have line rental through Tiscali.
I was advised that my broadband would be activated within 5 days.
A week later I still had not having received my installation kit and I rang 0871 222 3311 to chase my order. I spoke to Monta who told me that there was a “technical issue” which had been escalated to the highest level of support and that my broadband would be up and running in 5-6 days. Nobody told me what the technical issue was and I was not permitted to speak to the technical department.
A week later after still not having received my installation kit I again rang 0871 222 3311 to chase my order. I spoke to Sujatha. She advised that there was still a technical issue and that it would be another 5-6 days. Having been told the same thing for the third time I became annoyed and asked her for the number of the cancellation department.
I rang 0845 0774488 and spoke to Phil. I explained everything to him. He advised me that Tiscali had stopped the instruction to transfer phone calls from BT to Tiscali and that the technical issue had already been escalated to the highest level. He advised me that it would only be a few more days and to compensate me for my troubles he would take £5 off my first bill. At no time did I authorise him to cancel the account.
14/03/2008
Still no broadband, I rang 0871 222 331. I explained that I had yet to receive my installation kit and that the situation for broadband was getting desperate as I run a small business developing websites for small businesses and I was loosing money by not having the broadband to do my work. I was told that my order had been cancelled. I became angry. I declared I had not requested cancellation of the order and that I had grown tired of being without broadband and speaking to people who did not understand what I was saying. I requested that someone with an English accent called me back on my mobile. Several hours later I had not received a call.
I rang 0845 0774488 and spoke to Adam. He told me that the order had not been cancelled that whoever had told me that must have been looking at the wrong account (the one I held with you years before). He apologised for the delay and that nobody had called me. He advised that he would arrange for a modem to be sent in the post. He spoke to his supervisor and promised that someone would call me to confirm progress of the order. He also promised that my first months bill would be free of charge. I told him that was all very well but I just wanted broadband.
19/03/2008
Still no broadband. I rang 0845 0774488 at 4.25pm and spoke to Nita. She informed me that my order had been cancelled. She confirmed it was the order I had placed on 17/02/08 that had been cancelled. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She explained one wasn’t available. Nita explained I needed to call the technical help on 0871 222 3311 to resolve the issue. I told her I did not like to ring that number because the call takers did not understand me when I asked questions and I had to repeat myself. I asked her if there was anyone in England I could speak to, she said there was not. I asked her to give me the address for your complaints department (the one on this letter) and the address for the organisation which is responsible for regulating Tisacli. She did not know who your regulator was. She asked her supervisor who also didn’t know.
I rang 0871 222 3311 at 4.50pm and spoke to Rakesh. He apologised for the cancellation of the order but he could not tell me who had authorised it. He advised the order could be processed and it had been escalated to second line support. He advised that a modem would be shipped to me the next day and once I received it I should give the technical team a call. He told me not to worry because the request to cancel the order had been stopped.
I did receive the modem a few days later but no wireless router. On 22/03/2008 I rang 0871 222 3311 to ask if the account had been activated. I had been told it had not and that I could not use broadband yet.
26/03/2008
I rang 0871 222 3311 at 9.45pm and was advised by Arun that the line had been activated on 19/03/2008. I also told him that I had not received a wireless router yet.
27/03/2008
I installed the software and hardware and waited with excitement as I clicked to connect to Tiscali. The internet connection failed. I followed the advice on the help files that had been installed – restarting the machine, checking the filters, checked the phone line, removed all other devices, uninstalled the software and hardware and re-installed it.
I rang 0871 222 3311. I explained the actions I’d taken in following the troubleshooting advice, twice because the person on the phone could not understand me. I was told that an engineer would have to investigate the problem and that I would get a call back on 31/03/2008 between the hours of 3pm and 6pm.
28/03/2008
Earlier than expected I received a call from an engineer who told me that the problem should have been resolved. I was not in a position to test the connection while he was on the phone and he told me that I should check later on and call the technical help line if it did not work.
29/03/2008
I tested the connection and it did not work. I rang 0871 222 3311 at approximately 2.30pm to tell them. I was advised that an engineer was still looking at the problem and somebody would call me later on today. I told him that the engineer rang me yesterday and that I should report it to technical if it did not work. I did not understand why someone was still looking at it if the issue had been resolved yesterday. I was assured someone was looking at the problem and that I would be called back later in the day.
I asked where my wireless router was. I was also told that I needed contact billing. I asked if I could be put through they told me they could not do that.
I did not receive a phone call from the engineer later in the day.
30/03/2008
10:45am I rang 0871 222 3311 and spoke to Terry. She advised me that a failed attempt to deliver the wireless router was made on 26/03/2008. She said she would raise an order for delivery with another department and get me a reference number. I was put on hold and then cut off.
I rang the number again and this time spoke to Yomi. He advised me that Terry had just put through the ticket and the reference number was 8257153. I asked him when the router would be delivered to ensure someone was at home to receive it. He advised me that I had come through to the wrong department to place the order and I needed to ring 0845 0774488. I became annoyed. I explained to him that the technical department had advised me yesterday that I needed to contact “Billing”. Yomi then told me that he had not given me that information and had not told me to contact “Technical”. I told him he had not listened to what I had said – that Technical had told me to contact his department. He apologised and explained that Billing did used to deal with router orders but not any longer.
Since moving back home at the end of February I have had no broadband. I have been forced to use dial up with Tiscali which only connects at 28.8Kbps when it chooses to actually connect. This has been extremely inadequate for my needs and is very slow to use. In addition my customers have been very dissatisfied with the service I provide them as a result of not having broadband to update their websites in good time. I have had to offer them discounts in compensation.
I have made more phone calls than those listed above but did not keep all the dates and times.
I have spent several hours speaking to people who were not able to answer my questions either because they did not understand what I was saying or did not have the information I required.
I have been transferred from department to department at my own cost having to redial each time because of your disjointed customer service infrastructure.
I found it very annoying that I had to repeat myself several times to make myself understood and extremely frustrating to be given misleading information on a number of occasions.
I do not like to get angry or upset when talking to people on the telephone but my patience has been tested several times with the Tiscali customer service centre.
I do not feel that Tiscali has provided good customer service in fulfilling my order. I am very disappointed and feel that the service has noticeably deteriorated from when I previously had Tiscali providing my broadband.
Once my parents receive their phone bill from BT I will be sending you a copy. It will hopefully be able to highlight how much time and money I have spent in phone calls to Tiscali to resolve this issue. How much time and money I have spent using your dial up broadband in order to get any work done at all. I expect to be compensated for the money I have spent in addition to the £11.39 I’ve so far been promised off my broadband bills.
I just want to have my broadband up and running. Can you confirm how much longer I will have to wait? Am I wasting my time?
Under the Freedom of Information Act can you please confirm:
What is the average time that your customers have to wait from receipt of order at Tiscali to activation of broadband services?
How many customers receive their Broadband Installation Kit outside of the target 10 days (which I now see has been upped to 15)?
How many complaints you get from customers based in the UK who are dissatisfied with your call centre in a foreign country (I assume India)?
How many orders are processed without the promised “Free Wireless Router” and subsequently have to be requested by customers?
Yours faithfully
AR
Letter 2 – from me to Tiscali
12th April 2008
Customer Code UI9******78
FOR THE ATTENTION OF Complaints Department
Tiscali
PO Box 5973
Alness
IV17 0WW
Dear Sir/Madam
COMPLAINT PART 2
I have yet to receive a reply or acknowledgement of my complaint letter dated 30th March 2008.
I am now able to give you a breakdown of some of the calls that I have made to Tiscali in trying to resolve completion of my broadband order and the cost of calls for dial up Internet connections during the period I was without broadband.
I have enclosed a copy of my parent’s telephone bill with itemised listing of all calls over 40p. All the calls made to Tiscali and the Internet have been underlined.
The total cost of call charges including VAT is £36.35 (£13.39 to Tiscali Technical/Customer Support and £22.96 for dialup Internet).
The itemised bill shows the duration of calls to Tiscali Technical/Customer was 2 hours and 24 minutes. That is time I have wasted that I can never get back.
I would also like to point out what this itemised bill does not show. It excludes:
Numerous dial up Internet calls to Tiscali that connected for a few seconds and then failed.
The cost and time taken to call Tiscali Technical/Customer Support when I was at work or at my friends house. Approximately 3 calls x 10-20 minutes.
All calls under 40p that may have been made to your technical help desk.
If this has been the cost to myself in terms of time and money, you may also like to consider how much the handling of my order and subsequent complaints and queries have cost you. The level of service I have received is not what I expected from Tiscali having been a content customer in the past.
My broadband is now working and I have not had any problems with it since the wireless router was set up.
Please acknowledge receipt of both of my letters relating to this complaint. I have enclosed a copy of the first letter I have sent in case it has gone astray.
Please refund me the £36.35 which my parents have paid in unnecessary telephone charges.
In addition I would like a response to the questions I raised under the Freedom of Information Act in my previous letter.
Yours faithfully
AR
Letter 3 – from me to Tiscali
30th May 2008
Customer Code UI9******78
FOR THE ATTENTION OF Complaints Department
Tiscali Customer Services
PO Box 7206
Kiln Farm
Milton Keynes
MK14 6XG
Your ref: UKHD000016*****
Dear Sir/Madam
COMPLAINT PART 3
This is the third letter I have written as a result of no response and poor Customer Service from Tiscali.
Since your letter in confirmation of my complaint a number of weeks ago (no date provided) I have written a second letter of complaint, made three complaints online and three phone calls (one to each of your Customer Services, Sales and Cancellations Departments). These complaints are as a result of receiving bills which are not for the value of the package I signed up for and they did not include the refunds I was promised (as detailed in my previous complaints).
I have enclosed copies of relevant correspondence.
I have had no final response to my complaints or compensation claims from Tiscali. Incidentally, your online complaint process could be improved. I would have liked to receive a summary of my complaint and confirmation via email that you had received them and would be responding shortly.
I rang Tiscali Customer Services on 23/05/08 at approximately 10:55. I spoke to Renell. I calmly explained to him that I had sent 2 letters and 2 emails and not received any responses. I explained to him what the issues had been and that I had signed up for the package for £6.49 a month for the first 3 months then £12.99 thereafter. I also explained I had been promised a £5 reduction on one bill and one month free. I explained my bills did not reflect this and that the package had been charged at a higher rate. I also advised that I had not received a reply to my complaints.
Renell apologised and advised me he would put the reductions that I had been promised on to my next bill, arrange for the package to be corrected and promised that someone would call me back on my mobile with regards to my complaints. I was satisfied with this. Unfortunately I did not receive a call back. This was the fourth time I had been promised a call back and never received it.
I then received an email from John Madrigal on 24/05/08 advising me to contact your Sales Department. This morning at 8.55pm I spoke to Emma in Sales. I again gave a brief overview of what had happened to date. She advised me that because I had advised Tiscali that I did not want to have phone calls I had been placed on the broadband only package for £17.99 a month and she could put me on to the £14.99 deal. I explained to her that I was not satisfied with this because nobody at Tiscali had explained to me that I would need to pay a higher fee to have a reduction in service. She suggested that I speak to the Cancellations Department.
I spoke to Arendi in the Cancellations Department for half an hour from approximately 09:00. I started by explaining that I wanted to speak to his Supervisor. He advised me I could not (I assume your staff are penalised for the number of calls they put through to Supervisors – maybe they fail a KPO or loose a bonus). I then explained my complaints. Arendi advised me that because I had requested no phone calls as part of my package my original contract had ended and a new one had been created at a higher fee. I explained that nobody at Tiscali had advised me that my request not to have phone calls would lead to a new contract being made or that it would cost me more and I stated that I had not signed a new contract. I also explained that I thought it was disgraceful that a reduction in services i.e. from broadband with calls to just broadband would end up costing me more money. As such I stated my contract with you was null and void given I had not signed anything new and had not been made aware of the new terms and conditions. I explained that if I cancelled this contract I should not be expected to pay the rest of the term of the contract as a result.
Arendi advised me that nobody at the Cancellations Department would agree to this.
He advised me that it was my responsibility to ask the questions that would have provided me with information which would make it clear that I was entering into a new contract with a higher fee. If this is correct it sounds to me that Tiscali is in the business of swindling people. I told him that I would have to be a mind reader to know what all your policies and products were. In addition, I do not recall a broadband only package or a means of opting out of phone calls being advertised online at the time that I took up the offer – because I certainly would have selected it. I also note too that you have since advertised a broadband only package. Could this be because other customers were experiencing difficulties too?
Arendi offered to give me an additional £10 reduction in my next bill and put me on the £14.99 package. I advised him I was not happy about this because I would still have to find £2 extra a month to pay for the difference. In addition the £25 in total I had been promised so far for poor Customer Service did not include the £36.35 I had spent in phone calls and dial up charges due to the delays in receiving broadband. It also did not cover for the compensation I have had to pay to my customers for delays in updating their web sites as a result of not having Internet access.
I asked him who I needed to speak to escalate my complaints. I was advised to write to the Tiscali Head Office.
I agreed that Arendi should put me on the broadband only package at £14.99 which he promptly arranged and I have received email confirmation of. The call reference number is 9*****4.
I have been passed from pillar to post in trying to get responses to my queries and the information received has been extremely poor up until I get to the point where I’m so frustrated I have to “jump up and down” to get any action or speak to someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. It shouldn’t be that way, life is too short. I’m a fair person, I don’t like conflict but I will stand up for my rights. In all honesty this is the worst Customer Experience I’ve ever had in my life and Tiscali have fallen far short of the good Customer Service I received from them in the past.
If it was just one representative of your company that I had had difficulties with or if there was only one thing that had gone wrong throughout the process I could live with that but there seems to be something very wrong with the Customer Experience at Tiscali. I feel very sorry for your staff. They must experience these complaints day after day. Nothing outside of starvation would tempt me to work for you.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and advise when I can expect to receive a response to my request for compensation with regards to my telephone charges and contract. As I have said before I am prepared to complain via ADR and raise this issue with Ofcom as I do not feel that Tiscali have dealt with any of my complaints in a satisfactory manner and the change of terms of my contract has not been clearly communicated or fairly made.
Yours faithfully
AR
RESPONSE Letter – from Tiscali TO ME
3rd July 2008
Dear Miss R
RE: BILLING ISSUE
Thank you for brining your complaint to our attention. I apologise for the delay in resolving this issue and any inconvenience this may have caused you.
I have reviewed your account information and this issue appears to have been resolved. You are now being billed at the agreed rate of £14.99 per month. A total of £24.54 has been applied to your account as credit adjustments since April of this year. These adjustments may not have been obvious as they are offset against your monthly billed, however, they can be viewed by accessing the My Account area of the Tiscali website (tiscali).
I hope that this outcome is to your satisfaction. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards
EM
Tiscali Customer Relations
Anyone see anything wrong with that response?
1. No apology for the poor customer service.
2. It has not been resolved to my satisfaction because I’m still out of pocket.
3. No phone number to contact and complain again except the one that’s for India and general technical/billing help.
4. The repayments weren’t “obvious” till my last bill because there weren’t any there as promised till the last bill.
5. Grammatical mistake – “as they are offset against your monthly bill…”
Still I need to let it rest now that I’ve done my bit to forewarn as many people as possible…