Don't buy ADSL service from Metronet

[cjwatson]

I had a considerable amount of inconvenience when moving house due to being unable to contact my ADSL provider, Metronet. Eventually I ended up changing telephone number (because I couldn't get a MAC, and because I work from home and therefore needed to ensure almost continuous ADSL service) and switching to a new ISP. Recently I found out that I'd forgotten to cancel the old telephone number, and did so; this finally got Metronet's notice, or at least the notice of one of their computers. Here's my response to their e-mail, in the hope that it will be useful to anyone else who might be considering using this ISP.

(This is a bit intemperate, but, given the history, "If you wish to cancel your broadband service with us, you must inform us of your request" got on my nerves, and I wanted to see if anyone was at home in their sales department. I wonder what they'll do once credit card requests start being denied due to the expiry date changing?)

From: Colin Watson
To: support at metronet.co.uk
Cc: sales at metronet.co.uk
Subject: Re: Cease order placed on your telephone line

On Sat, Jan 06, 2007 at 02:00:51AM -0000, support at metronet.co.uk wrote:
> Dear Mr Colin Watson
> Username: 
>
> We have been informed that a cancellation order (also known as a PSTN
> cease) has been placed on your telephone line. This is due for completion
> on
>
> This will also mean that your broadband service will be stopped.
[...]
> 2.If you wish to cancel your broadband service with us, you must inform us
> of your request. Please contact our support team from the link below:
>
> http://portal.metronet.co.uk/wizard/index.html?helpheader=helpassistant

I have moved house, and I wish to cancel my broadband service with you.
In fact, I have wished to cancel it for over three months. I am unable
to use portal.metronet.co.uk because I have forgotten my password but
the password recovery system does not work (I never receive the e-mail
I'm supposed to receive). I have tried telephoning your support
department on multiple occasions, but have been unable to get a
response: in fact, on several occasions I was simply shunted through
some automatic systems only to be told that nobody was available and to
have the automatic system hang up on me. It used to be very easy to
contact you by telephone, but as far as I'm concerned, since your
company was bought by PlusNet your service has gone down the tubes. Do
you even have a support department any more, or just some malfunctioning
computers? Although you caused me some inconvenience in that I was
unable to get a MAC from you and so was obliged to change my telephone
number upon moving house in order to escape you, I have already
commenced service with another ISP at my new address.

If you ignore this e-mail as you did my previous ones (Subject: Moving
house and migrating ADSL, sent on 21 and 22 September 2006, Message-ID:
<20060921141439.GK11089@riva.ucam.org> and
<20060922102513.GA13577@riva.ucam.org>), then no matter; the credit card
details you have for me have expired and I suspect you'll find that you
can no longer take money from me. If that isn't the case, I'll try
telephoning yet again, and failing that I shall engage in legal
proceedings.

Congratulations for managing to extract sixty or so more pounds from by
making it as hard as possible to cancel your service. Since I'm now
actively recommending against Metronet to all my friends and colleagues
looking to change ISP, I doubt it will be to your financial advantage in
the long run.

Comments

[gerald_duck]

So far as I can tell they have no entitlement to that sixty or so pounds?

Get your credit card company to refund their charges. That will get their attention.

[cjwatson]

They've been providing ADSL service to a connected telephone socket, I assume, not that any ADSL device was connected to it. I'd have to read the fine print ...

[gerald_duck]

They were uncontactable when you wanted to get a MAC. I think that counts as your making a bona-fide attempt to terminate service, surely?

[marble.livejournal.com]

Well timed. I was considering getting metronet while renting my new place, since they don't have a 12month contract length, but not anymore. (There, that must be at least their 60quid lost again.)

[(Anonymous)]

Well timed. I was considering getting metronet while renting my new place, since they don't have a 12month contract length, but not anymore.

I use Webtapestry. You can either pay a connection fee up front, or take a 12 month contract. They're good guys, and I've no idea how they can provide such an excellent service so cheaply. But I'm not complaining :)

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Plusnet don't have the best reputation... (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/11/plusnet_email_fiasco/)

[hoiho.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, I had almost exactly the same problem with Metronet, about 5 months back, when I was transferring to Bulldog LLU (so I didn't want a MAC). Again, it was only the ceasing of the BT line that got their attention.

It's a shame; at one time, before the takeover, they were quite a clueful ISP.