alcazar

iTrader: (2)

........complain about my UK internet service, I will not..........

Just got back from France, where our internet refused to work for the entire week. Despite them INSISTING that all it needed was a new ADSL filter, which I had to drive 10 miles there and 10 miles back to buy, at my cost, and which did NOTHING to help

Here are a few things about French internet that anyone complaining about UK internet ought to think about:

1. There IS an English-speaking helpline It is only available mon-fri, 0900-1200, and 1430-1630

2. You can arrange to only pay for internet/phone when you are there Only one company do this and you have to send a letter asking for it to be turned off before it even gets turned on they are one of THE worst companies to deal with

3. ADSL/Broadband is available You will be lucky to get 6Mbs At NON-peak hours

4. When it breaks down, IF the lines are open, you can get help Unfortunately, there seems little they can do and YOU end up paying for someone to come out and repair it if the fault is INSIDE your house, even if it's their Livebox

5. Internet costs best part of €30 a month.

6. And needs a France Telecom land line, another €12 a month

7. Most rural telephone lines are above ground and are susceptible to outs from high winds and storms

8. If you do need a repair, count on 7-10 working days before someone comes. Don't expect him to be able to repair it there and then, Expect ANOTHER call-out two weks later

And above all, keep in mind that in France, "Customer Service" is THE No. 1 oxymoron!

bigsinky

fcukin gurny bastid. yer never happy are you?

ScoobyWon't

Just back from New York, where even the free to public Wi-Fi in Time Square, was stupidly fast.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Rural France is like a 3rd world country. And as I said, the idea of customer care is just non-existent.

I once bought quite an expensive bike at a supermarket. The VERY next day the front gear change wouldn't work. I took it back and despite the cashier AND the guy who prepped it BOTH recognising me, they refused point blank to do anything as I had lost the receipt.

Crazy.

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

Very different story for internet service and prices over there in towns though, unless I've been badly misinformed. 20mbps line speeds became the standard years ago, and you'd normally get phone calls, TV, and anything else you could think of for the same price you quoted.

dpb

My sis is 3km from a reasonable sized town ( limoux) theyve yet to get good internet service

in truth it likley pretty similar to here

urban

iTrader: (1)

Thats the french for you.

bigsinky

bunch of ******* surrender monkey *****

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Aye, I was offered a deal: €39 pm for internet and phone calls all calls free plus 300 mins a month to French mobiles, but it still needed a FT landline, and was not interruptable. So since ours is a secondary home at present, it would be expensive for us.
Also, the TV isn't available out in the sticks But the price is the same

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Do they have a 3G network out there?

That's what I use over in Spain on PAYG. Not the cheapest, but at least it works (unlike the ADSL), and when its not being used, it doesn't cost us a penny.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Don't beat about the bush now

Plus they smell of onion and garlic

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

They do have 3G, but the chance of it working very far from towns is minimal. And when I say town, I mean 50,000+

Bloke I spoke to told me he'd tried it and got slower than dial up speeds using it in the country at large cost