Can't really tell what your prob is Mort but I suspect it is a Virgin one and nothing to do with Thunderbird

If you want to look at a set up guide for Thunderbird go to

http://opensourcearticles.com/articles/thunderbird_15/english/part_01

Best wishes
Nigel from Mumbai

I received an email from Tiscali on 14/12/07 which said:

"Your FREE broadband speed upgrade

Our top priority is always to bring you the best value packages, so we're delighted to let you know that we are increasing the speed of your package to up to 4Mb* superfast broadband at no extra cost to you.

You don't need to do anything, your price will remain the same and we'll upgrade you to the new speed in January. We'll also email you to let you know when this is complete."

I've received no email but my line speed has been very variable - it always used to be a constant 1.1 Mbps - and v early this morning it was very low so I ran a few speed tests getting 741.6 Kbps 691.7 Kbps 692.8 Kbps

So I raised a question with the Tiscali helpdesk saying, basically, do you call this an upgrade?

I've just got this reply from Nigel in Mumbai: "I understand that you received a letter regarding upgrade to 4 MB package free of cost. You are receiving a Broadband 1.1 MB Broadband speed.

I wish to inform that the letter you have received is a automated response. Tiscali do not provide 4 MB Broadband package. Please ignore that mail.

I have checked our records and found that there is no recent upgrade on your Broadband account."

Then he said if I wanted to upgrade I'd have to pay for it

However I now seem to be back to the steady 1.1 Mbps which I was getting before so he must have changed something. I don't intend to pay more and I'm quite happy with 1.1Mbps for £12-99.

Companies look upon Broadband as an easy money-spinner, which is why they're falling over themselves to reel in as many punters as possible (though the money is usually made on the associated landline packages). What they fail to take into account is the complexity of the system and its interfaces. Sales teams have high targets and incentives for "giving away" (not "selling") as much as they can, but the back-up that they themselves have if (i.e. when) things go awry is usually paltry. There are so many hundreds - thousands - of variables that it's often all but impossible to know where a fault lies. The success of the package depends on the luck of the time it's initiated, basically.

Poor Mort, in her Norf Lunnon triangle - not Bermuda, nor even Bermondsey, but just as jinxed, it seems - must be fated to run into problems with anything technological: let's face it, even dustbins with wheels on are in Mortal peril . Are you sure you're not a time traveller locked into the wrong century, Mistress Moderatrix?

Hi Mort,

I think I have worked out why you are having this trouble with Virgin Media.  I did not realise before you were cable. 

NTL took over Telewest (Blueyonder).  NTL/Telewest then acquired Virgin Mobile.  They then rebranded as Virgin Media.  That is why your email address is a blueyonder.co.uk one and not a virgin.net like mine.

In other words, you may think you are with virgin.net but in fact as you are cable you are now with blueyonder (as was) under the NTL umbrella with a different name.  Both of those companies have the worst customer care records of all time and presumably, although re-branded Virgin Media they are still using their same servers, call centres (of which they only have 7 now as opposed to the 13 they used to) etc.

When you said about webmail being down I checked and yes, it was for blueyonder/ntl, plus there were internet and tv outages whereas I, at virgin.net status page, only ever have green traffic lights.

In other words – that is why you are not getting the excellent service from Virgin that I am – because NTL/Telewest is providing the cable service.

Hope that makes sense!!  Personally I think it is dishonest practice for someone signing up to Virgin on the basis of recommendation of reliability to find they are in reality hived off elsewhere.

Mort,

I have spent this morning looking up the history of the various mergers.   

I would have twigged before but I didn't know you were cable, explains why your services are down and not mine doesn't it?

Have a read of this Mort

http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/362087/ntl-to-rebrand-as-virgin-media.html

A cynical ploy by NTL to trade on Virgin's excellent name :-(

"From frying-panne to fyre our Mort hath flowne."

Branson: 'Tis Nowt To Do Wi' Me, Act 2, sc.4.

I think I might have replaced the cigarette and lit the receiver. For starters.