I can't recommend Pipex

Please find enclosed a letter sent to Pipex on the 9th May, to which I have had no response. I said I would put this letter on my blog if I did not receive a response in a week. I am keen for this not to be seen as cathartic exercise - it is a serious issue which exemplifies how the single consumer has no voice over the big corporation.

Gary Rodgus
Pipex
Manchester
M21 7QS
9th May 2008
Re. Account: *********

Dear Mr Rodgus,
I am writing to you regarding the unsatisfactory communication from your organisation concerning our recent house move. I have been particularly disappointed with the conflicting information received by post and that via the phone.

I notified Pipex by phone on the 14th March 2008 of our house move and was assured by your colleague Adel that all service would transferred on the target date of the 17th April. I subsequently spoke with another colleague Richard on the 20th March who again reassured me that all services would transfer on that day. I understand you record all your phone calls and I would invite you to review these conversations to establish their validity.

On the 17th April the phone transferred but not the broadband service. I work largely from home and my work depends on a high speed data connection. On the 18th April I spoke with Martin, a supervisor, who acknowledged my utter confusion over the non-connection and said there was nothing he could do to speed up the reconnection in less than 10-14 days.

I was particularly annoyed about this delay as if I had know about this unavoidable delay earlier we could have started the transfer process a week earlier, as the previous week we were out of the country (6-15 April).
In anticipation of getting connected before the end of April I made a number of attempts to contact the house moves team eventually talking to Craig, another supervisor, on the 24th April who said that the connection would not be made until the 12th May as there is a 10-14 days period to close the existing line and another 10-14 days to reinstate it. Again, if I had been informed of this information earlier then I could have made alternative arrangements (like a short-term mobile broadband contract).

As it now appears, and after making a number of additional calls, Craig was wrong and the target reconnection date is the 15th May (subsequently revised to the 17th).

Up to the 2nd May I have made 11 calls to your ‘0871’ at a cost of £6.19. I have also been forced to use the ‘0874’dial-up service which has cost £26.65. I also understand there is a ‘moving charge’ of £32.77. In view of the events outlined I strongly object to all these charges and make the strongest representations for their cancelation, at the very least. If I do not receive a suitable resolution within 7 days, for the unacceptable manner in which I believe we have been treated than I will have to consider alternative measures including the publication of this letter on my blog (www.mediaevaluation.blogspot.com).

Your sincerely,

Michael Blowers