Corporate stupidity supreme

I have been trying, since February, to migrate to a internet service provider who knows what they are doing. It seems I chose the wrong one.

The woodlouse-IQ'd morons at E7Even/E7broadband went bust on July 1st, leaving my line locked to some cowboy outfit who refused to free the line unless I paid. If I did not, I would have to wait until the 14th to have the line released.

What they failed to mention is that they would order the release on the 14th. It takes another 7-10 days to get the line freed. So I am still in limbo.

The ISP I tried to migrate to was Tiscali. I phoned their helpline with the (I thought) reasonable argument that I was already paying them, so they should take over the line now. They gave me a number to their 'department' which takes care of it.

The 'department' was the line to EasyDSL, the company that has been in existence for less than a month and has already earned the nickname 'sleezy' on the E7Even forum at ADSLguide.org.uk. The same company holding the E7 lines. I spoke to the rather gifted single-celled organism who eventually answered the phone but he could do no more than ask repeatedly whether I wanted to pay the ransom. I said no. Repeatedly.

It goes deeper. Both EasyDSL and E7Even are resellers for a larger ISP. This larger ISP is the one who has been holding me offline for nearly a month, and who has ordered the cease on my line - which means I will have no ADSL at all, and face another few weeks wait for it to be reinstated. Guess who this larger ISP is?

Tiscali.

I have written to them and informed them that, according to their own terms and conditions, their act of ordering a cease on my line means they have effectively cancelled my contract with them. In any event, this is not a company I will stay with, nor would I recommend it to anyone.

They will tell you they cannot migrate your line. Yes, they can. They already hold the line.

They will tell you 'I have a way to fix this. I will call back in two hours'. Then, I assume, they hang up and fall about laughing at the gullibility of their customers. I heard that line myself, two days ago.

I have a limited dial-up access now, though that will change when I get my second phone line activated in a couple of days. It will still be slow, but less limited for time, since it won't block my main phone.

As I said, I have written to Tiscali today. They claim to answer Email support queries within 24 hours.

I won't hold my breath.