Awful Consumer Ethics (Tiscali (Lineone))

Member Name: wastingtime

Product:	Tiscali (Lineone)
Date:	15/09/08 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its a good service

Disadvantages: They are robbing heathens

Oh Tiscali Tiscali, you have cost me a fortune now havn't you. I recently moved house, and in fact completely changed the City and part of the country I live in. When I got to my new flat I found out that my BT line had been disconnected. I therefore rung BT and it was done within a few days.

Great.

However, BT then wanted £50 deposit because I had not had a line with them before, this would be refunded to them if I didnt change my provider withing six months. So at which point I'm paying £15 p/m for BT friends and family, which I don't use as well as having had to fork out £50 deposit.

Great.

A few months go by and I begin to look at other packages. I have taken the phone from the wall, as I wouldn't hand the number out to anyone but yet seemed to be getting sales calls. So now I'm paying £15 p/m for.... nothing.

I see a deal with Tiscali which offers broadband, a TV package and phone friends and family for £20 p/m, well, surely this just makes more sense so I ring up Tiscali.

It is all arranged within a matter of minutes, although an engineer obviously can't get out for a month or so yet, so that's my first payment down the swanny really.

I then ask the sales rep:
'Should I phone BT to inform them that I am changing provider?'
Answer
'No, that's fine, we will organise everything for you'.

Oh how nieve I was, thinking that I had got a great deal for my flat, that it took very little organisation and soon I would be surfing and watching and playing to my hearts content.

A few weeks go by and my Tiscali still isn't set up, but they had warned me that it would take a while for an engineer, so I cope with that bitter pill. However BT then send me a bill for £150, although they were nice enough to knock my £50 deposit off the total.

Great.

I get in touch with them and start asking them what the hell was going on, telling them that I have never signed a contract with them, nobody told me it would cost so much if I changed provider, and that i expected to lose my £50 and that was it.

They say that whoever cancelled the package would have been informed of costs and that was all they were willing to do and basically it really wasn't their problem.

So, I turn my attention to Tiscali, I ring and I write, telling them that I find it disgusting that they would sell me down the river for £150 just so they could have my monthly business, which to be fair is exactly what they have done.

I have not received an apology, and I have obviously had to pay the £150 to BT, which did not thrill me skinny. I know I may have been a little nieve to have been messing round with these contracts in the first place and expecting everything would be okay, I guess I just didn't know any better. But I feel like BT and mostly Tiscali have really left me hung out to dry.

Summary: Be very careful before signing up with them