Bulldog Broadband Complaint

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Thought I'd share this with you!!!

Here is an email I sent to Bulldog Broadband last month:
(incidentally, pay careful attention to my name and the name of the friend I refer to in the last paragraph...)

F.A.O. Finance/Billing Department

I signed up for Bulldog Inter@ctive before Christmas and had it installed on January 16th. The offer at the time was £21.50 for the broadband and £10.50 for the line rental, a total of £32 which was advertised as the package price for life.

I understand that there was an additional benefit of free UK calls for a while, however I had no interest in continuing this after the offer period as I make very few calls and certainly not £12 worth to landlines per month.

The first two bills were absolutely fine, however, last month I found that I had been overcharged by £12. I telephoned and explained that I had never requested the UK calls option and did not want it - I was told that the £12 would be credited to the next bill and the option removed, making my package price £32 as it should be. I therefore allowed the debit card payment to proceed (including the overcharge, which I expected to receive as a credit as promised).

The next bill has now arrived, and not only does it show no credit for last month's mistake, but a further £12 charge appears in respect of the unrequested, unwanted UK calls package.

I would appreciate your response to this email at your earliest opportunity, as I unfortunately now have no confidence in the ability of your telephone staff to resolve the problem. If I have not heard from you by Monday (29th) I shall have to instruct the bank not to authorise the card payment, as to allow this to proceed would mean that I was £24 out of pocket with no sign of a resolution. I am, however, quite happy to send you a cheque for my correct outstanding balance which should be £24.62.

As a secondary issue, I referred a new customer to you in the earlier part of this year (Mr M Fuller, ref bdol5446115) and was told that I would receive a £50 credit for this. I appreciate that there will probably be a qualifying period for this credit but would appreciate if you could let me know when I can expect to receive it.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,

Simon Wright (Account bdol3990737)

Reasonable enough, I thought.

A few days later, this arrived in response:

Dear Mr Fuller,

Thank you for emailing Bulldog.
After investigation, I can confirm that the UK Unlimited Call option was removed from your account on 3 May 2006 and therefore will not reflect on your monthly bill from the invoice dated 1 June 2006 onwards.

Unfortunately I am not able to apply credit to your account as the only way that the UK Unlimited Call Option would be removed is by request from you, it is not automatically removed once the promotional period is over.
As we did not receive a request to remove the call option, we assumed that you were happy to keep that option on your account.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please call our Customer Services Team on our free phone number 0800 404 8151 and select option 1.1.

Please be advised that Cheque Payment is not one of the Methods of Payment accepted by Bulldog. The methods of payment accepted are Direct Debit and Credit Card (Mastercard and Visa) payments.

In terms of the Refer A Friend credit, this will only be applied to your account once Mr Fuller's account has been activated for over 3 months.

Please use the order reference in all communication.

Order Reference: bdol3990737

Kind Regards

Jacqui Stephenson
Bulldog Communications Billing Team

Now, unfortunately for poor old Jaqui here I had just got back from the pub when I read it, and my reply was in pure ninebob sarcasm. Shaun tried several times to stop me sending it, but off it went.... (brace yourselves):

Hello Jacqui,

Thank you for your reply to my email, addressed curiously enough to “Mr Fuller”. Although a Mr Fuller was featured in my email, he's not me and the email was not from him. Your ability even to get something this simple confused should really have prepared me for the rest of your content. I'd better take each line in turn:

“After investigation, I can confirm that the UK Unlimited Call option was removed from your account on 3 May 2006 and therefore will not reflect on your monthly bill from the invoice dated 1 June 2006 onwards.”

A promising start, Jacqui, but sadly it wasn't to last...

“Unfortunately I am not able to apply credit to your account...”

That's funny, because the nice man in Delhi I spoke to not only said that he was able to, but that he would do so. Which one of you is lying to me?

“As we did not receive a request to remove the call option, we assumed that you were happy to keep that option on your account.”

Aha! There's the problem – you assumed. I don't mind what you assume about me, to be honest, you can assume I'm a three-legged donkey who spends my spare time knitting for all I care, but please don't expect me to be happy about it when your incorrect assumptions cost me money.

“If you would like to discuss this matter further, please call our Customer Services Team on our free phone number 0800 404 8151 and select option 1.1.”

Is option 1.1 the one that puts me directly through to India/Outer Mongolia/Other far-flung call centre location of your choice? If it's all the same to you, Jacqui, I'll continue discussing this by email as you do at least appear to have a reasonable grasp of the english language.

“Please be advised that Cheque Payment is not one of the Methods of Payment accepted by Bulldog. The methods of payment accepted are Direct Debit and Credit Card (Mastercard and Visa) payments.”

Please be advised that incorrect bills are not accepted or paid by Simon Wright. The only bills paid by Simon Wright are those that accurately reflect the services I have ordered. Until this matter has been resolved, my bank has been instructed not to authorise any card payments to yourself. I'm still happy to send you a cheque for the correct amount, but if you insist on a card payment you'd better send me a sensible bill first. It's really up to you!

“In terms of the Refer A Friend credit, this will only be applied to your account once Mr Fuller's account has been activated for over 3 months.”

Fair enough. Just don't get me and him muddled up, eh?

Well I think that covers everything, and I look forward to your response.

Regards,
Simon Wright.

And to be honest, after that I forgot all about it until today when, 3 weeks later, they got back to me:

Dear Customer,

We have been investigating your recent credit request and are pleased to confirm that the credit has been processed. This will appear on your June bill.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused during this process.

Kind Regards,

Customer Operations Team
Email: [email protected]

A disappointingly humourless response, but definitely a victory for ninebob! I win - and I must admit that with the time-lapse inbetween, it gave me another good giggle today reading back my email!

:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
 
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Great when common sense of consumer prevails over the idiotic beaurocracy of faceless jobsworths. Good for you, ninebob! :)
 
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hermes said:
:D

Don't count your chickens..... have you had your June bill yet?
No! :rolleyes:

But god help them if it's wrong - I'll just go to the pub and email them after 10 pints of cider again!

Amusingly enough, after sending that last one, I actually forgot to carry out my threat of cancelling the card payment, so if they have got it right and credited the correct amount, my June bill when it arrives should show a credit for my payment AND 2 credits for their errors, so it'll be almost nothing!

I'll let you know.......
 
Spark123 said:
Just read Bulldog is looking to get out of the consumer market; Computeractive

Oh dear ...
... However, Bulldog said the 140,000 people already using the service will continue to be provided with a service and they shouldn't see any difference.

Naice !

:D :D :D :D
 
Yes, I had the email about this the other day, and the full announcement from Bulldog is here:

http://www.bulldoglounge.com/announcement.asp

Something fishy-sounding about the whole thing to me... the beginning of the end, who knows?

Not really bothered either way, to be honest - if they do stay I can honestly say their general service (billing issues aside!) is excellent, no downtime etc and very fast and reliable for the price.

And if they do go under, well at least it's an early exit from my contract, and plently else to choose from. I've already got a close eye on www.bethere.co.uk - just waiting for them to rollout the 24meg service in the Brighton area....
 
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE - My bill is sorted!!!!

Well, nearly, anyway - they've processed a load of charges, alterations, and credits in a most unfathomable way on the bill... the whole lot is now just £4.78 off where I calculated it should be, but compared to the £24 it was out previously I think I'll just count my blessings for now and quit while I'm ahead!

Next month will be the proper test, the bill should be straightforward and for the correct amount. We shall see... but for now I'm a happy bunny...

:p
 
24 meg???? :eek: :eek: :eek:

my router says the maximum attainable speed is 5.2meg on my line, currently connects at 1meg (thats my subscription)
 
crafty1289 said:
24 meg???? :eek: :eek: :eek:

my router says the maximum attainable speed is 5.2meg on my line, currently connects at 1meg (thats my subscription)

Yep, anything above 8meg requires new hardware supporting ADSL2+.

Bulldog have offered me their new 16meg, which is already live here, but they want £5 a month more plus a £20 upgrade fee. On the plus side, they say they can supply the new ADSL2+ router for £20 - hmm, not bad.

I'm still gonna stick with the 8meg for now though, and see what transpires for their future. Like I said, my ideal scenario would be that they do go under, thus freeing me from my contract, at exactly the same time that bethere's 24meg service lands in this area.
 
ninebob! next time I want to write someone a stroppy letter I going to come to you :LOL: that was flipping brillient.
I guess I'll have to pay for you to get drunk first :LOL: :LOL:
 
Bulldog has gotta be the biggest disaster ever to rear its ugly head on the public market.
I have had endless troubles with them, and I am copying in an email I have sent to them various times to NO avail.
I have spent hours on the phone to them, and not one person has been able to help me in the slightest!
So I feel it necessary to make this info public.
after some digging around, I have found the contact details and some tel numbers for some more important yet probably just as incompetant as customer services agents.
so here it is.
Use it! flood the bast*rds with everything you can!

Gladys Elia
Bulldog Communications
Tel: 020 7164 1064
Email: [email protected]
Emanuele Angelidis - Chief Executive –
[email protected]
Kevin Paige - Chief Networks Officer -
[email protected]
Bernard Buckley - Director Human Resources - [email protected]
Keith Badman - Sales Director
[email protected]
Andrew Morley - Chief Commercial Officer
[email protected]
Elaine Safier - Head of Entertainment
[email protected]
Stefano Cantarelli - Chief Technology Officer
[email protected]
Carlo Soresina - Sales and marketing director, business
[email protected]
Harry Clarke - Customer services director
[email protected]

and the email I sent to them:

Bulldog Team,
I have been a bulldog customer since April 2005.
I have 2 complaints which I would like you to Deal with Promptly!

Complaint number 1.

My first order made back in march 2005 was made for your super@ctive offer of £25 a month plus line rental of £10 a month, totalling £35 + any call fees. I set up a direct debit for payment of your services which was taken with military precision from your accounts department(seemingly your ONLY efficient department!!)

After a few months of being billed correctly as agreed, I noticed on one particular month, You billed me £57. I initially thought that it was due to high rate of calls made by me and subsequently thought nothing of it.
About 2 months later I checked my account again to find again that I had been charged £57 a month and had been for the preceeding number of months AND ALL subsequent months up to AND including June 2006.
I DID not agree to any service package costing a total of £57 a month even including VAT. Your site does not even offer a residential package nearing anywhere close to £57 a month including VAT.

During the initial stages of your service at 4meg, I received very good download and upload speeds nearing 4 megs and was happy with your service. Subsequent to your announcement that all bulldog customers would be upgraded to and 8 meg connection, my connection, download and upload speeds plummeted drammatically! Effectively making me pay in excess of £57 a month for LESS than a 2 meg connection. Which Quite frankly is daylight robbery and completely UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have made several calls to your numerous departments within bulldog to address this issue, and either being told I was talking to the wrong department or that my complaint would be dealt with promptly to absolutely NO AVAIL!

This issue has been ongoing since October 2005 AND NOTHING HAS COME ABOUT FROM IT!
Accordingly, I wish to formally make the following requests to Bulldogbroadband:

1) I receive adequate reimbursement for overpayment of services provided under account BDOL1176*** promptly!
Complaint number 2
Recently, I have moved residences and consequently had to notify Bulldog of my change of address in order to relocate your service to my new residence.
After being told that Bulldog was unable to transfer the service I was receiveing in my previsou residence, I was informed that I need to cancel the old package and place an order for a new one to be installed.
After waiting nearly 1 whole month for my previous order to be installed in april 2005, I was understandably concerned about your efficiency.
Thankfully, the new order has been installed and is up and running.
There is however, one gleaming fundamental problem with the service.

And it is here that my complaint lies.

When speaking to the sales agent on the phone, I specifically told him that I want the fastest of your service packages available to my location - he confirmed that that was an 8 Meg connection, to which I agreed would be fine. The sales agent informed that there was a package for £25 a month + line rental making a total monthly payment of £35. I agreed that this would be in order and placed the order accordingly.
This order would include a free modem as well.

Subsequent to installation, numerous online speed tests (adslguide.co.uk) and endless hours of waiting on you costomer services number, I have established the following:
- According to adslguide.co.uk, and +- 10 speed tests at avarying times, I am only receiveing a 1.2 meg connection.
- A customer service agent informed me that my account is capped at 2 meg; of which I am paying a total of £45 A MONTH FOR!!!
- The package supposedly included a free modem - of which I have heard nor seen nothing about!
- I have spent in the region of 4 hours on the phone to Bulldog over the last two days - friday 16th June and Monday 19 June - 90% of that time has been on hold. The remaining 10% of the time has been spent giving my account info (again…), explaining my problem and then being promptly told that the person I am talking to is completely unable to help me with my problem and I must re-dial and select a cocktail of user options.
Consequently I have spoken to customer service representatives in all departments including -
CUSTOMER SERVICE ENQUIRIES;
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
SALES
BILLING ENQUIRIES
NETWORKING FAULTS
BUSINESS ACCOUNTS
BUSINESS SALES
BUSINESS TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
and a host of other departments I didnt even know existed.
I wish to make this blindingly clear - AT NO POINT, WAS ANYONE IN ANY DEPARTMENT ABLE TO ASSIST ME WITH MY PROBLEM. I was continually told to redial and speak to a different department.

I have furthemore established that after being on hold for 30 minutes means you will be automatically disconnected after which you have to redial and start the whole painful process again!
THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLE!!

Accordingly, I simply want these issues cleared up as soon as possible.
I had no obligation to return to bulldog after spending over a year with you - however I decided that the service I reecived, although far from perfect, was sufficient for me to continue making use of your service. It seems that I may have given bulldog more credit than its due.
I therefore would like to formally make the following requests:
1) My service package being changed to THE ONE I ORDERD - being the 8mg unlimited option as seen on your web site, being £19.50 a month + line rental of £10. WITHOUT ANY CHARGE WHATSOVER TO ME OR MY ACCOUNT! this was an error of Bulldog and I should NOT have to, and WILL NOT pay for it!
2) You deliver the free modem I was supposed to receive by virtue of a new order.
3) You refund any and all monies to have been debited from my account as a result of YOUR faulty customer service.
4) YOU offer some form of compensation for the Poor customer services and technical services provided to me over the duration of my custom to Bulldog Communications since April 2005.
Consequently, I will withold all payments ‘due’ to bulldog on either of my accounts UNTIL these issues are accordingly dealt with by a competant member of Bulldog Communications AND I have received a call from such person or department to discuss this matter!!
Furthermore, I will continue to send this email to the Bulldog Communications until such time as my complaints are adequately dealt with!

Finally, If Bulldog Communications is unable or unwilling to deal with these complaints I EXPECT bulldog communications to cancel my accounts with you and reimbuse any and all monies owing to me by virtue of overpayment and inadequate service provision on your part.
Should you not deal with this issue, I intend to instruct solicitors in this matter to take legal action.

I would also like to inform you that I am in contact with a representative from BBC Consumer Watchdog Department who are informed of my predicament and are intersted in the the progess thereof. And in light of the Fact that your company appeared on the show last year i am confident that you would not appreciate any of the negative publicity cuased thereby.
I look forward to your communications and am confident that you will deal with these issues efficiently

...
I am still waiting for this issue to be dealt with....
 
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