Network management Toolkit

Story: Bulldog users bite back over poor service

Posted by: Richard Prosser (Saturday 13 August 2005, 11:32 AM)

Bulldog is not worthy of any more of my time, nor would I suggest yours. As a businessman I spend quite a lot of time trying to progress difficult situations through a sea of bureaucracy, Nothing however has been anything like as unrewarding as trying to complete a transfer of telephone and broadband services from BT to Bulldog. Seduced by the prospects of a 8Mbit broadband and telephone package I signed up with them on 12th of June. The following logs the events so far:

12th June. I applied by email and Bulldog confirmed signup and stated transfer completed in 3-5 weeks.

3rd August Bulldog emailed to say service switch over and activation would be 10/08

3rd August. Letter from BT to confirm that I was leaving their service on 10/08 inviting me to contact them if I experienced any problems.

10th Aug (am) Discovered broadband BT line terminated, but still on BT provided service. First call to Bulldog customer services (after 40min hold) was told that porting should be completed in a couple of hours. Mid pm checked back with customer services (again 30-40 min hold, just assume this for all calls) they said in progress, waiting for BT to “jumper the line” could take anything up to 24 hours.

11th Aug (am) No broadband, line still on BT network called Bulldog (30 mins) and was told that porting could in fact take up to 48 hours. They said they’d email BT to speed things up. Late afternoon no change now 36 hours with no adsl service, line still with BT.

12th Aug Morning call to Bulldog they tell me still waiting on BT. Called BT (7 min hold), got a very helpful (particularly given the circumstances) guy. He could access all details and told some 7 points of the process had been completed and that they were awaiting a request from Bulldog for transfer. He got “Wendy” at BT porting to speak to “Dean” at Bulldog porting who confirmed to her the delay was in fact with Bulldog and that they were behind in processing. Armed with facts for first time phoned Bulldog again (30 mins). I was assured that request had now been sent. Called BT again, got a very helpful woman this time who confirmed the position as at 11:30 am that they had received request and responded to it 12:00 noon. I was told by BT(again very helpful) it now only took a simple call from Bulldog to them and the transfer would be completed within 15 minutes of receipt. Thinking there may be light at the end of the tunnel I call Bulldog on the usual basis. They confirm the position, but say I’m in a queue awaiting activation and it could go through Friday or possibly Monday as they were very busy with people waiting longer than me. Around 2:30pm my phone line disconnects from the BT service, at last it has gone over to Bulldog. For 30 minutes or so my phone repots error in dialing any number, then line goes totally dead. My Bulldog account web page says there is a service fault on my line and claims a 24 hour response time. For a change I phone Bulldog Technical Support (since I am now “with them”) and outline the position. The guy says they will make it a priority 1 fault since I have now lost telephone as well and someone will report back to me shortly.

13thAug No phone, no broadband. Phoned Bulldog tech support (10 mins) to be told it is reported and being worked on, but for feedback on situation I need to call customer services again 25 minutes later I am told that it is out for repair, but engineers don’t work weekends, so it will be Monday before they can start to look at it.

I am disgusted with the total lack of service supported by their day and a half of misrepresenting the porting situation. Despite many requests I have not been allowed to speak to, or have received a call from either a supervisor or manager nor have I received any email since that of 3rd August.

Make up your own mind if that 8Mbit connection is worth the hassle.
Richard.