Not smart related but please read.

Updated: 31/01/08, Orange moved from good to bad.

If you have your broadband with Tiscali, Bulldog or Pipex (as I do) then please read on.

620 people have been made redundant just before Christmas because Tiscali (the owners of Bulldog and Pipex) decided to outsource the call centres to foreign countries to save money.

If you have ever had to deal with an Indian call centre you will understand that we have to stand up to this. The level of support is poor and that is if you can understand what they are saying.
If you say you cannot understand them, they get offended and hang up.

Banks started this trend but realised that it did them no favours as people were moving to banks with UK call centres. Many banks have now moved theirs back to the UK.

If you are with Tiscali, Bulldog or Pipex then please consider cancelling your account with them and explain the reasoning, they might eventually get the message if enough move away.

Obviously don’t sign up to AOL as their service is terrible.

Search the internet for an alternative with UK only call centres. It seems that O2 have UK call centres. If you know of any more, let me know and I will add them here.

Before signing up to any provider, contact them and specifically ask if they have UK ONLY call centres and if they have any future plans to change that.

Support your country.

It can’t only be UK companies outsourcing their call centres to India etc. Check out your banks etc and give them a wide berth.

Broadband suppliers you should NOT use.

Tiscali,
Bulldog,
Pipex,
Orange (thanks David and Garry for the heads up).
1&1 (thanks Derek).