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Puta3D
regular
Reg'd: Wed
Posts: 650
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Hi
I was thinking of moving onto Gio broadband. I have done my homework etc on what i will need to wirelessly network my pcs etc (us robotics adsl router and pci cards). But i thought i would find a review of Gio on the net. i found only 2 sites which had any reviews. About 6 people were going to take Gio Internet to court over no services and taking payments. Any one else experienced Gio Internet broadband. If not it looks like i'll move to pipex
AMD 64 3200+ (3.06ghz)
1024 MB DDR RAM (412Mhz)
256MB XFX ultra graphics card
creative 7.1 surround sound card
WinXp Pro (SP2)
1MB broadband connection
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maxping
regular
Reg'd: Sat
Posts: 921
Loc: Cumbria, U.K.
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Go to http://www.adslguide.org.uk and then the message boards ( link on the left ) then search for Gio, i think you will be put off 
 Edited by maxping on 16/08/2004 19:26 (server time).
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hesnotthemessiah
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 9
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I joined Giointernet in January 2004. I paid an initial charge of 99.90 GBP (advised by Gio Internet this was for activation costs) plus 39.95 GBP for the first month's use. I am using a Home 2000 account.
I received the following email on 24/9/04 (* used to hide certain personal info):-
(start of email)
Broadband Account Disconnection Notice
Dear Neville,
RE: Account Username: *************
Your Broadband Account with the above username maybe disconnected, please read the following carefully so that you can take appropriate action.
Your account is one of the accounts that cannot be migrated to our new platform and must go through a new sign-up procedure.
We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause as it is possible your Broadband will be unavailable for about 10 days.
To counter this problem you can use this free dial-up number while your Broadband is disconnected:
Backup dialup account details:
Username: ***********
Password: ***********
Access no (BT lines only): ****************
Please note that this is a dial-up number and therefore you must set-up a new dial-up connection on your computer to use it. (You need a standard 56k modem to access it)
To connect your Broadband again please sign-up again once your Broadband has been disconnected. To sign-up again please go to: http://www.giointernet.com
We have also cancelled your payments so that while your Broadband is disconnected you will not be charged.
The only way to connect back to our ISP is to use the link above, visit our web site or call us you will find our number on the contact page of our web site.
We hope you continue to use our Broadband service.
If you have any problems please call 0870 922 4009, please do not email this account as it is unmonitored.
Best regards,
Customer Services
www.giointernet.com
Broadband Disconnection
Support Number: 0870 922 4009
(end of email)
OK so my account "may be disconnected" ("maybe" what does that mean?). My account "cannot be migrated to our new platform". What does that mean? I must "go through a new sign-up procedure". Oh! and my "Broadband will be unavailable for about 10 days" (I thought it said "may be disconnected"). I can go out and purchase a 56K modem and use that for the "about 10 days" I am disconnected but they will give me "a free dial up number". No information on when these "about 10 days" will begin. So if I splash out on a new 56K modem I get a "free" service while I have to use it. The only way to connect back is to "use the link above, visit our web site" (both the same thing) or call them (hope it's not a 70p a minute call!). Their link/website does not mention the Home 2000 account I had with no similar alternatives available.
I was going to give Giointernet a call after this weekend to find out the situation, when I received the following email from them today (27/9/04):-
(start of email)
Exclusively for Neville ****** Broadband Offer - 3 Months Free
Dear Neville,
RE: Account Username: **********
Please accept our apologies for the disconnection of the above account.
Due to the recent disconnection of the above account we would like to offer you a couple of special offers which will allow you to save up to £89.85 on your new Broadband connection with us.
As a valued customer we would like for you to stay onto our service by signing up via the sign-up links below which will allow you to receive 3 months of Free Broadband during months 10,11 & 12 of your new Broadband service.
Get 3 months FREE on Home Broadband 512 which is £19.95 a month - FREE on months 10,11 & 12 saving you £59.85 off our normal price - Click here to sign-up
Get 3 months FREE on Home Broadband 1MB which is £29.95 a month - FREE on months 10,11 & 12 saving you £89.85 off our normal price - Click here to sign-up
This offer is available for the next 7 days only and will expire on Monday 4th October.
You may sign-up for more than one account, so you can get tell your friends about this special offer.
You can use your existing modem with the service. The activation cost must be paid again due to reconnection to a new platform which is the standard price at £59.95.
We hope you enjoy the new reliable Broadband service. We look forward to serving you again.
Best regards,
Customer Services
www.giointernet.com
(end of email)
Right. I have paid an initial charge of 99.90 GBP for an active line. Gio Internet will deactivate this line so it is no longer active because they have "moved to a new platform". I will no longer have this active line but Gio Internet will still have my 99.90 GBP. All I have to do is pay £59.95 activation cost because the "activation cost must be paid again due to reconnection to a new platform which is the standard price at £59.95". If I pay for 9 months connection I will then get, after I have paid for these 9 months, 3 months free. Saving £89.85 if I use their highest spec Home Broadband 1MB Service for which they are offering a discount in this email. This Home Broadband 1MB Service is lower spec, but closest to what I had, with the Home 2000 service.
So this is the situation. I don't know when or why I am being disconnected. I get 3 months free connection (in 9 months after paying for 9 month's connection) and a lower spec service than what I originally wanted and all I have to do is pay for a 56K modem so I don't lose my connection for "about 10 days", use a 56K modem's connection speed for ""about 10 days" and pay another £59.95. Oh! and Gio Internet get to keep my 99.90 I paid for an active line. And I have got 7 days to decide before the offer expires.
Can't be bad.
I paid 99.90 GBP for an active line (I paid 99.90 GBP for a line to be activated - made active and therefore to be active) which should remain active so long as I didn't break any contract/agreement. I didn't break any contract/agreement presented to me but no longer have an active line so I must be legally entitled to receive my money back.
The more people that speak up about this situation the better.
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Hesnotthemessiah, I have had exactly the same problem.
I have been with Gio since Jan this year and I've had nothing but trouble right from the start. My line took (they said 10-15 days to activate) on the 16th day it finally got done, although they still hadn't sent me my hardware. I phoned and told them not to bother I would buy my own. They canxed the hardware and I got my own adsl modem from a reputable computer retails. 5 days later I received the hardware from Gio. I sent it back after spending countless attempts to try and get through to them to sort it out, and finally after three months of phonecalls I managed to get my money back for it I have all this documented with who spoke to times of calls etc. I was getting really annoyed with them and ready to take it further.
Now this.....
I am with Gio on the 512 Bband line and last week received the exact same email about the fact that I am being migrated and need to sign up. I phoned the number in the email for the Customewr Service and it turned out to be a dead line. I phoned the line noted on the 'contact us' page and spoke to some guy who really was no help whatsoever, and when I said this to him.... agreed!?
Today I also received the email with the link on to re-sign up, 3 months free etc etc....
I've just about had enough of them to be honest and thought just my luck, but its heartwarming to find that I am not going through this alone. I haven't got round to phoning them yet, after receiving the mail this morning I wasn't sure about the whole resigning up procedure. I am furious if this is correct that I need to pay AGAIN to activate my line when it's not my fault that I'm being 'deactivated'. Is there anything that can be done about this??
Some reviews I have read mention that people who have had other bad experiences with Gio due to the lack of efficiency of the Gio staff or procedures, have encountered problems when trying to cancel their account. Would this be an opportunity to cancel without all the hassle that others have undergone? When I first looked around for a bb ISP I found this an attractive deal as it was so competitvely priced No download limit and webspace to boot. Although the webspace thing turned out to be a con also, they don't tell you that you have to register again on the PAYG dialup (although never used to dialup) to obtain the webspace.... or was that just me. Thats what they told me and I had to do. Thats another story that concerns gio and makes me annoyed with them when I tell it.
Anyway, since I got this there has been a flood of ISP's, can anyone point me in the right direction because I don't want to have to go through all this again, all I want is at least 1/2Mb pipe, unlimited download and a place for webspace at 20 quid/mnth, with decent technical support if I need it. It's not a lot to ask... is it?
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Update. After returning home from work I find I have received the following mail.
<Start of mail>
Dear ********,
Your account *********** has not been disconnected, we may be able to migrate
your account without any cost to yourself, and you may not experience any
downtime. If your Broadband is still working that means it has not been
diconnected. There were a few accounts that were misconfigured and resulted
in disconnected but we anticipate them being reconfigured in the next 24
hours.
We will keep you notified as we progress and we apologise for the
uncertainty and confusion we may have caused.
Best regards,
Customer Services
<end of mail>
Now I work in IT myself, and have never known such a disaster as this company seems to be. I have nothing more I can add to this. I'm just.... bewildered.
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hesnotthemessiah
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 9
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Have had exactly the same email from Gio Internet myself ac1duk. What is this company upto? We need to find a way to contact all Gio Internet users, find out how common this problem is and ensure that Gio Internet (and those behind the name) are put out of business and never allowed to do the same again (very unlikely!!!). We need all the unhappy Gio Internet users to group together and come up with a suitable plan that will end this frustration and give "power to the people" (I am standing on my chair with a microphone as I read this out!). Come on all you unhappy Gio Internet users, let's do something about this. Perhaps then other ISPs will not be so misleading in their adverts which show super happy models using their internet service without a care in the world or a £40.00 customer support phone bill.
Contact forums and let them know about your Gio Internet problems and give this Webuser forum as a central link. This could be a snowball that grows and grows. Or we could just forget about it. Let certain persons at Gio Internet have our money and then let them go on to make more money out of other people like us.
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Kirell
new user
Reg'd: Tue
Posts: 1
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I must be the exception to the rule. I've been with Gio since July last year and apart from not being able to connect on two occasions that lasted only 20 minutes each, I've never had a problem.
I haven't as yet recieved any emails from them about migration or being disconnected. Maybe I'm not one of the 1724 users that the press release on ISPReview mentions that are going to be migrated, I suppose I'll find out in the next few days.
I will say though that I think Gio could have handled things a lot better than they have.
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richuu
new user
Reg'd: Thu
Posts: 2
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Same here too - although the first I knew about it, I was suddenly diconnected. I used my old dial up account for a couple of days, thinking it's be back on any time now... In the end, I called support, and they told me of the migration problems. A day after that, I got the above e-mails, asking for money. No chance, I thought, and asked them how I could get the MAC ID for the connection, so I can migrate to PlusNet. Several days later, still no MAC ID, but the broadband is back on. Makes you wonder if it was a cunning plan to boost their bank account for 9 months... I will still persevere with trying to get the MAC ID - there's no way I'm staying with Gio...
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hesnotthemessiah
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 9
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It does make you wonder what Gio Internet are upto. Are they that desperate for money that they would risk, as a last resort, upsetting existing customers for the extra money that they would receive from the re-signing up fees? It seems that they have now realised that rather more customers have sense not to hand over their money for nothing than was originally calculated/hoped for. But where will Gio Internet get this extra money from now? What if they don't get it?
Of course this is pure speculation. But, if Gio Internet do not provide their users with correct and informative information, what else can we do but speculate. And complain.
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hesnotthemessiah
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 9
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The next monthly payment of 39.95 was due to be payed to Hauka at the end of October on the understanding that my account was still valid - I have not requested to be "migrated" and am waiting on Gio Internet to advise me as to what the situation is. Had a look at my bank account today and those nice people at Hauka have debited my account with 3 separate payments for 39.95 each on 11 Oct. No emails received from Gio/Hauka/or anyone else related to this sham since the "We will keep you notified as we progress and we apologise for the uncertainty and confusion we may have caused" email. I have emailed Hauka advising them of the situation and given them 2 days to contact me with a satisfactory response or I will take them to court. How dare they just debit my account for over £100.00 without any explanation or even any advanced warning. I am absolutely fuming. I am not going to pay another 70p, or whatever it is, a minute to contact their helpline with a problem they have created.
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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I've had no connection for 4-5 days, just got it back on 2 days ago. I did call during the down time and just got told by some guy that it would be back on in the next 24 hours. Yeah right. I asked if he could guarantee this and he said, 'er...?'.
Then hesnotthemessiah, yesterday I find that I have had the very same thing happen as has to you. I am on the 19.95 Home 500 Bband package and went to check my bank statement purely off chance, only to find that I had had it come out 3 times AND I've not had my usual email that tells me they're taking it. I can tell you I was also fuming. I phoned there billing line straight away, spoke to some woman who gave the distict impression she didn't have a clue, she answered the phone with some illegable mumble so my first word in the conversation was 'Pardon?', that didn't put me in a good mood to start with.
I asked if she could explain why 3 payments had been taken, she said something like 2 had been taken on the 9th and 1 on the 10th. I pointed out that that wasn't the question I'd asked to which she feebly said there was a problem with the system. Fair enough I said, but when will it be back in my account? She mumbled something that I couldn't quite understand. So I said I'll keep an eye on my accoun tfor a couple of days and then if need be I'd be back in touch. I also asked, can you tell me that your company will pay any bank charges that I may incur duet to this. My answer, 'er....?' and then a sheepish yes.
I just couldn't beleive it. It is one thing after another with this comapny. Checked my account today, not back yet.
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hesnotthemessiah
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 9
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hi ac1duk. I sent the following email to billing@hauka.com on October 12 at 5.39AM:-
"I have checked my bank account and found that 3 separate payments, each of £39.95, have been made to WP-INTERNET SERVICES 0871 433 3000. I made a payment of £39.95 to WP-INTERNET SERVICES 0871 433 3000 on 04 Oct and was not expecting to make another payment for the same amount until the end of October. Please contact me immediately on *************** to discuss this matter. If I do not receive a satisfactory response by 6PM GMT Wednesday 13 Oct I will be taking the matter to court."
I then received the following email from Ashley at Hauka Billing Department on 13 October 12.23 PM:-
"We have taken the 3 payment because we are now taking payment quarterly, you will not be charged again untill january 05."
So I sent an email back to Ashley at Hauka Billing Department on 13 October at 7.18PM :-
"Why was I not advised that you are now taking payments quarterly before you proceeded to do so? Surely the proper (and legal?) way of doing this is to advise your customers that you are changing the method of payment so that customers have time to authorise and adapt to this method of payment (I have not authorised these payments so you are not legally entitled to them) and can withdraw from the contract if they wish to?
I have already paid £39.95 (on 4 October) for October's payment and have now paid 3 further payments of the same amount for October/November/December. I have now made two payments of £39.95 for October so please refund me this immediately. If I do not receive a satisfactory response within the next 48 hours I will arrange for my bank to investigate these 3 unauthorised payments of £39.95 and will cancel my contract."
I got the following reply back 3 minutes later:-
"This email address does not exist, please check the email address and send it again.
Alternatively please visit www.hauka.com for more information."
So I have resent the same email to billing@hauka.com (not Ashley). The problem is I am paying by Solo card transfer and, as Hauka have my card details, they can debit what they like when they like and all I can do is check that they only debit what I have actually authorised (£39.95 per month). Perhaps the only option is to close my bank account so that the solo card will no longer be valid. Thats the problem with using bank/credit cards - it's upto the account holder to ensure that no unauthorised debits are taken from their account once someone has your card details. My bank said they can investigate, with no charge, claims for unauthorised debits - so there would be no problem in this case - but I don't want the possibility of Hauka doing this again.
Let's see what happens next...............................
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Well I've heard nothing as yet so I phoned the billing line and have just come off the phone. I spoke to some guy called Farra or Faraz I'm not sure he wasn't too clear. I asked what was happening. I mentioned nothing what you said about quarterly payments. He asked when I last phoned and I said 2 days ago, he asked what I'd been told and I said that a woman had told me it would be sorted out. All I got then was 'yes thats correct' (bearing in mind that at no point over these conversations I was asked to confirm any user details or anything).
So I asked if this was a problem that he was aware of with anyone else. A flat yes was my reply. Whats going to be done about it? I asked, my reply 'it usualy takes about a week'.
I tried to get more details but the answers were very limited and repeated as above. At that I just got annoyed, said fine I would check my account and be back in touch if nothing happened, thanked him (for what I have yet to discover) and ended the call.
No word of quartely payments, no apology (either call), basically once again, no decent customer service.
So I'm going to give them a few days and like yourself... see what happens. I had a quick look at the Internet Service Providers Association site (www.ispa.org.uk)to see if they have a complaints procedure, they will only look at it if the ISP in question is a member. Giointernet isn't listed, Hauka Ltd is. I think if nothing happens over the next few days, I may email them for some advice.
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iansly72
new user
Reg'd: Tue
Posts: 1
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In the last few days Gio Internet have gone from bad to worse.
We have ADSL with them, and our outgoing mail has been down since Friday morning (that's over 100 hours relying on web-based email to communicate!).
Has anybody spoken to any human beings at Gio in the last week? I think we've been on the phone to them for about 4 hours altogether. In the end we either get cut off or someone answers with 'Hello? Hello? Hello?' as if they can't hear you and then put the phone down. The last one took the biscuit - after one hour listening to their on-hold musac, they come out with a recorded message: 'due to a hardware failure, we're not accepting any more calls'.
Grrr!!
We've now put in a request to cancel our account (by email) but given past performance, I have no confidence they're even able to do that!
Their offices are in Irvine, not far from here - if they continue to not answer their phones or email, maybe I should pay them a visit (with my 6 foot rugby-playing brother :-)
Ian
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Nothing back in my bank yet. I have just got off the phone to the billing department. A woman answered and said something incoherant. I asked to speak to a manager, she told me there was no manager in so I asked to speak to a supervisor. She went away and came back to tell me the supervisor was busy on a call could she help. So, I went through it all again about three payments being taken.
She said that there had been a system error and that she would speak to someone to get it resolved. I asked how long this would now take, she said 4-5 days. I said 'Another 4 to 5 days, I was told this last week'. So once again I said 'well fair enough as long as you can still confirm that if I incurr any bank charges, these will be covered by your company'. At this there was a long pause then I was asked to wait. 2 or 3 minutes later I man spoke on the phone, the line was quite poor and he kept breaking up, his name was Ashley. From reading previous threads I gather he must be some sort of authority figure.
Now my name is Andy and he continually addressed me as 'Mr Andrew', although a few weeks ago I kind of gathered that this call centre wasn't based in the UK. (What happened to the friendly Scottish accents that where so helpful when I had a problem a few months ago regarding the fact that they owed me money for hardware I'd bought from them and they failed to supply - anyway, thats an old wound that I'll not reopen now suffice it to say that was also a three month battle to get it from them).
Now I work in a large international company, in IT, so I can understand that things can go wrong sometimes, plus where I'm based is in a large call centre so I appreciate good customer service skills - this trait of customer/advisor communication was not conveyed here in this converation I had with Ashley, he was quite abrupt and he too was a little sketchy when I broached the bank charges scenario.
He basically reiterated what the woman had said and just apologised for the inconvenience.
Through all this, I have still received nmo communication from Gio regarding this error, where as surely if something of this nature had happened that I would have at least received an email to let me know that they are sorting it. Also going back to what hesnothtemessiah mentioned that he was told that this was how they took payments now, on a quarterly basis. Nothing of that was mentioned.
I have checked the Giointernet site and there is no mention of complaints procedure. If someone finds it and can let me know of the location of it I would be grateful as I have checked the procedure on the ISPA website and with the amount of trouble I'm having communicating with Gio, this first step may have to be passed and step 2 may have to be braoched and just go straight to them.
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Stavvie
new user
Reg'd: Fri
Posts: 1
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I to have managed to contact them today, after three days of trying, and again the line was beyond poor. It was like listening to that mobile phone advert where half the words are missing .... "Hello .... is ...... How can ..... today?"
Anyway, after about 10 minutes, I managed to get the point across that I was unhappy at being billed quarterly, and i hadnt been advised it was going to change.
Apparently, they are now arranging a refund of the charges, I wont have to pay this month, AND I can go back on monthly contract, time will tell I suppose
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Idontknow
new user
Reg'd: Fri
Posts: 3
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Try doing a Google for Gio Internet and / or Activeware ( same comany ??) put ... complaints.. after the words...you will find some very interesting links.
You are not alone !!!
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n1elus
new user
Reg'd: Thu
Posts: 1
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I had a phonecall the other night at 8:30pm from Hauka/Gio Internet. They said that my credit card payment had been refused, so could I verify my card details. Being wary of spoof calls, I told them no - I would contact my credit card company first. Which I did. They had not declined any payments. I then did a websearch for anything about Hauka, World pay or Gio and found that due to a massive DDOS attack, WorldPay had not been able to charge some customers last month - nothing to do with my card details. Feeling reassured I rang Gio - and rang - and rang - and rang....
Got kept waiting in queues. Must have cost a fortune. Finally, after trying all day I got through. A bloke told me the office was now shut. Great. I told him that I had to make a pyment and that the supervisor said it was OK. He checked the ID number I had been given and took my credit card details again. Next morning I got an email from hauka telling me that my payment had been declined - a month ago. I should have got the email before the phone call, then I wouldn't have been so suspicious. Anyway, no harm done...
Next day I get 16 emailed invoices from Hauka telling me that they have taken 16 payments of £18.99. Great. More phone calls, hours wasted, frustration building up, costing me yet more money. So I gave up and called my VISA card help number. They confirmed that there were 16 pending payments to Hauka on my account. I told them that only two were genuine, and that I would not honour the other 14. They said OK, they would be cancelled in 15 days time. I sent an email to Hauka to tell them this, also telling them that I would not be wasting any more time or money calling them. Got a phonecall back from their supervisor after three days. She could not reverse the charges (huh?) so she said a cheque was on its way for 14 overpayments and could I tell the VISA people not to cancel the payments. I said sure - once I get the cheque and it has cleared. she said it would be in the post right away. Four days later - you've guessed it - no cheque.
As an aside, I did try to end my contract about 18 months ago. Phoned them, got my last payment refunded, and cancelled the World Pay agreement. then tried to sign on with another ISP. No one would have me - Gio had not deactivated my line. I asked BT to do it - they cannot - only Gio are allowed to do it as the originators of the line activation. But BT gave me the address of the company that Gio buy bulk activation from. I phoned them - no go. Off the record, they said that they had received no end of complaints about Gio. I sent more emails and letters to Gio asking for the line to be deactivated. Months passed - no joy. I got in touch with Oftel, the telecomms watchdog. They sent two letters to Gio. No reply. Seems that the watchdog is toothless - they had no legal power to get rid of the activation for me. I was caught. I signed back on with Gio. Isn't it great to live in a free democracy and not to be held to ransom?
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Still not received any money back in my account and its been a couple of weeks now. Phoned up the billing line at dinnertime today. Spoke a woman there, I asked to speak to Ashley the 'supervisor' character who I'd spoken to before. Without muting the phone I heard her very quitely quitely ask 'can you take this call Ash' and then after a few seconds silence proceded to tell me that he had just 'ducked out'. How convenient.
I asked for a managers address to write too to make a complaint to which she then started to give me Ashleys contact email address, so I took it, I then asked her to confirm that he was a manager, which she did. So I would like to take an opportunity while I'm thinking about it now to congratulate him on his apparent promotion since my last posting. I would like to tell him, but at peak rate with an eternal waiting time.... I don't know, maybe one day he'll read this and realise that not just his employers but also his customers that appreciate all the hard work and effort he puts in, to place him in such a deserved position.
I will attempt to contact him on Monday to see what is happening. I'm also going to attempt to contact Hauka direct to see if they can point me in the right direction down the tunnel of dispair to some flicker of light in the distance.
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ac1duk
new user
Reg'd: Mon
Posts: 8
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Well, after countless emails to ashley I have finally received the money owing me back in my account. The two extra payments that were taken have finally today gone back into my account. The webspace I have with them is still down though and has been for nearly a week. I'm going to try and cancel now I have my money back. I can't bear to be with this company any longer. See how long this takes.
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