Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? in Speakeasy http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18070496 en Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:55:04 EDT Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:55:04 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18483858 FixManTx : Wow! I've heard of rats deserting a sinking ship but sheesh...reading this thread is like watching 'em leave at the first sign of bad weather lol....

I have nothing against BB, but I'm not what you could call a "fan" either. I've bought stuff there before but I wouldn't say I've had a particularly good or bad experience there. To me they aren't any worse or better than any other competitor. I'll wait to see what happens before jumping ship myself.

The only "hitch" I've had with my Speakeasy service was when I moved last year and it turned out to be a problem in Covad's equipment cage at the CO. I've had my service since Feb '04 and have nothing to complain about. I don't see any reason to switch just because of a merger. I'd be hard pressed to find another ISP in Houston that offers what Speakeasy does for the price.

Whenever I had an issue and called SpE's tech support they did a good job helping me, and every SpE tech I've ever talked to was much more knowlegeable than any RoadRunner tech I talked to when I had them.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm sticking with SpE. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18483858 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 22:36:20 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18095077 TheDew : Wow - lots of bad Best Buy experiences I guess. I'm actually a huge Best Buy fan - I get rewards money every week it seems.

On the other hand, I had a horrible experience with Speakeasy, so I'm sorry to see Best Buy get involved with such a lousy company. For anyone interested my Speakeasy experience you can check my other post for that lengthy story - ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18095077 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 16:04:56 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18089321 anon : "jump the gun"? No sir...

Have you ever dealt with India to do a migration of a domain name or web host or VoIP contract? It's painful even if the person you're talking to has been around for a while... much less, if they've just been contracted by a dissolving BB acquisition, or worse: an account recently sold to another provider who contracted their support to India (--- pay attention to that one).

People jumping ship are just saving THEMSELVES some headache, and I don't blame them.

Also consider the fact that many alternative ISPs' would already employ offshore support. It's the whole *migration* part of it that needs to be done with someone who has skills and concern for you. That's the best reason to take advantage of the true professionals at SE now, before they're gone.

This BB/SE merger is a true shame, IMHO. The biggest reason SE had so many hard-core followers is because of their reputation. Geeks all around knew their quality and were happily willing to pay the extra premium for it. These customers weren't your average Mabel and Marvin down the street. Those old farts went with high-latency cable or $15 SBC, and wouldn't know the difference if BB or Aquafina were providing their "internets" (-- bushism... lower-case "b" intentional).

Without standing apart from the crowd, SE cannot compete. Anyone who thinks papa bear Best Buy wants to foot the bill for SE's unique way of networking and supporting their customer is an idiot.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18089321 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 13:17:10 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18088881 jesterekim : Only time will tell...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18088881 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:56:33 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18086943 anon : I know let's all leave Speakeasy so we can call India. You guys are jumping the gun. SBC India, Earthlink India, Covad Support India. I refuse to call India and speak with Joe. Everytime I call over there I speak with Joe.

Calling India is way worse. I am leaving my DSL line to host my servers with Speakeasy.

You all can jump ship, it least when I call speakeasy, You guys won't be in front of me on the hold que, you will all be waiting to talk to Joe in India. LOL]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18086943 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:15:45 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18085415 claudeo : A reporter in the Seattle PI a few weeks ago threw a challenge to his readers: Can you name a single business merger or acquisition that has benefited the customers? Er... BB acquiring SE? Please, I'm trying not to gag.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18085415 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:42:19 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084793 lorennerol :
said by drmorley See Profile :

I just got this email--now they're looking to push telemarketing so they can sell more VOIP lines? For shame!

At one time I had four accounts with Speakeasy and I'm down to only one and that last one is getting switched over to a competitor in a couple weeks.

It's been real...
Wait! In the immediate* future future nothing will change.

*Within an hour of the time Bruce C. sent the email announcing the buyout.

I was just reading the same newsletter and I agree: Pushing telemarketing is shameless and something the old Speakeasy would never have done.

:(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084793 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:34:36 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084767 jofallon : I'm starting the process of migrating myself. I'm not in a mood for waiting for the quality of service to drop off, or to find my line has been sold to someone else. It's just too much money.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084767 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:29:34 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084685 drmorley :
said by jofallon See Profile :

If the article at »www.fool.com/investing/general/2···asy.aspx is correct, BestBuy only wanted the VOIP part of Speakeasy. They may well sell off residential DSL customers if this is the case.

The lack of attention to this forum by SE is in line with this notion.
I just got this email--now they're looking to push telemarketing so they can sell more VOIP lines? For shame!

At one time I had four accounts with Speakeasy and I'm down to only one and that last one is getting switched over to a competitor in a couple weeks.

It's been real...
--
»tehblogs.com
Click for full size
speakeasy.pdf 65,593 bytes
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084685 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:13:40 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084004 anon : I've been an outspoken loyal Speakeasy customer for over 7 years and have gladly been paying twice as much for speeds 4 times slower than cable to my home.

Speakeasy has been a great company, in my opinion. I've watched them grow and expand technologies and services, and all the while they've given me top-notch technical support, when needed, by actual Americans who are skilled network technicians and not just some barely-understandable grunt reading me a FAQ page that I could've Googled in the first place.

Additionally, keeping their employees in America has in-turn helped feed our dwindling economy. Every little bit helps and I'm proud to do my part.

That said, I work for a mega conglomerate with hundreds of aquisitions under its belt. Bruce C's BB acquisition announcement email looks like it was taken from the same template my company uses to anounce a new "exciting" acquisition to the newly acquired employees. Don't believe for a second that things will remain "business as usual" and that the company "culture" will stay the same, even if all BB wants is their interest in SE's VoIP. SE's exec's all know what's going to happen and I would guess their other employees are suspicious of it too. I've seen it many times and been personally involved in several of our aquisitions. Over the next 3 years the conglomerate will transform ("streamline") the business part of things and "overhead".

I, personally, don't believe that SE jobs will even go to Geek Squad folks. That downgrade in salary overhead will not even be enough to make stock-holders cheer. These tech jobs are most likely bound for India baby. Sad, but a cold truth where business cares more about share-values than they do about the customers who put them on the map in the first place, and the employees that feed the economy enough to fuel the market they exist in.

I will not wait until transitioning away from SE is a painful experience due to dialect, administrative authority, and skill barriers. I'm starting the painful transfer process now. I have a lot of services through Speakeasy which will take months to migrate elsewhere.

It's sad, really.

For what it's worth, I wish every one at Speakeasy today the very best and sincerely hope the future for this great group of techies is not as rough as I suspect.

-HiAmp]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18084004 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:02:38 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18082617 jofallon : A very likely bet would be that BB sees a good number of people in customer support, some making more than the average Geek squad salary, and then makes economies. Very likely a lot of the SE support people are figuring that too; and will relocate when they can. Doubtless Bruce C will be safe for a year or so, and then will get a nice parachute after a quiet departure. But he isn't providing our service; the good level 2 techs are probably looking at other options right now. They'll probably all get replaced by Geek squad people within a year or two.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18082617 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:35:27 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18082460 russotto : From experience, I can tell you promises like those are always made at merger time... and pretty much always broken.

The first noticable change is usually a "harmonization" of administrative policies -- for instance, purchasing, expense reports, and most significantly, HR. The corporate officers may stay for a little while and then leave, or a reorganization may leave them nominally in place but no longer in charge. The people really in charge then start merging business units which are duplicated between the parent and the subsidiary, like customer service. By this time, the better employees have seen the writing on the wall and have bailed anyway. Once this decimation has been done, the offices of the subsidiary will likely be closed and the subsidiary "co-located" with the parent.

Somewhere along the line you can expect to see customer-visible changes, likely touted as implementation of "standard industry practices" -- this is where static IPs go away, port blocking appears, and servers are forbidden. In this case, the likely alternative is that Best Buy for Business will drop or sell off the residential side entirely.

By the time this is all complete, the subsidiary retains little except its name. Assuming the people running it have no clue, it will hemmorhage money and customers, and the parent will put it back on the market, ending up selling it to a competitor for less than they paid for it.

(gloom and doom? Yeah. But I'm the personification of gloom and doom.)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18082460 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:06:51 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18080974 anon : Ok, so let's look at the bright side of things. Yes, everyone can argue on forums, so I am not hear to argue, I have had bad experiences with a ton of companies. Let me Start, Target, where my wife still shops, Walmart, where my wife still shops, Home Depot, where I still shop, Microsoft, where I still run xp, Apple, where my Ipod went dead, get my point? Best Buy knows nothing of Broadband. The fact that the CEO, the CFO and the CTO, have all agreed to stay on at Speakeasy is enough for me to stay. I run servers, even the mighty FIOS, their TOS will not allow me to run servers last time I talked to them. Speakeasy, is not going to outsource their support. That has been guaranteed. No Employees are getting laid off, which means all the awesome techs will still be there. Best Buy when they aquired who was it " Musicland" I don't think I got that name right, but anyways, they failed at that. They will leave Speakeasy alone I think. Speakeasy is not changing its name either. Oh I can run cable to and get 6 megs down at 3:00AM, but no other time of the day. Speakeasy also setup reverse DNS for me for free. Try calling an SBC, Verizon, or a Covad tech in India to do that for you. I am staying with Speakeasy.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18080974 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:41:19 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18080950 pdaudio84 : Rah, all you people in fios areas, or even prospective fios areas!

I've been a Speakeasy customer for just over two years, and I love my static IPs and reverse DNS.
My other real options in this area are Bellsouth or TWC. I don't want or need a phone line (yeah for onelink), so that's bellsouth out. RR's upload is maxed out at 512 kbps on their highest tear, and obviously it's a completely different class of service. They keep saying they'll up the tears to 8/512 for standard and 10/1 for terbo (or whatever they're calling it), but honestly, I think they're waiting for Bellsouth to make a move, something which, in my opinion, is unlikely for a while.

I actually have both Speakeasy and RR's standard package, because I could only get 1.5 down reliably with Speakeasy, due to my distance from the CO, but the upload was twice as fast as RR standard. Plus, I can run both my and parent's voip phones on the cable line and use all my DSL upstream without conflict.
Considering I have two ISPs, I obviously don't mind paying premium, but this has gone and turned the whole concept for a loop, as far as I'm concerned.

I think, eventually, if RR decides to up the speeds, I will drop Speakeasy and move my servers to a co-lo. I have access to some unmetered bandwidth on an alphared datacenter...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18080950 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:37:13 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18079430 bhan261 : I wouldn't be surprised if this turns into another Directv DSL situation where subscribers were given only about a months notice that they were shutting down the service. I was one of them and I migrated to Speakeasy. There were signs back then that all was not right with Directv as there are now with Speakeasy. Rather than wait to be pushed out the door this time, I think I'll leave before the rush. I've been looking for a good reason to switch to bway.net...this is probably it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18079430 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:41:16 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18079354 jaykaykay : I always try to keep my thoughts with a half glass full of water instead of the half empty one. I will continue to do so now. I can always go with cable and have been able to up to now. I may have to. I hope not. I am happy for Speakeasy but not for myself. If they try to sell off my line connection, good bye Speakeasy and you owe me big time.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18079354 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:26:14 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078941 jofallon : If the article at »www.fool.com/investing/general/2···asy.aspx is correct, BestBuy only wanted the VOIP part of Speakeasy. They may well sell off residential DSL customers if this is the case.

The lack of attention to this forum by SE is in line with this notion.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078941 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:08:58 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078740 russotto : Yep. Within the year, what's left of Speakeasy's skeleton will be sold to AT&T or Verizon for considerably less than Best Buy paid.

They may sell out... err, I mean off... residential customers before that.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078740 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:31:47 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078310 nixen :
said by inteller See Profile :

and small businesses will have nothing to do with Best Buy so it sounds like a real winning combination!
Yup. And when it proves to not be a winning combination? Well, you can count on Best Buy either changing things at SpeakEasy, carving it up and selling it piecemeal or disolving it altogether.
--
Everyday, thousands of new cars are delivered to their new owners with poorly-selected radio station presets.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078310 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:14:30 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078272 inteller : and small businesses will have nothing to do with Best Buy so it sounds like a real winning combination!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078272 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:07:12 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078188 nixen :
said by bryank See Profile :

Here is one thing to think about, I believe it to be true, but not 100% certain. I am not pro-Best Buy nor pro-Speakeasy, heck I shop at Fry's and have Comcast, but I wanted to chime in on something that could be relevant.
Read before you "chime in". The stated goals of the purchase - as stated by both SpeakEasy and Best Buy - has nothing to do with consumer HSI.
--
Everyday, thousands of new cars are delivered to their new owners with poorly-selected radio station presets.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078188 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:52:30 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078084 panda :
said by nshulga See Profile :

Pity. I have good memories of Speakeasy. They were a good company.
I have to disagree...

They are (were) a GREAT company!

They will be missed.

IMHO, BB will absolutely *ruin* SE...
--
"[He] couldn't get a clue if he stripped naked, rubbed himself with clue musk, went to the middle of the clue breeding grounds at the height of clue breeding season when it was full of horny clues and did the clue mating dance for days."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18078084 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:35:50 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076590 jofallon : I wonder where you could find a small business that would go to Best Buy for anything relating to service or support. Perhaps a lemonade stand, but where could you find a grown-up who's never been to Best Buy?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076590 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:45:25 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076587 bryank : Here is one thing to think about, I believe it to be true, but not 100% certain. I am not pro-Best Buy nor pro-Speakeasy, heck I shop at Fry's and have Comcast, but I wanted to chime in on something that could be relevant.

Just because a larger company buys another company doesn't necessarily mean the corporate or business structure is going to change. Best Buy owns numerous other companies that you would not even suspect such as MusicLand, Future Shop, & Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers. Think of it as making trades in baseball or football. You give something up, to hopefully get something better; in the business world it's capital (or money).

Best Buy will use the Speakeasy company purchase as a product for their retail stores in the computer department to bundle packages together with their purchases. For instance, you buy a new computer, sign up with speakeasy for a year, and you save $300 off purchase. It's a marketing tool, anybody in the business world understands this.

I guess the only downside to this for the Speakeasy current customers is overselling of their service. With more and more user accounts being activated (given Best Buy does what I used as an example above), the more and more support requests that come in.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076587 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:44:36 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076033 david3 : I received the Speakeasy email, even though it's been almost 3 years since I canceled my Speakeasy service... I wonder if there's a problem with their customer database?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18076033 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:44:34 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074801 Michieru2 : Ladies and gentlemen.

If their is any time to bust out the beer and cry, it shall be right now.
--
The only limits we have are the one's we set ourselves.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074801 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:42:16 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074789 lorennerol : Signs of an incompetent executive team and CEO:

1. Old time staff starts departing like rats off a sinking ship.
2. Proudly announce $24MM in new venture capital to fund WiMax buildout catering to gamers and businesses.
3. Move office to new, opulent location.
4. More staff departs.
5. Failed VoIP launch when key partner bails at last moment.
6. WiMax failing. CEO states that it's returned to R&D from beta status.
7. More staff departs.
8. Entire VoIP system goes down when partner software upgrade fails.
9. New webmail interface buckles under load on first day.
10. Can't keep key positions filled.
11. Run out of previously trumpeted capital.
12. Sell hinky WiMax buildout to competitor while still calling it 'the way of the future'.
13. More staff quits.
14. Ask partners to enter their own orders so you can cut down on staff (and not replace those who quit). Spin partners by telling them how great it is that they are now order entry clerks.
15. No staff, no cash, degrading product. Only one card left to play: Sell goodwill value of Speakeasy name to company that needs a better reputation: Best Buy.
16. CEO sends bulk email to clients and partners insulting their intelligence by saying that Best Buy is 'known for their high level of customer service', like the clients and partners are idiots and don't know better. Also tell them nothing will change and that Speakeasy will be independent.

Oh, and having been through this before, I know the next two:

17. Within a year assertions made in #16 are shown to be false by actual circumstances. Three of the 20,000 people who got the email are surprised.
18. CEO and exec team take generous severance packages from mother ship and go their merry way. Corporate Borgs step in and finish the assimilation.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074789 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:41:29 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074730 MysticGogeta :
said by Nobbie16 See Profile :

Speakeasy Geek Squad....Oh the horror!!!
Oh god I'm going to run out of Best Buy and scream if I see signs with this on it.
--
Team Discovery-Join the fight]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074730 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:32:21 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074706 MysticGogeta : Dang I saw this and I thought it was a joke man.. I would switch and do it quickly. I have never had a good or bad experience from best buy but it seemed like the employees were more interested in screwing off on the job then working to help the customer.
--
Team Discovery-Join the fight]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074706 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:27:44 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074658 Nobbie16 : Speakeasy Geek Squad....Oh the horror!!! ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074658 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:16:59 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074435 anon : Ohhhh NOOOOOOOOO!
This is going to be like when I had Mindspring and they were great. AND Then they were bought by Earthlink. Within 5 months customer service when from good to crappy.

Yeah SpE, wondered what happened with the 'new' email interface that disappeared.

so what other options do we have for maintaining static IP's now?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074435 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:37:52 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074223 CylonRed : I don't think anyone knows that and it has been awhile since I read the OTS so I am not sure how easy it will be to get out of the contract...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074223 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:03:21 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074218 neosp : Does this mean we could get out the yearly contract without penalty? Or we need to wait after the deal is closed?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074218 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:01:47 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074107 The Dv8or : Wow, thats a blast from the past. I was a bway.net dialup customer 10 years ago.
--
You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18074107 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:44:21 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18073869 metrodust : too bad they only offer up to 3mb]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18073869 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:54:20 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18073439 grobinette : Whew, I am so glad to have jumped ship. I'm sorry, but even with my normally optimistic outlook, I don't envision a rosy future for residential customers.

I just wonder what assets Best Buy wants to pillage and how much damage they will leave in their wake.
--
Team Discovery]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18073439 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:33:31 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072736 anon :
sounds like the options here in Seattle.
I'm on Speakeasy too. I just contacted Bway (»Company entry - Bway.net) and they offer service in Seattle. They use Covad so you (and I) should be able to keep the Covad circuit.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072736 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:25:44 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072243 metrodust :
said by m0unds See Profile :

Yeesh. I was feeling kind of guilty because I'm going to be moving and I was going to drop Speakeasy because I'm sick of being stuck in limbo with Qwest and Covad (the biggest problem with DSL in NM, IMO) Now that they're being bought out by Best Buy, I don't think I could feel guilty if I tried.
sounds like the options here in Seattle.
Comcast no, Qwest no, Earthlink/Covad maybe.. at least they offer ADSL2+ even if it is slow.
the sad part is the 2 week downtime to switch..
--
When you are leaving.. heaven is a distance not a place. --Carissas Weird]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072243 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:42:25 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072180 sommerfeld :
We will not be integrating with Best Buy stores, Geek Squad, Magnolia Hi-Fi or any other Best Buy subsidiary.

I've been on the "little fish" end of three high tech acquisitions. Statements like the one I quoted were made; they were true for no more than a couple years, after which the digestive enzymes of the parent company's beancounters ate through any barrier to "integration" promised when the deal was announced. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072180 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:31:29 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072116 knightmb : This scares me as well. Been using speakeasy since last century (ha!) and the service has been rock solid wonderful for close to a decade. :hmm:

Only time will tell...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18072116 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 14:19:14 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071974 anon : For the short term, this will be true.. BestBuy will not interfere too much with Speakeasy operations. The deal won't be final until sometime next year based on the press release.

And while at the start Best Buy will leave SE alone, as with all mergers and acquisitions, there will always be some assimilation no matter what the management may say about leaving them alone.

I'm sad.. and I'm looking for a new ISP]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071974 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:52:24 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071684 CylonRed : I will wait to see what happens - if necessary I can move to Cincinatti Bell who might have naked DSL and package with their local service as well and kick AT&T out of my house. I love my Covad line - I simply adore it but I can get a bit if savings with Cincy Bell and I have the free AOL for my email...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071684 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:51:57 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071664 jesterekim1 : This is from one of SE's employee:

"I completely understand your concerns, as this is a huge surprise to me as well! While Speakeasy is now owned by Best Buy, it's important to note that we will continue to operate as a stand alone, independant operation with our headquarters in Seattle. We will not be integrating with Best Buy stores, Geek Squad, Magnolia Hi-Fi or any other Best Buy subsidiary. Because we won't be integrating, there will be no change or interruption to your existing service or level of customer support as all aspects of your service will continue to be managed by Speakeasy."

I wan't to believe this....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071664 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:47:56 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071656 The Dv8or : Is it any coincidence that my T1 has been running like ass for the past 2 days?
--
You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071656 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:46:39 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071537 nomadg : When I first that speakeasy was being sold, I thought "well i will give them a chance" then I found out it was Best Buy. This is one customer jumping ship before they sink it. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071537 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:22:44 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071401 m0unds : Yeesh. I was feeling kind of guilty because I'm going to be moving and I was going to drop Speakeasy because I'm sick of being stuck in limbo with Qwest and Covad (the biggest problem with DSL in NM, IMO) Now that they're being bought out by Best Buy, I don't think I could feel guilty if I tried. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071401 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:47:30 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071375 djpiazza : I must say I am just shocked, but not surprised. We should have all seen something like this coming, but never could have imagined BestBuy being the endgame. I am horrified at what BestBuy's ownership of SE will do to an already deteriorating customer service. I have stayed with SE for the sole purpose of their performance & customer service, the exact reasons I avoid BestBuy completely. They have no idea of what customer service is. Every single time I have needed to go into a BB for a last minute item for a client I have intervened in some sales idiot misleading, lying or whatever to a customer about a product or service. This is the worst possible thing that could have happened. I will absolutely be starting the process of finding a new ISP today. Wow, 5 years of loyalty and this is what you get. Where do I go from here? Can't go to Fios Business as Verizon feels there's not enough money in this town yet to wire it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071375 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:39:10 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071356 claudeo : What a disappointment. All around.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071356 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:33:33 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071346 mjordan : let' look at the positive side of things.... errr...
um...
let's see...
OH YEA!!!
At least the forum is now getting more posts and attention than before.

I remember the days they would send you swag for being a loyal customer, sure, it was cheap stuff, but it was nice to feel appreciated. I got fridge magnets, pens, screen cleaning towels, a shirt and a coffee mug!

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, it might not be as bad as we think.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071346 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:32:01 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071309 Titus Pullo :
said by tapeloop See Profile :

... in my experience, every time that a company of which I'm currently a customer gets bought out by a larger company, customer service suffers to varying degrees.
Simple: because human capital is always, in the minds of business elite, the easiest and most cost effective means to offset the investment required for the acquisition, customers be damned. The larger point here is that as more mergers take place, lousy CS won't matter; you'll have only one or two providers at best. Rock - hard place. Welcome to a new america, free from that evil word "regulation" that's been so mean to us all :uhh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071309 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:22:53 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071302 russotto : I stick with Speakeasy mostly because I have static IPs and I don't NEED customer service, because they're very reliable (unlike another provider I could name, whose name is a portmanteau of "communication" and "broadcast")

What does Best Buy know about DSL?

Looks like it may be time to seriously consider FIOS.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071302 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:21:19 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071257 tapeloop : Ugh. That groaning sound you here is the collective displeasure of current SpE customers, including this one.

Best Buy. I mean really...Best Buy? I don't profess to know the inner workings of corporate mergers and acquisitions, but I can tell you that, in my experience, every time that a company of which I'm currently a customer gets bought out by a larger company, customer service suffers to varying degrees. And customer service was the primary reason I stuck with Speakeasy all this time.

I shudder to think what the future holds. Sorry you had to go that way SpE. :huh:
--
I cannot stand demagoguery. If you disagree with my stance, you're a blithering twit. You're not a twit, are you?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071257 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:13:09 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071046 anon : Dammit... Now I guess I really gotta start at least semi-seriously looking at other providers' business/SOHO offerings. :p

Oh well, at least if I switch, my options include faster speeds for the same price points.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18071046 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:33:34 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070976 anon : I've been with speakeasy for over 6 years now and have always been pleased with them. Over the last 2 years, I have noticed a decline in their willingness to invest in their retail infrastructure and I understood it as a business decision as they built out their VoIP and focused on building their commercial business.

I understand that usually such a focus results in a better overall infrastructure and will, by trickle down, improve their retail business as well.

As time went by and I still saw little to no commitment to their retail customers, I began feeling the itch to move away to a different ISP.. and today's news is just confirming my desire to switch. As much as I hate AT&T/SBC, I may be moving my way in that direction.. I would love to have FIOS but I live in SBC Country and don't see FIOS (or even U-Verse anytime soon as a viable option). Anyone know of a good provider around Chicago?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070976 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:16:30 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070963 jesterekim1 : Sh!t has really hit the fan.... I'm just waiting for FiOS.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070963 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:13:49 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070924 drrick : I had just about the same reaction--"OMFG!" Geek-friendliness has kept me there for five years despite the premium. Once they dropped all their gamer packages, I knew something was up.

Same here--one hiccup, and I'm gone.

I wonder if I can sell my unused bandwidth for store credit?

I hope their tech support turn-around doesn't suffer. Then again, at least it shouldn't be hard to beat the 3 month turn-around time it took Best Buy to fix my TV under the uber warranty I bought with it. :mad:
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Soy el dentista!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070924 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:05:02 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070901 jc1350 : I had to give up Speakeasy's DSL service when I moved (no dsl where I now live).

Of all the ISPs out there, I say Speakeasy is the best. Their ToS is the most friendly - do what you want so long as it is not illegal or you bring down our network. At least that is how it was when I had dsl service. Want to run an ftp or http server? Ok. Want to run a game server? Ok. Want your own email server? Ok.

Most other ISPs' rules allow you to surf the web and use email. Everything else is forbidden in the small print. they definitely take the "service" out of Internet Service Provider.

speakeasy is being bought by Best Buy for Business, not the consumer store. Maybe there is enough difference that Speakeasy will be left alone. I can dream.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070901 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:01:13 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070893 Miguel3239 : I guess we now know why we have been dealing with a "different" company lately. There has been zero responses from SE on this forum within the last year or so. Also, their focus definitely has been more on business and they seem to have forgotten us residential users who need more than just an internet connection. Well it looks like according to the letter from CEO, Best Buy wants SE for the business side of things. I foresee residential service slowly dwindling away.

As soon as my contract is up, I think I will be looking for a new service provider. I too have been a customer for 4 years, referred them to others, and moved 3 times. But I dislike Best Buy so much, it is going to make me change providers. Their business and HR practices leave a lot to be desired.

Just needed to add my two cents to this surprise announcement.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070893 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:59:50 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070845 mjordan : So does this mean BBR will now have a Best Buy forum? :hmm:

My first words when i saw this was "OMFG!"

Is SE really in that much of financial trouble?

We have all seen how we've been pretty much abandoned on the forums, and now this.

I just hope they don't start changing their policies now and have SE converted in to just another ISP.
It was these open port/servers policies that have kept me with them and I for sure will drop them in a heartbeat if they change that.

I've been a SE customer for 7 years and was recommending them due to their great customer suport, but this has changed my mind. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070845 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:52:37 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070789 KoolMoe : Well, it keeps things interesting...
I just got VZ FIOS TV but stuck with my SE 'net connection. The FIOS 'net option is sure tempting at a lower price and higher speeds, but the 'geek-friendly' aspect of SE kept me there (largest being static IPs for my web services, which at VZ will cost the same as my SE connection).
But now I've pretty much lost any motivation to stay with SE. Maybe will see how the transition goes but one hiccup and I'm gone.
I'll give BestBuy the benefit of the doubt for now but they don't have much room for disappointment.
KM
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Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070789 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:41:31 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070726 dslrobe : I've been with speakeasy for almost 5 years and through 3 moves.

They've always been great with customer/technical support, and I've been very happy with the service.

As much as I hate ATT, I have greater issues with best buy, and so it comes down to the lesser of two evils.

See ya, Speakeasy.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070726 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:27:18 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070712 nshulga : Pity. I have good memories of Speakeasy. They were a good company.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070712 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:22:55 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070663 drrick : I just got the e-mail, too.

No wonder the rep was so incredibly accommodating the other day when I called regarding my connection's price-for-performance ratio. I was considering switching, but I'm far better off now.

We'll see what happens.

Would you like the extended warranty with your DSL connection?
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Soy el dentista!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070663 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:09:02 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070632 Scifience : Well, I was feeling a bit bad about switching from Speakeasy to AT&T a few months back when I made the move, but now I don't really feel bad about it all. As much as I hate big telco, I've had more bad experiences with Best Buy than AT&T.

Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070632 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:59:01 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070610 bhan261 : There goes the neighborhood....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070610 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:52:33 EDT Re: Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070596 eric_n_dfw : I just got that email too. (funny, seeing as I've not been a SpeakEasy customer since November, 2006)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070596 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:49:12 EDT Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070496 lorennerol :
Today is an historic and exciting day for Speakeasy.

I am pleased to announce that Speakeasy has been acquired by Best Buy, an innovative and growing Fortune 100 company and top consumer electronics retailer in North America. This is a significant milestone for our company as our new relationship will help us realize our goals of becoming the No. 1 provider of voice and data solutions to small businesses. It is important to note that though Speakeasy will now be a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy, we will continue to operate as a standalone, independent operating division with headquarters in Seattle.

Speakeasy will be an important part of the Best Buy For Business service that delivers simple, reliable, and affordable technology solutions to small businesses. Speakeasy?s array of broadband voice, data and managed services offerings will be the focal point of the Best Buy For Business communications solutions.

This agreement is a major step forward for our company. While our business remains strong, our relationship with Best Buy provides us with additional resources and brand recognition, and opens new opportunities to dramatically accelerate our growth.

Best Buy, like Speakeasy, is known for its high level of customer service. Our reputation as a trusted provider of voice and data services with stellar customer service will not change. Our values are similar too -- Best Buy shares our customer passion, respect for individuals, and drive to do the right thing while achieving results.

You will continue to work with your partner sales managers and the excellent service and support you expect will continue uninterrupted.

Best Regards,
Bruce Chatterley
President & CEO, Speakeasy, Inc.


I'm hoping this is an early April Fools joke, but I fear not.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,18070496 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:20:49 EDT