Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => ISPs => Topic started by: Weaver on August 16, 2016, 09:44:10 PM
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A kitz user has recently reported problems with awkward AAISP sales staff following requests by non-ISP customers to buy useful items from the AAISP shop where I am told that staff have faffed around organising the taking of payment. I was under the honest impression that kit was available to anyone, if I was wrong, then my sincere apologies. I was pretty sure that it did say somewhere on the website that for example the Ubiquiti wifi kit that AA sell are available to non-ISP customers. Has anyone else had problems arranging payment for hardware or with prices omitting delivery charges for example ?
AAISP shop:
http://aa.net.uk/broadband-accessories.html
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Basically, if I got this wrong then apologies all round.
Take not, kids, don't take advice from fools who are stoked up to the eyeballs on NHS drugs. ;D :( ??? :no:
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Their checkout process doesn't seem to have any indication that its for broadband customers only.
I just put something in the basket and then went to checkout. It says I need to set up an account and by doing so it doesn't commit me to any purchase.
Setting up the account looks simple enough - I just chose the "Individual - buying from us in a personal capacity" option.
Obviously I didn't actually go through the full purchase process, but I couldn't see anything anywhere that indicated there would be a problem.
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Good. So it ought to be possible.
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Earlier posts mentioned are at
http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,18267.msg330651.html#msg330651
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The order confirmation says they will not invoice me until they have supplied the goods. They will not send the goods till I pay. I won't know the delivery charge till they invoice me. So how do I pay for delivery if they won't tell me how much delivery is till I've paid?
Oh I didnt get that far. I backed out once I'd got to checkout because I didnt really want to purchase anything.
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You can only pay by direct debit, or direct bank transfer. It states a few times through the checkout process that shipping charges will be added later when invoiced. The problem there is that they don't invoice you till after they have sent goods.
The system is obviously geared towards current customers. It looks like they send the goods, then bill you later, I'm guessing on the monthly invoice. For obvious reasons they want payment upfront from non customers. The problem with that being that I have an order confirmation but no invoice, and you don't get told the shipping charges till you get the invoice. Unless everything on that page turns out to be free delivery then they really need to send the invoice earlier in the process. I've since transferred them the £6 by direct bank transfer. If it goes like the checkout/order confirmation suggests, they will now ship my item, then send me an invoice including shipping costs.
Here's my email exchange with AAISP. somebody feel free to tell me if I've been stupid and taken their process all wrong
Hi there,
How do I pay for my order? I really don't wish to setup a direct debit just to make a single purchase. I was sure I selected BACS as payment type. I cannot find anywhere on the site to pay by BACS or faster payments. Paying by faster payments (direct bank transfer) would be easiest and quickest, and I would imagine be the cheapest to process.
I await your response on how to progress my order. Could you also confirm if there is any delivery charge on my order. It appeared that there wasn't but it wasn't very clear.
Thank you
John
Good Afternoon.
A bank transfer is fine with us :
Acct number : removed
Sort Code : removed
Please use your account number as reference.
Yes, Post and packaging costs will be added to your invoice as per the
order confirmation.
Once payment has been made, We will send you the goods.
Thank you
Am I missing something? I keep telling myself I must be missing something.Basically, if I got this wrong then apologies all round.
absolutely not! I'm extremely grateful, as is the Mrs. She hates how much the master socket sticks out since I added the filtered SSFP. I had no idea this unfiltered rj45 lower plate even existed! I never use my landline and would need to check my bill to even check what my phone number is!
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Perhaps the simplest solution would be to remove the SSFP, refit the lower front face-plate and then use a lead with a BT plug & RJ11 plug at either end (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350979169090)? :-\ (The example shown just connects pins 2 & 5 of the BT plug to pins 3 & 4 of the RJ11 plug.)
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I currently have three of the faceplate blanking thingies (what do we call them? straight-through DS! whatevers) for my three lines. AA used to offer a service where they would engrave something on the front for you. So they sent me three plates with line numbers 1, 2, 3 on them to help me identify them. I don't know if they do that still. I think AA might well offer all sorts of engraving anyway. They do photography and 3D-printing and are going to offer drone piloting. Not just confining themselves to ISP services.
I wonder if they would put a phone number on the plate for you in request?
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Good tip from Burakkucat. Sanity. I don't like dangly connectors, get worried about damage, for example from five climbing felines. And I've also mislaid the original NTE5a lower front halves. I did find the blanking plates very convenient. Unfortunately I replaced all three because they became suspect after an engineer visit following a bad storm, and I forgot to ask for the new ones to be numbered.
Luckily, my current cats don't eat cables, although I used to have an old cat called Ginger Blob who ate tinsel from the Xmas tree every year, but thankfully nothing critical or containing any volts.
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Perhaps the simplest solution would be to remove the SSFP, refit the lower front face-plate and then use a lead with a BT plug & RJ11 plug at either end (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350979169090)? :-\ (The example shown just connects pins 2 & 5 of the BT plug to pins 3 & 4 of the RJ11 plug.)
that would require the lower front faceplate I removed. unfortunately the Mrs has "put it in a safe place so it wouldn't get broken". she's very thoughtful in that way, and her "safe place" always works a treat. nothing she ever puts in a safe place ever gets broken, because she can NEVER find said item again!
I also already paid for a custom length RJ45 to RJ11 cable. The lower front faceplate I've ordered is ideal for my needs right now. I'll need to replace the original eventually though.
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that would require the lower front faceplate I removed.
Huh? The standard SSFP requires the lower front face-plate to be fitted to it. ???
I suspect we are having a malfunction in the information exchange process. :-\
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No idea what's going on here, but are you talking about the latest SSFP that does indeed mean the front-plate is indeed discarded ?? Apologies if I'm wide of the mark ..... not reading all threads just last few posts of 'unread items'.
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Huh? The standard SSFP requires the lower front face-plate to be fitted to it. ???
I suspect we are having a malfunction in the information exchange process. :-\
are you sure about that?
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are you sure about that?
Yes. :P
The two long screws that hold the lower front face-plate to the rest of the gubbins also restrains the SSFP. Without those screws the SSFP is free to move and thus, possibly, make an inadequate connection. Partially inserted self-tapping screws are no substitute!
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i know it's very much a bodge job, but it has been like that for over 6 months. I've just had a quick look for the lower plate but it appears to have vanished.
on topic, just noticed AAISP have replied to me
Thank you.
We will post this FOC on this occasion.
All the best.
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Acknowledged.
You could, of course, just remove the SSFP and use the type of lead to which I linked, above, plugged directly into the test socket.
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We will post this FOC on this occasion.
Result :)
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The power of kitz?
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Nope nothing to do with me. A combination of j0hn sorting it and AAISP seeing sense and then offering free P&P :)
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I would love to see how they handle the same order without being contacted. The sites current setup suggests ordering, paying £6 by direct bank transfer, the goods being shipped, then the customer being invoiced including shipping charges. This would require trusting the customer will log back on to pay shipping. They may invoice before shipping the goods, meaning you would have to pay twice. The obvious issue is the checkout is aimed at current customers and is essentially on credit.
Credit terms are 7 working days from invoice.
Payment by banking system must have statement date within the agreed terms.
Whilst we are sure you will pay on time, if you are late we can charge interest at the same rate as commercial debts.
I'd love for any non customers who make a purchase from them to give feedback here as to how it goes. My contacting them to query the odd checkout/billing process has altered how they would usually process an order as shipping is definitely not free. It cost them about £3 via royal mail.
edit: to add, it arrived today. They couldn't have been any more helpful. happy customer here!
edit 2: not happy after all. I hadn't actually opened the padded envelope till now. They have sent me the £12 ADSL filtered faceplate. This is absolutely useless to me. Mistakes happen, lets see how they try rectify this. I really hope they don't make me wait till they receive this back to send the correct item.
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edit 2: not happy after all. I hadn't actually opened the padded envelope till now. They have sent me the £12 ADSL filtered faceplate. This is absolutely useless to me. Mistakes happen, lets see how they try rectify this. I really hope they don't make me wait till they receive this back to send the correct item.
D'oh! :wall:
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I found buying the D-Link from them took a good bit of work including ring for a postage cost which they said was £4 so transferred money only to receive an invoice a couple of days later saying I owed them another £1.81 but I got it in the end :)
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:(
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D'oh! :wall:
:(
I couldn't agree more! :no:
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Maybe a friendly email to RevK himself to look into cleaning things up? They seem to be rather overworked perhaps, I get the feeling that they're quite a small outfit.
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well I contacted them Friday afternoon to let them know about the mistake in sending the wrong item. They answered me Tuesday afternoon, which being honest I would say was quite a slow response. To their credit they have dispatched the correct item with 24 hour delivery and it should (hopefully) arrive tomorrow (Wednesday).
They have also told me to keep the ADSL filtered faceplate. This item is if no use to me, at all. If anyone needs/wants it, pay for delivery and it's yours. They sell it for £12. I have absolutely no idea how it performs or what the quality of the components are like. All it says on the front is ADSL2+. Send me a PM if you want it. I don't have PayPal so need to be Google checkout, bank transfer, paym (pay my mobile number via banking app, most uk banks have this), or pay your own postage and send me a prepaid printable postage label. Cheapest royal mail option appears to be £2.85 small parcel, 2nd class.