h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There must be something around that is causing me delays and frustration at the moment!

First I was turned away from the ferry. Now I've applied for a 1-Tel (or is it oneTel?) account and been turned down. Me! I've never been turned down for anything in my life! The odd thing is, that when I queried it, I got two e-mails from them, one telling me that I had been accepted and that everything had been set up. The other said I had been turned down and offered nary a word of explanation.

I had previously written to them. No reply. I made several phone calls - no-one could tell me anything - referred me to customer services who promised to phone me back and never did.

On this last occasion (yesterday), i found I couldn't make outgoing phone calls at all, as I was referred to 1-Tel automatically. So, I rang them *again* to find out what was going on. I was told 'this matter has been escalated' - she wouldn't/couldn't tell me what was going on, although she did give me a prefix to make outgoing calls, not could she tell me when a decision would be made.

My pride is hurt. I'm not at all impressed with the way I'm being dealt with. This has been going on for almost a month now.

Bah!

This is completely irrational, but I have to admit that I've avoided One-Tel like the plague - because their adverts on the London Underground used to feature a cartoon of a backpacker in a baseball cap with one of those really annoying 'chinny' beards, the ones that are just long tufts of hair hanging down from the chin and nothing else... the picture used to really irritate me!

My experiences with both ntl and Telewest have proved that the reason that they're any cheaper than BT is because they skimp on the customer service which - hard to believe - is even worse! But hey, I'm still subscribed to Telewest - you just sort of accept it after a while...

Yes, two e-mails on the same day from the company saying completely different things. Not seen the adverts you've mentioned, but it sounds like it would get up my nose as well.

I'm half inclined to go and tell them to stuff it.

I tried Telewest previously, because I hadv a friend who gets good service from them, but as soon as I gave them my postcode, they said they didn't service my area and wouldn't for another three years.

My advice is to advice any technology until all the other mugs have tried and tested it.

If everyone follows this advice, no-one will try out new technology. Luddite but true.

At least these paid-too-much bollocks-heads will sort their technology before unleashing it upon us.

I just wish the aged 50+ management would realise that e-shyte is just shyte on a computer.

Useless overpaid overfed fat Garrick Club bastards.

Gosh, that's quite vitriolic. Sounds as though you have had really bad experiences. Actually, I've had a few just recently, as well.

I have no idea why they would not want me as a customer and why they would treat me so badly. I certainly don't deserve such treatment. I wonder how many people they treat this way?

I just think that a lot of half-wit fat-bastards thought that the electronic revolution was a way to easy sponds. Now they are discovering that e-commerce is actually hard work, the truth outs.

Mmm, you might be right there. Mind you, I've come across three people recently who used to work for BT, who I've stayed faithful to so far, who have had really awful experiences working for them. Maybe it's just the nature of the commercial world?