Teleconnect

[Tregeare]

Can I add my comments on the appalling service of Teleconnect. Just don't go there. Breaking down three or four times a day, sky-high charges, unanswered (lord help you if a bank holiday follows a weekend !!) or impossibly complex help lines (on one occasion I was given a schoolboy telling-off for pressing the reset button). I switched to Orange, so Teleconnect are trying to squeeze every penny out of me. I have to end the contract with an international registered letter, which must arrive in the calendar month before you want to withdraw. They claim I returned a damaged modem (not true) or that I didn't return one (I have proof of posting).

I'm now paying Orange E30 a month less for a service that works, and hope I'm free of these people. Will see if there's a local government consumer protection service when next in France.

[NickP]

Ditto, they have stolen 250 euro from my bank account, before I had time to cancel the standing order. They claim I didn't return a modem, which I have a signature for, and two were broken. One of those was broken when I received it that is why they sent me a replacement. They claim the replacement one had a damaged aerial. My speed was less than 2mbs, now with Orange, it's 38mbs. and as you say for a lot less money. Your situation sounds very familiar to me Tregeare, it appears like a well-practised rip-off.

[suein56]

Well done you two for eventually escaping the clutches of TC .. who, it must be said, are not alone in trying to separate some people from their money .. without giving the service for which you think you are paying.

[nomoss]

Not a comment on Teleconnect, of whom I have no experience, but over the years many people on this and other forums have gravitated to, or back to Orange.

In my case, years ago we changed from Orange to Tele2, who were eventually taken over by SFR.

The cheaper rate telephone calls were OK, with nothing much to go wrong, but once we got into using the Internet things got worse and worse.

When there were problems with the line, of course the telephone didn't work, and I had to stand in the street with my mobile, which didn't work indoors, trying to communicate with someone in Morocco, who had a very sketchy knowledge of anything to do with the problems.

As the cheapest solution at that time, since it was costly to get out of the SFR contract, I ended up getting an additional land line from Orange just so that I could use it to call the SFR help line.

When we moved house it gave us the opportunity to switch to Orange, and we have had no complaints or major problems since.

When the main telephone cable serving our town was accidentally dug up and broken, the service was down for over three weeks, but Orange, for no extra charge, supplied a little magic box which connected us via the mobile phone network.

[Spider]

I'm with TC at the moment but I'm thinking of changing over to Orange. Reason being I have had several modems but still have problems with my phone and the internet speed has been 2 meg, then 6 meg and back to 2 meg, Our neighbour gets 7 meg stable connection. Of course getting through to the help line is impossible mission sometimes as well.

I phoned Orange and I got the impression I would be without phone/internet for about 10 days if I change. They also said my speed would be between 2 and 8 meg, probably on the lower estimate because of our location so no change.

Tregeare - how long did the changeover take?

Ages ago I was with Alice and when I changed ISP's I had similar problems to you and NickP even to the point of having several demand letters from a debt collection agency in Paris who I eventually told to go forth and multiply as they couldn't even supply an invoice relating to the debt!

[Judith]

Cheap as chips is not always worth it  Come to the conclusion that it is very rarely the best option to go cheap.  You get what you pay for.  Better to pay a bit more but get a service that works, at least most of the time.  Whilst Orange still leaves much to be desired, especially with problem solving, there is a reason why most are with it - and that's not to do with their years of having no competition.  Certainly, giving them some competition seems to have improved their customer service, though it is still not perfect, they do have the benefit of long duration and a somewhat protected market.  We've never been tempted by the offers of others, but do know friends who've had problems with SFR. 

[nomoss]

+1 Judith.

As you say, Orange may not be perfect, but they do have a physical presence if one visits one of  their "boutiques".

You may have to queue a bit, but you can talk to someone who knows, or can find out, the answers, and it beats the hell out of trying to get some halfwit in Morocco to solve a problem.

[NickP]

Spider, when we changed over, we gave all our details to Orange, sent the letter to TC. Orange posted us the Modem which we picked up at a click and collect point. That same day they texted to say connect the Modem, which we did successfully, this obviously disconnected TC. We were never without the internet or phone at any time. From contacting Orange to switching on was about one week. My big mistake was not going to the post office straight away and cancelling the direct debit. When we did, the post office said that they thought we were too late to stop the payment for "missing Modems" So make sure you cancel the Direct Debit ASAP allowing for the final legal payment to go out of course. Because as sure as eggs are eggs you will get told that the modem is either broken or they haven't received it. One I sent back they signed for yet said that they hadn't received it.

[NormanH]

"As you say, Orange may not be perfect, but they do have a physical presence if one visits one of  their "boutiques"."

The one in the centre of town here (which has since closed) was so hopeless that they advised me to go to Auchan to have a problem solved with a dongle they had sold me..

[Spider]

[quote user="NickP"]Spider, when we changed over, we gave all our details to Orange, sent the letter to TC. Orange posted us the Modem which we picked up at a click and collect point. That same day they texted to say connect the Modem, which we did successfully, this obviously disconnected TC. We were never without the internet or phone at any time. From contacting Orange to switching on was about one week. My big mistake was not going to the post office straight away and cancelling the direct debit. When we did, the post office said that they thought we were too late to stop the payment for "missing Modems" So make sure you cancel the Direct Debit ASAP allowing for the final legal payment to go out of course. Because as sure as eggs are eggs you will get told that the modem is either broken or they haven't received it. One I sent back they signed for yet said that they hadn't received it.[/quote]

Thanks for that Nick, I will give it more thought this week.The offer I'm looking at is just the basic internet Livebox which starts at 22.99 a month for 12 month then 36.99 and I presume they charge for the box in which case after one year not a lot different to what I pay TC now. When I spoke to Orange they said if my speed was limited they could supply an additional "box" - not sure what that is - so that I would get the 8 meg, obviously at increased cost. We are not interested in having TV. I'd be interested to know what you pay.

Norman, yes heard horror stories about the Orange shop here which always seems crowded indicating lots of problems perhaps?

[nomoss]

[quote user="NormanH"]

"As you say, Orange may not be perfect, but they do have a physical presence if one visits one of  their "boutiques"."

The one in the centre of town here (which has since closed) was so hopeless that they advised me to go to Auchan to have a problem solved with a dongle they had sold me.

[/quote]

The one in the centre of Carcassonne also closed down some time ago; they gradually moved the personnel to the new boutique in the CC Géant, outside town.

Much better for us, as the old place was a long walk from any possible parking.

I suppose for most people, who have cars, it is easier to go to a place within a ZAC, like yours in Auchan, where there is ample parking space, than to one in the centre of a busy city.

Just one more case of shops moving out of town/city centres.

[NickP]

Spider, we have a deal for one year which includes a mobile sim, which amounts to 45.99Euro a month. It's the Open up 2hrs 5 go Deal. the 2hours is for free mobile calls. The box is 3E a month. Ours will go up next year to 50E something? Still less than TC plus landline charge. Because of course, we pay no landline charges. Orange will refund the TC cancellation fee which is about 45E. You need to download the form to claim that back. You can do the deal on the internet but if like we were, you're having problems with your present supplier, it can be done by phone, but a warning don't bother with the "English helpline" Good luck.

[Spider]

Thanks for that, given me some thoughts. I am paying 36.99 per month with TC plus 2.99 for modem and free calls via voip so a total of about 40€ a month.