Anyone else have Bulldog coming around trying to get you to switch to them?

I hope these don't turn out like the gas and electricity, where even though
you told them you didn't want their service, they sign you up anyway.


--
For South East Brum: http://www.south-east-birmingham.tk
For Free £10 credit when you get referred to TalkTalk contact me via above
site.

{{{{{Welcome}}}}} wrote:
People at work who live in the in new LLU area of Chelmsford do report a
very heavy marketing drive, but not to that level.
It might be a good idea if they could fulfil their existing orders
first, a few bad/daft stories about in that line.

Bill

The recent negative national press coverage I read prominantly featured the
agents used by the company you seem to be plugging with your referral offer
as an example of these types of practice. Throwing stones at your own glass
house there, or just trying to spread disinformation? Maybe you should
reconsider your recommendations in future, based on the fears you have
expressed about working practices. It wasn't very well thought out if this
was supposed to be a smear, no mention of Bulldog in those articles.

"{{{{{Welcome}}}}}" <bhx@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:0OmdnaDg7qVhxuzfRVnytQ@pipex.net...

I have a friend who works for a sales agency on behalf of bulldog and
apparently some of the incentives they are being offered as sales reps to
sign people up are amazing, last week one member of his team was given a
£500 bonus just for signing up 10 households, not bad eh, although i
personally wouldnt touch them as i MORE than happy with my current isp, not
one problem in over 7 months of being connected and a super fast 3mb
connection,more than adequate for my needs.
"Derek" <derek.hettenbach@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:d5326e$a8b$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

On 1 May 2005 17:04, "Derek" wrote:

Or just asking a question, perhaps. That's how I took it. No, I've not
had anyone representing Bulldog (nor TalkTalk for that matter) at my door,
but know someone who did have a salesman call, to discuss Bulldog (it was a
few days ago, and I only know about it now by chance).

I doubt there was any intention of a smear, but it's not impossible. However,
the original poster would definitely *not* recommend TalkTalk for ADSL so it
would appear you've not been keeping up with previously made posts.

Also, while Bulldog is offering phone calls, their main field is as an ISP,
despite the link with/ownership by C+W. I bet more people are willing to
say "Hello" to someone asking about phone service (hence TalkTalk etc) on
the doorstep. I'd see broadband as a far more specialist area - many who
want it already have it, many who have it are locked into contracts, and
for someone planning a sales campaign, targets might be best handled in
either areas which are just getting ADSL services (Scotland watch out!)
or those where Bulldog is expanding its LLU facilities.

Signing up a business might have higher commission for a salesperson
(hence the phone call and subsequent visit to my friend's shop).


--
Plus.Net <http://tinyurl.com/5jpa4>
I recommend them and save some cash.

With a guarantee allowing new users to migrate if they're unhappy!

Thus spaketh Derek:
I was just asking the question, as this is the first time we have had anyone
from any telephone / internet supplier make house to house calls, other than
Telewest, the only people we have ever had was the gas and electricity
suppliers, and my cousin ended up with Scottish Power even though he had never
signed up for them, eventually when a copy of the 'agreement' was sent, it was
obvious the form had been filled out by the salesperson.

As this was the first time we have ever had a telephone / internet, other than
Telewest company try and get us to sign up at the door, I thought it was
unusual, and simply asked the question.

I found your response very strange, considering I was only asking a question.

On Sun, 01 May 2005 17:47:27 GMT, "Stefan Kaniuk"
<s.kaniuk@ntlworld.com> wrote:

Fortunately for you you're probably richer than me so to move from 1mb
at £27.50 a month to 4mb at £19.50 per month seems a good deal both
ways.

--
Sorry you didnt understand why, it was because of this bit at the end of
your post, did no-one else see the conflict?.

"For South East Brum: http://www.south-east-birmingham.tk
For Free £10 credit when you get referred to TalkTalk contact me via above
site."

That gave me the impression of something less than genuine concern, to write
"I hope they dont......." etc. to make people wonder if it could happen if
they speak to a Bulldog rep, then plug another company in the postscript. I
questioned your real purpose in putting a niggling thought in peoples heads.
Without the bit on the end pushing TalkTalk I would have seen it as
innocent, with it I saw it as a bit devious. Maybe others didn't catch the
possible vested interest. I suppose that postscript could have been inserted
without your knowing, but it certainly put a slant on your post. If it was
without your consent it certainly changed the way I perceived it.

As for Bulldog being primarily an isp Peter, dont make the mistake of
thinking they are operating in the same way they used to, the company is
totally different than it was before the takeover.With all @ctive contracts
it insists on taking control of the line rental or installing their own new
line for those without any landline or if they have a cable telco. You can
choose to join a call plan or not, but the phone line is through
Bulldog/C&W. You cant just get B/Band from them on the new packages, it
comes with a telco. Its a bundle. That would seem to be at least equal focus
on a par with bt. Bulldog are a full on telecoms provider now, they ARE
Cable and Wireless not just a regional isp with big ideas, they have full
backing and are direct competition to bt wherever the @ctive services are
available. They are also going head to head on prices with bt and cable.
With a monthly contract, there are no long term tie-in or migration problems
either.

On the question of being signed up to telecoms companies without consent,
and to clear up the original question, you only really need to understand
the difference between switching your call provider and switching service
providers to put your mind at ease. Changing your phone call billing from
one call provider to another,( ie bt to any of the other resellers and
wholesalers of call time) requires only a couple of basic details to change.
Line rental stays put, just switch who bills you for the calls, so a couple
of details and you are done. Its only Dialler pre-select without the little
box after all. It was supposed to facilitate easy moves for customers but
that has been abused. Written contracts are not normally taken as the
process doesn't need one. Same for utilities wholesalers, minimum detail,
easy switch. Thats where the problems have been for some people and where
poor sales practices have been highlighted.

To change between service providers requires lots more details on a proper
service contract, at least 8 vital bits of information to even load an
order, sometimes more depending on the different companies requirements, let
alone getting the thing activated. It is a much more complicated process
with far more information required to get the process through. The fear of
being scammed on changing service providers is pretty groundless. Cable, bt,
Bulldog are service providers, nearly everyone else just wholesales calls
under a brand name like gas electricity and water people do. Big difference.

Peter, as far as marketing focus is concerned all providers of higher speed
Broadband primarily target experienced and existing customers because the
concept is already known and the desire for more bandwidth is easier to
promote. There are loads of them out there outside the contract period they
signed up for. Most brand new users start out on one of the standard speeds
in keeping with their pre broadband usage or by being cautious with a new
media and then trade up after dipping their toe in the water and getting
used to what they can do. Its the ones who have got used to Broadband but
want more than their current provider can supply who will be targetted with
enhanced services. An entry level sale is harder, needs more explaining and
ends up with a less profitable contract usually. Its the same for all
providers, they push an advantage on unique selling points like speed, price
or monopoly areas. For Bulldog with the LLU exchanges I suppose that means
those who complain about things like capped limits, less speeds than the
competition, contention ratio and long term contracts, so just about
everyone in the new areas that cant get an 8 meg service.


"{{{{{Welcome}}}}}" <bhx@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:nuqdncKpy-hcrOjfRVnyhw@pipex.net...

On 3 May 2005 00:57 (UTC), "Derek" wrote:

Please use some other newsreader when posting. Having the signature
separator means Agent would quote nothing of your post, and I'm not
going to go back and force it. As far as your original post goes,
I believe you "read in" something which wasn't there, taking the
original poster's regular signature as somehow being a reason for
his making the post. I would not have considered it at all some
'slant' on the original post, just something which (with the right
newsreader) can be dimmed or hidden altogether (various unix apps
show no signatures at all). I suggest you learn to divorce the
signature from the content of the post, and let your imagination
(over there being a 'slant') have a rest. Peter Morgan.


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