Spark leaving BigPipe to die off?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark leaving BigPipe to die off?

1 | 2

robcreid

243 posts

Master Geek

#2831293 13-Dec-2021 11:33

Bigpipe's last tweet was 2019 and their last facebook post was 2020. Feels a bit like a legacy/grandfathered ISP at this stage.

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2831380 13-Dec-2021 12:25

I am not bothered if they roll it into Skinny - so long as it doesnt cost me any more and I can retain my static IP address.

It would mean better support. When I had an issue several years ago, I finally ended up with a Skinny person sorting it out for me. The painful bit was actually getting past the email support loop - which nearly drove me insane.

I saw the the skinny offer of 6 months free to 'change' - but SWMBO was very unhappy with her (probably correct) suggestion that swapping ISPs can always go wrong and who wants to be without internet for a period of time these days.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2831836 14-Dec-2021 08:16

Latest bill looks just the same as usual:

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

quickymart

13944 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2831840 14-Dec-2021 08:20

Anyone from Spark able to chime in maybe?

nossi

25 posts

Geek

#2835546 19-Dec-2021 15:10

Latest Expert plan bill looks just the same as usual.

Expert plan speed remains 100/100 after ONT power cycle which is 1000 connection to edgerouter and beyond and worked fine on the Elite plan during lockdown.

I'm not going to tempt fate changing to the Starter plan as speed might reduce to 100/20.

Hopefully Bigpipe do the correct thing next year and refund the $10/month over payments for the purple 300/100 which is possibly running faster than the red 300/100 until after speed upgrades happen (purple still 100/100 red may still be 100/20).

grover1

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2835547 19-Dec-2021 15:17

nossi:

Latest Expert plan bill looks just the same as usual.

Expert plan speed remains 100/100 after ONT power cycle which is 1000 connection to edgerouter and beyond and worked fine on the Elite plan during lockdown.

I'm not going to tempt fate changing to the Starter plan as speed might reduce to 100/20.

Hopefully Bigpipe do the correct thing next year and refund the $10/month over payments for the purple 300/100 which is possibly running faster than the red 300/100 until after speed upgrades happen (purple still 100/100 red may still be 100/20).

I've "down-graded" to the Starter Fibre plan - I'm only getting about 105/105, when I should be at 300/100.

I have had a support ticket open for 2 weeks to resolve, with lots of finger-pointing between TFF (phoned TFF to confirm that I was on the wrong profile) and Bigpipe.

I'll give them a few more days before I switch to Voyager (same price point - with one off cost of $14:95 for a static IP - which is the only reason I'm with Bgpipe now that everyone's up speed is 100Mbs)

cokemaster

Exited
4929 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2835565 19-Dec-2021 17:15

The whole proposition of Bigpipe was to save money, but not service by shifting to an online-only model. Its disappointing that Spark has chosen to underinvest and leave customers in the lurch, its potentially going to turn folks off from future online only internet offerings.

webhosting

Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

GoodSync

GoodSync. Easily back up and sync your files with GoodSync. Simple and secure file backup and synchronisation software will ensure that your files are never lost (affiliate link).

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2835648 19-Dec-2021 21:29

It'll be interesting to see if you eventually pay for static IP's too, I'd find it hard to not see that done away with. Telecom, *cough*, Spark we're talking about. Leopards don't change their spots.

The GST thing is funny though. That sounds like an old school Telecom move.

I was just looking at Bigpipe offerings as I'm between jobs with Covid and was with them a few years back, and if I get fibre back on later wanted to see what was around these days. I wondered what was up between the two plans different rates, hence some geekzone catch up.

10/10 happy to have been with Voyager recently and probably end up back with them based on this thread.

cokemaster

Exited
4929 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2835655 19-Dec-2021 22:13

I wouldn't read too much into the GST thing. It is clearly an innocent mistake where either the including GST tick box wasn't ticked or they accidentally put the included GST price in when they should have put the excluding GST.

They should have picked up on it fairly quickly as they would have been collecting 15% more money and I would expect them to proactively remediate customers in short order. If they haven't and if they don't... thats where it starts to become rather serious.

There are plenty of other things that you could call them out on... eg. 30 days notice, Go Large/Big Time, "Carry over" data and their 50 shades of unplan...etc etc

webhosting

Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

jonherries

1395 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#2889706 21-Mar-2022 19:12

Gonna make the leap to Spark - hoping that it cuts over on the day if I am already on fibre (ie. No cutover gap)?

Jon

jonherries

1395 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#2891022 23-Mar-2022 21:19

jonherries: Gonna make the leap to Spark - hoping that it cuts over on the day if I am already on fibre (ie. No cutover gap)?

Jon

So already getting nervous.

Signed up on my already existing Spark account and I cant bring up the order - it appears as a “ghost” order when I click through from the email though (ghost coz shows an order with none of the scant detail that was in the email and the order numbers dont match between the email and webview).

Of course because of this I cant do the things it said to do in the order email eg. transfer netflix or check on my order (also including being able to see it “within four hours”).

The third and last email told me to expect to be connected in 2-5 working days - but the earliest date (and the earliest one I selected) was for the 30th.

No wonder people don’t change providers, this is all over the place.

Jon

sparkz25

750 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2891044 23-Mar-2022 22:13

Who is TFF? are you referring to UFF / Tuatahi

yitz

2075 posts

Uber Geek

#2891045 23-Mar-2022 22:17

sparkz25:

Who is TFF? are you referring to UFF / Tuatahi

"Tuatahi First Fibre" is the company name in full.

sparkz25

750 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2891046 23-Mar-2022 22:21

HA I never really paid any attention to the First part, just knew that they changed to Tuatahi didn't bother with the rest as they are still known as UFF in all of our systems lol

jonherries

1395 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#2894928 31-Mar-2022 19:25

So now on Spark, happened on the allotted day (30th) at 07:00.

However I didn’t receive any emails or text messages to confirm this. I received an email at 07:00 asking why I hadnt signed up for Netflix…at which point my Bigpipe connection died.

So I rang up, and was told - yes of course your new service is live.

I then had to explain I couldn't see it on myspark or on the click through link. So turned out even though I signed up with my spark account I had to go back to the email and find the order number and account number and add it as a service. It says this nowhere on the website… the csr was quite surprised by all of this.

Glad I don’t do this regularly but for others - hopefully this helps if you are in the same situation.

Jon

1 | 2