Pipex Homecall Aka Pipex Lies, incompetence and indifference. How to cost your customer over 100 and still expect more for not providing a service. Manchester Other

We had used Pipex as our broadband provider for many years before the following sage ensued:

20 June 2008: Called customer services to advise we were switching telephone numbers on 24 June so needed broadband on the new number. We were promised a 'seamless' switchover.

24 June 2008: Old line cut by BT at which point we discovered Pipex had not arranged for broadband on the new line and our company had no internet access.

In a barrage of some 17 calls over the next 36 hours we were finally told the implementation date had always been set for 3 July and could not be improved. In the meantime we could run the company using their temporary dial-in facility costing 3p per minute daytime rate.

3 July 2008: Automated e-mail from Pipex Head of Customer Service Gary Rodgus "delighted" to inform us the broadband had gone live and we could start using the service immediately. Guess what? It wasn't. We still had no broadband service and checked with BT who had no record of an application from Pipex!

Contacted Pipex Technical Support who knew nothing about the e-mail and said it was wrong anyway because the live' date had always been set for 10 July. Of course that would not happen either because the order had been "cancelled by the provider" on 1 July. If we wanted more information we would have to call Customer Services.

Called Customer Services who also knew nothing about the e-mail, insisted the live date had always been set for 10 July and had no explanation on who cancelled the order on 1 July suggesting the problem was "with BT". We asked why nobody from Pipex had contacted us by e-mail or telephone advising that there was a problem. The reply was this was not possible because "if they follow progress on every issue there would be no time to provide support to anyone".

We asked what would happen if another issue arose delaying the 10 July date? They said it was "down to the Provisioning department" but we could not talk to them because "they have no e-mail or telephone access". If we had no service on 10 July we would just have to call in and then they would look into it!

We suggested that we would change service providers. This seemed a matter of complete indifference. So we changed service providers to Namesco and within minutes had an agreement using temporary dial up at 1p while they sorted out the broadband with BT.

9 July 2008: Pipex took a month's charges from our bank account. Stupid of us not to cancel the Direct Debit but we assumed they had enough honesty not to take money when no service had been provided since 24 June!

10 - 14 July 2008: Numerous phone calls to customer services who refused to put us through to anyone senior. Even called the Manchester Head Office to be told they had been taken over and everyone was redundant!

16 July 2008: Furious e-mail to customer services asking for the money back. Result? Total silence.

20 July 2008: Follow up e-mail. No response.

6 August 2008: Automated voicemail from Pipex complaining that they had not been able to take yet ANOTHER month's money from our account. Immediately rang their finance department where employee who refused to give his full name or pass the call to a supervisor or manager categorically denied they had taken money in July or tried to take it in August and told us to call the customer services department closing the call by telling us to 'Have a Nice Day'. Clear candidate for Employee of the Month.

7 August 2008: Sent an e-mail to their pro-business department saying if they did not repay the money taken from our account we would take legal action including asking for the 90 we had spent on call charges over this entire mess.

The response? An e-mail from Pipex Internet Control sent from another 'unattended mailbox' stating that unless the outstanding August charge was paid and a new Direct Debit/Credit Card Instruction was received within the next 6 days our Pipex services would be suspended and suggesting we make payment through one of their dedicated customer service representatives.

The only good point is that our company e-mails and website are hosted by another company so we didn't even have to START tackling the issue of getting the Migration Authority Code.

Sad comment on their total lack of real interest in customers who have been with them many years.

Our recommendation? DON'T USE PIPEX!!

Kestreal consulting
Sapcote
United Kingdom