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BT Wholesale terminates services to the ISP after its failure to pay bills
Redten Communications, the internet service provider (ISP) that offered customers a free notebook PC, appears to have ceased trading.
One reader wrote in to say he had received notification from BT Wholesale on Monday afternoon advising him that it has stopped providing a service to Redten. The ISP used BT Wholesale ADSL lines to provide broadband services to its customers.
We contacted BT for verification and it told us in a statement that it "can confirm that Redten Ltd's service has been terminated as a result of its failure to meet its financial commitments with one of BT Wholesale Broadband's customers (BT Wholesale White Label Managed Services).
"Redten customers are being automatically redirected to a web page informing them of the termination. The web page also allows them to generate a migration authorisation code (MAC) instantly (they simply click on a button to obtain their MAC there and then) so that they can then give this to the new ISP of their choice."
However the note from BT Wholesale is the only official communication Redten customers have received. The Redten website is still live and taking orders.
We tried calling the sales team and a recorded message told us our call would be answered but after 20 minutes we gave up. We then tried the premium rate broadband support number but this was unobtainable and we have also emailed the company for clarification.
Redten was set up in 2006 under the umbrella of defunct electronics retailer Watford Electronics. This company, which owned the Saverstore online retailer, went into administration in February 2007. Financial services firm Smith & Williamson was appointed as administrator and sold on certain assets, such as desks, chairs and customer lists, to a company called Globally Ltd.
However Redten was not part of the buyout and continued to trade as a separate company.
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RedTen email 26th Feb
RedTen had emailed it's customers (includes moi) on 26th to say not happy with BT service, ie had received many complaints, and was looking to change to another! What's the true story? It doesn't help that RedTen is uncontactable, not even avavilable for it's own customers!
Posted by Ian of Derby, 13 Mar 2008
Redten credit agreement
I took out the original deal with Redten and my credit agreement with V12 finance states "if you received unsatisfactory goods or services paid for under this agreement You may have the right to sue the supplier, us or both. If the contract is not fulfilled, perhaps because the supplier has gone out of business you may still be able to sue us". I am not sure where I stand legally, but am considering moving to another supplier.
Posted by Roy, 14 Mar 2008
Refund
I too have been a customer of RedTen since they first started, I got the message monday from BT, and immediately started a transfer to another ISP, I spoke to Clode finance today and they advised me to talk to RedTen to cancel my service, I tried this and they said it would cost me £150 to cancel, I argued that they were in breach of contract by disconnecting my line but they became rude at this point and basically told me to shut up and put up, if I failed to pay then they didn't care as it was down to the finance company to get the money, Nice way to run a service, I called Clode again, and they advised me to put my complaint in writting to them or email
Posted by Trevor H, 14 Mar 2008
Redten Stop of Service
Again I am another redten customer who was redirected to the BT wholesale webpage and generated my MAC code and have now switched to another SP. I could not get intouch with redten yet again, the service has been terrible over the past 2 years and I took the oppertunity to get out while I could. I contacted the finance company who have informed me that redten have since found another SP that they will be using, so any money that is outstanding on my account will need to be settled. As far as I am concerned this is well worth settling as the service has been discracefull and the technical support has been non existant. I would not recommend using REDTEN to anyone, and anyone who has the ability to repay any outstanding balance to the finance company should do so to get out of the contract with REDTEN.
Posted by Adrian, 15 Mar 2008
Stop Paying Clode
My sufggestion is that we all write to Clode and give fair notice (4 weeks?) that we will cease payment unless the service is restored, as the payment is specifically for that service, regardless of the finance agreement this was converted to. As I see it, it is up to Clode to reclaim their money from RedTen.
Posted by Malpy, 15 Mar 2008
REDTEN FIASCO !!!!!!
I'm also caught up in the 3yr deal with Clode Retail. Whats the use of them saying get in touch with REDTEN- when Redten were open, it took ages for anyone to answer your call ( was nearly always Tariq- I think he was the only member of staff that they had !!).The tel Nos that came with the pc, never exsisted, no-one answered, but i was charged PREMIUM RATE for this call. All in all, I must have spent £30-£40 on premium rate calls to REDTEN. Now can't even use the computer- not a happy customer- wish I'd never got in touch with REDTEN. Have had various probs from the start of contract- even had to go out and buy another modum router-cos the one that REDTEN sent -was a load of CRAP. Just hope it gets sorted quickly.
Posted by Jayne wright, 14 Mar 2008
What did you expect
I too got caught by Redten I dealt with Watford Electronics for years both at home and at work so when Redten were launched under the Watford banner I had no reason to doubt their reliability big mistake However remember we do live in rip off Britain and as consumers have no rights at all in relation to ISP disputes and con jobs Ofcom can not even contact Redten and if the past record is anything to go bye THE 3 YEAR contract will be up before Ofcom try to do anything. Ofcom rules say MAC must be provide within 5 days hundreds of Redten customers including me have asked repeatedly for a MAC with no response OFCOM are aware of it but appear to be toothless
Posted by Hamish, 18 Apr 2008
Another RedTen Customer
Another customer not at all happy! I was appalled at this weeks interview with the MD attempting to cover over the "Unlimited Internet" option - we did NOT sign up for a new computer and internet for free it was vice-versa - utterly shameful company tactics, and they should be investigated...
Posted by A.RedTen.Customer, 06 Apr 2008
Breach of Contract
f you are having issues with RedTen; then you must write immediately to : redten, njp, and clode stating that as redten have broken your contract you are entitled to withdraw from that contract without any penalities.
Posted by Essex_zx7r, 06 Apr 2008
I'm taking them to court
I've had no response from either Redten or their financial partner Clode to my recorded delivery letters of complaint. They appear to have infringed consumer, data protection and financial law not to mention breach of contract. I shall be speaking to a legal advisor next week with a view to suing them for breach of contract.
Posted by Ian, 06 Apr 2008
Dead Redten
I signed up for the 3 year deal in January 2007.The problems began on March 10th this year when my connection to the internet failed.I have been a subscriber to Computeractive for approx.6 years.I hope this magazine will help all Redten customers with the dispute because if they don't even try to help,I willcancel my subscription.
Posted by David Deaves, 06 Apr 2008
redten rip off
redten / clode i will see you in the small claims court. you cannot get away with ripping people off like this.
Posted by jeff, 06 Apr 2008
Unscrupulous ISP
I signed up with Redten in Nov 2006 and paid upfront for 36 months unlimited broadband subject to a fair usage policy. On 10 March 2008, my service was disconnected. On 19 March it resumed with a different underlying provider (NJP instead of BT). The service now has a 15Gb/month cap after which the connection is degraded to sub-dialup speed. All this has been done with no notification from Redten. Attempts to contact them by phone, email, letter meet with no response. I and many others believe they are in clear breach of the original contract but are having to go to much trouble to seek legal redress.
Posted by Keith, 06 Apr 2008
Redten rip off their customers
I have been a Redten customer for 16 months and have been very happy with the service. Now Redten have decided to cap their service (sold to us and still advertised as Unlimited). The cap appears to be 5Gb after which your service slows down to dial-up speeds. This company is going nowhere fast. It has broken all the contracts and continues to advertise its service as Unlimited. No communication from them. See money saving expert for full details of Redten's customer problems.
Posted by monkeyman, 31 Mar 2008
redten lets do something together!!!
Hi all ive read many posts over the internet about this im in the same boat as you all !! now i have been transferred over to njp services which redten have done i have however found fault and would like you all that have had this service started look into your members area it states we have a 2gb download limit a month !!! now we all signed up for unlimited broadband did we not they say at redten they are sorting this today and emailing me the out come but im for now thinking its bull . well all i can say is ive phoned everybody about this that are involved now what i say is if they dont sort it out we got on em that one technical thing not unlimited which is what our contract with them is i talked to consumer rights and have a ticket open with them and will try and work with them as much as i can now what they say is yes redten have breach contract under consumer rights look at your contract it is regulated by the consumer act !! we have rights and as that is we can fight i say give them today to sort it out then if nothing is sorted we act as one ill leave my email for you all to get to me at and see what we can do the more people the better one big case against them is better than many small ones we can all fight together on this or be subjected to the little man loses all the time stand together and we will win !!! my email if your intrested in maybe doing something about this and the so called contract then contact me there and we can go on from that point united mac0123@hotmail.co.uk also my messenger addy add me if you want to talk and share ideas or what ever about this...in the meantime wait till end of today for out come of redten so called talk with njp and see what happens ill post if they have or havent contacted me or got it sorted after i suggest everyone to go to consumer rights and open tickets on this more the better as i say bigger fight to beat the dog :).
Posted by paul, 20 Mar 2008
redten!! i have info
right im in the same boat ive been connected to njp services by them now and up to today it was a capped service at 2gig now from today i see in the members area its now 5gig no one has got back to me like promised either via email or phone!!. now if i am not wrong we all signed up for unlimited internet with free pc well contract is a bit in dispute over the fact that the pc was free as the credit company we pay is for the equipment!! now i talked to consumer rights as the contract is under the cunsomer rights act and they say if we dont pay then as far as they see at the moment clode have to chase redten for the money? well i say lets get things rolling i think that the new service doesnot provide unlimited internet breach in contract as far as i see i dont know where we stand on keeping pc`s or if we will incure cost`s for failing to pay clode but i for one would like us all to get to gether and make a big case not a one man band thing where we will be trodden on if anyone is interested i will provide my email here for you to contact me about going on from here i will seek advice from cib if i can get appointment or if any one else has then contact me and ill keep every one posted on what is being said and what our rights are id advise you all to contact your local consumer rights and open a ticket with them and post all info here or to me at my email adress so i can post on here my mail address is mac0123@hotmail.co.uk lets do it !!! paul...
Posted by paul, 20 Mar 2008
redten
I also have the package from redten with a FREE COMPUTER and have 21 months to go I had a letter from NJP to say they was taking over from redten and i am now up and running with them as far as I can find out they have just taken over in a straight deal and I will just have to pay CLODE FINANCE as I was with redten I will wait and see if I have to pay for broadband as well but as to yet have not been asked to sign a DIRECT DEBIT
Posted by Norma, 20 Mar 2008
Monthly payments
I can understand why Redten should use Clode finance, because they get their money up front. We repay Clode Finance the money they paid to Redten, but why should we have to pay for Broadband which we have not received? We are not paying for the computer! because that was FREE. This seems to be a menage a tois (hope its spelt correctly), which is very clever for Redten but not so good for its customers. Does anyone know how we stand legally? As far as I'm concerned we are paying Clode Finance the money we would normally pay Redten for the broadband service they supply. We are not getting it. So?
Posted by John Rechnitz, 17 Mar 2008
REDTEN it was to good to be true !
Been with redten from start and got "free" Pc eventually, printer didnt arrive for months, very poor with a new service. Broadband went dead on 10 march and eventually NJP (fast4) seem to now provide wholesale supply for redten. I have broadband again BUT no Email from my redten address ..ARRRGH ,also now capped at 15Gb /mth and NO SUPPORT ! what a mess, Clode still all is OK just give us time !, I think not after study of Terms & Cond and credit agreement they RETEN/ CLODE appear to be in Breech as not supplying "goods & service " as agreed to and PAID FOR! Now in dispute to end contract with CLODE as Redten wont answer phones or email. OFOCM need to get on the ball and sort it out ! !
Posted by IAN - VERY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER, 07 Apr 2008
IS REDTEN STILL GOING?
I AM A REDTEN CUSTOMER AND I AM COMPLETELY IN THE DARK REGARDING REDTEN IS IT GOING?OR NOT?MY COMPUTER HAS BEEN DOWN 1WEEK NOW? THEY SAY THEY ARE ARE UPGRADING? SO WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.? THANKS
Posted by JACK ESDALE, 13 Mar 2008
REDTEN INTERNET
I was one of the first to sign up to Redtens offer of broadband at 19.99 a month with a free pc thrown in. I was very happy with the deal until BT closed them down. What bothers me is that I am tied into the deal for 3 years and the cost for this was paid for up front by way of interest free credit from Clode Retail finance. This means that I and many others will have to keep paying the instalments on top of forking out for a new broadband connection. I called the finance company to ask where I stood with the payments and they advised me to call Redten for a refund. This I did and as you know were unable to get a reply. Incidently, I wrote to them a short while ago but have as yet, heard nothing.
Posted by JOHN HARRIS, 14 Mar 2008
Redten
I was a customer of Redten from when they first started and had a free PC and extras from them. When the problems arose in March, I spent about £60 in phone calls trying to find out what was wrong, I eventually was told they had gone out of business After many more phone calls , I was able to contact Redten and request a MAC off them and so I was able to change my ISP. The whole deal of PC and Broadband was funded by Clode Finance to whom I had to pay £19.99 per month for 3 yr. I actually made 13 payments out of 36 when I canceled my direct debit. I was prepared to go to court over it if needs be but in all fairness to Clode, they only sent me a couple of reminders that I hadn't paid. Eventually , armed with the knowledge from Computeractive, to which I subscribe and have delivered, the knowledge was that of "Consumer Rights", I sent a long letter of complaint about Clode and Redten pointing out that they had sold stuff to me that broke the advertising laws and other things. Just over a week later I received a letter from Clode to say that Redten had written off all my debt to them and all the equipment ,the PC etc now belonged to me. I have made a few copies of that letter and as " Computeractive" recommends, they will be kept for at least 6 yr.
Posted by Wyndham Jones, 23 Jul 2008