Carphone Warehouse

Scott · Apr 11, 2006, 17:14:54

Wow

...unless all of you have been disconnected for the last few hours CW have set the cat amongst the flying rats !

This on AG and elsewhere on BBC. It's variously been described as a land-grab for the BB customer base and by the CW CEO "From today, broadband is a right, not a privilege."

You need to sign up to one of their talk time packages but personally it didn't take me 5mins with a pencil and paper to calculate that it's an amazing deal for landline, international call to 28 countries PLUS an 8mbps MaxDSL connection with 40Gb limit per month.

For now I won't be one of the early adopters as I'd like to see how their backhaul copes with the flood of "entire internet downloaders" and p2p swappers that will inevitably flood to them.

Bill · Apr 11, 2006, 17:42:22

Don't forget that it's an 18-month contract...

And "free" can get expensive

Scott · Apr 11, 2006, 19:00:18

Well the 18mth tie-in was the main reason for me to definitely hang on until the bugs fall out their systems and capacity stabilises etc. However the Free BB is only free if you are on one of their LLU unbundled exchanges (of which they only currently have a handful) but as the takeup of this service increases they're intending to LLU more an more as they go) Otherwise the 'free' is £10 a month...for upto 8mbps !?!? Fook me ?!

Listening to news earlier today and radio1 had a headline (the guts of which I missed) UK ready for a Broadband Price war...it must be referring to this.

B52 · Apr 11, 2006, 19:05:36

But there a cr*p ISP. Try getting a MAC from them.

And posts on the AG forums dont make good reading.

Bill · Apr 11, 2006, 20:00:35

Quote from: B52 on Apr 11, 2006, 19:05:36
But there a cr*p ISP. Try getting a MAC from them.

That may be because they're (mostly?) LLU contracts- MACs don't apply to LLU, you need to cease and re-provide.

Quote from: B52 on Apr 11, 2006, 19:05:36
And posts on the AG forums dont make good reading.

Certainly not from the CS point of view. Very entertaining at times, mind you

B52 · Apr 11, 2006, 20:28:34

About 18 months ago they were signing up almost everybody that bought a mobile phone from them. Free this, free that. The shop assistants were on commission to flog it along with the phone service. These were not LLU areas. It was every shop in the country.

My daughter was daft enough to fall for the spiel and has had a dreadful service from them. C/S is awful and its the prospect of a long drawn out battle for a MAC thats putting her off migrating. She now mainly uses the net at work.

Im trying to get her to move here, but she hates the email address format.
A small detail but important to some people.

Bill · Apr 11, 2006, 21:18:09

Quote from: B52 on Apr 11, 2006, 20:28:34but she hates the email address format.
A small detail but important to some people.

Agreed, but tbh I wouldn't use my ISP (whoever it was) for email. If you ever decide to change ISP's, for whatever reason, updating all your email contacts is a right royal pain in the derriere... I've had to do it twice, that's twice too often

I use 1and1, bought my own domain (£2.34/yr for a .co.uk) and my own mailbox (£0.81/month for a 1Gb box), so now if I should ever need to change to another ISP my email stays the same. Plenty of other companies as well as 1and1 though, google will bring up loads.

Scott · Apr 11, 2006, 21:25:01

Interesting to see people's responses to involvement with CW

I myself have an equal aversion to any future involvement with F2S...I brought this up only because I see it as a major shift in the pricing policy and service provision for BB in the UK. Convergence of your phone service, BB connection etc...

Bill · Apr 11, 2006, 21:29:17

Quote from: Scott on Apr 11, 2006, 21:25:01
Convergence of your phone service, BB connection etc...

Yeah... like combined printer/fax/scanners. One fault and you lose the lot

Glenn · Apr 11, 2006, 22:08:07

Bill, I think the technicial term is 'single point of failure'

Bill · Apr 11, 2006, 22:10:44

Quote from: Glenn on Apr 11, 2006, 22:08:07
Bill, I think the technicial term is 'single point of failure'

That's not the term I use when it happens

Jeff · Apr 11, 2006, 22:31:16

I think we`ll see a lot of ISPs tripping over themselves to get new blood over the coming months

Scott · Apr 11, 2006, 23:22:43

agreed...batten down the hatches boys it's gonna get messy I think !

Jeff · Apr 11, 2006, 23:40:15

They`ll be gunning for Pipex and Zen boys methinx

Coopes · Apr 12, 2006, 21:02:47

I have just sign with CW (talk talk ) for my home phone, been told that my exchange has been unbundled. Just waiting to see what happens next, I think I will let everything settle down before
I even think about another ISP, anyway i'd miss you guys.

Jeff · Apr 13, 2006, 00:42:31

Awwww, thanx man! But we wouldn`t expect you to not come here just because you changed ISPs matey

William · Apr 13, 2006, 06:48:03

Quote from: B52 on Apr 11, 2006, 19:05:36
But there a cr*p ISP. Try getting a MAC from them.

And posts on the AG forums dont make good reading.

...and they don't have S & M.

Bill · Apr 13, 2006, 12:52:33

Quote from: William on Apr 13, 2006, 06:48:03
...and they don't have S & M.

Sado-Masochism?

I don't think Jeff would approve of that....... he lives too far away!

Wingco1 · Apr 13, 2006, 21:35:46

Quote from: Coopes on Apr 12, 2006, 21:02:47
I have just sign with CW (talk talk ) for my home phone, been told that my exchange has been unbundled. Just waiting to see what happens next, I think I will let everything settle down before
I even think about another ISP, anyway i'd miss you guys.

Friend of mine has just had a nightmare with TT phones and BB. It appears the BB went down, tech support weren`t interested and fobbed them off. After a couple of days a phone call was made and heated exchanges passed between tech support and my mates wife. She`s a fiery lass

This resulted in the BB being terminated there and then by the tech support guy.

They had a nightmare getting the phone transferred back to BT and a reprovide fee to BT Broadband for internet access.

William · Apr 13, 2006, 21:38:14

Simon & Miriam

Coopes · Apr 13, 2006, 22:46:30

Not bothered about their broadband, just hoping that when they change the phone over it won't effect IDNET connection.

Jeff · Apr 13, 2006, 23:24:56

It shouldn`t Coopes

Hey, nowt wrong with a bit of S n M ... stick an orange in my mouth and shove an Asda bag over my head anyday, well, not any day, you`ll have to wait until I become a Tory MP

Coopes · Apr 14, 2006, 07:17:10

Coopes · Apr 14, 2006, 17:38:24

CW have shut down there websit due to overwhelming demand.

Bill · Apr 14, 2006, 17:48:41

Might be entertaining to add their AG forum to my 'Favourites' list....

Jeff · Apr 15, 2006, 00:42:36

Seriously though, I bet there`s a few others looking over their shoulders. Personally, I can`t see how they can possibly sustain that package, the numbers don`t add up??

Scott · Apr 19, 2006, 08:56:42

I'd have to agree Jeff...and MrSaffron on AG thinks so too !
The package was likened to a wild-west land-grab and I don't think that that's so far off the mark given that many people will sign up without realising onto £10 a month vanilla IP Stream BB package because hardly anyone has a CW LLU'd exchange...

I reckon a LOT of folks are onboard without reading the small-print

Coopes · Apr 19, 2006, 09:17:28

Quote from: Coopes on Apr 13, 2006, 22:46:30
Not bothered about their broadband, just hoping that when they change the phone over it won't effect IDNET connection.

It seems it does, I did some investigation and found out that my exchange was one of the ones that CW has
got set up with LLU, which meant that I would not be able to keep IDNet (this is what I have been told)
so I have now cancelled my application with them for the time being.

Bill · May 06, 2006, 09:20:03

Quote from: Scott on Apr 19, 2006, 08:56:42
I reckon a LOT of folks are onboard without reading the small-print

Someone else has found a nasty piece of small print in the TalkTalk broadband T&Cs.

Coopes · May 06, 2006, 11:01:49

I'm still getting letters from TT letting me know my change over date. they have a big shock
coming when they try told BT to take no notice. Should be fun on the 8th

Scott · May 06, 2006, 17:20:02

Quote from: Bill on May 06, 2006, 09:20:03
Someone else has found a nasty piece of small print in the TalkTalk broadband T&Cs.

Bugger me that's a shockeroonie !? Third party, remote control s/w for your PC for them to take control...I F'kin' think NOT
OMG I hope people realise this is on the cards and don't just bung in the install disc that'll come with the ~~whoring~~, I mean marketing blurb...[thinks - yeah right, fat chance !]

Bill · May 06, 2006, 19:36:11

Quote from: Scott on May 06, 2006, 17:20:02and don't just bung in the instlal disc

They will, they will.....

Scott · May 07, 2006, 16:10:14

Yep...this is going to run and run...

mrapoc · May 07, 2006, 20:59:36

Iwas with TalkTalk and as far as i know AOL are better LOL
Talktalk are teh sux0r

Danni · May 09, 2006, 09:12:36

I'm with Talk Talk for phone (it's cheaper for me as I call locally and internationally a lot) but won't touch their broadband. Funnily enough, the guy who signed me up (They were cold calling, but had called at our house three times by the time I got in from college, and he was nice enough) agreed with me when I said their broadband was rubbish and I was happy with IDNet.

For the phonecalls, I'm happy enough. Call charges last month of £6! (and that included two calls to America).

mrapoc · May 09, 2006, 15:33:34

im with them for phone but made the mistake of using their broadband - straight after 12 month (the next day) i migrated lol

Coopes · May 12, 2006, 13:32:48

Quote from: Coopes on May 06, 2006, 11:01:49
I'm still getting letters from TT letting me know my change over date. they have a big shock
coming when they try told BT to take no notice. Should be fun on the 8th

Update: I have now received my new modem.... rang them again today, account has been cancelled was told when I get time please return it to any carphone shop..... yeah right.

mrapoc · May 12, 2006, 16:39:31

seriously though people need to be made aware of these - well scams

more and more people join up while others leave. i just hope they are not complete n00bs and stay with them for more than the year

Coopes · May 12, 2006, 18:57:24

If you sign up with them for free broadband it's an 18 month contract

mrapoc · May 13, 2006, 23:03:38

yeesh these guys have gotten more evil...er from since i left them - still with phoneline though - at least they can do something right