Reviews:
 ·Cogeco Cable
| What happened to Cogeco? Seriously! After seeing the UBB nightmare thread (»[Burloak] Usage Based Billing Nightmare), I really have to wonder how much lower Cogeco can take their standards and policies before someone (cough CRTC cough) steps in and enforces a change. (I know what you're thinking, CRTC do something for the consumers? I'm in crazy land!)
Their support, which was once quite good, has taken a nosedive. (This excludes those on DSLR!) My parents, who are on a Business Starter package (for a business, mind you), have had nothing but troubles as of recent.
When they received their last replacement modem a few years ago, it was obvious that it was a very old modem - the white plastic on the top of the housing had yellowed which right there shows that modem has been in service for many, many years. When they hooked it up, the first thing they noted is that it got very warm very fast. They asked me and I suggested to call Cogeco, as modems were supposed to get warm but this thing was hot. The tech was polite and could only offer that it was part of a normal operation and that nothing further was needed. I ended up standing the modem on its size to maximize ventilation because I'm a fairly tech savvy guy and know my way around computers and digital circuitry and I knew this modem was way too hot.
Naturally, it died, although a few years later than I thought it would. It died on a Saturday, and even though it was the weekend their business still operates and internet access is a must. They called Cogeco and were told that a service tech couldn't be there until Monday at the earliest, and if service was that desperately needed to take it to a storefront for a swap. Fine. I'm dragged along and we go to the storefront to have someone with a limited understanding of English refuse to swap the modem because "storefronts don't do that". It took 15 minutes of explanation and finally anger before he agreed to do the swap, and then he swapped the modem only, and refused to swap the coax cabling which had been in service for many many years as well and was showing signs of significant wear. (I was NOT about to go home and find out the cable is at fault as well.) He finally goes into the back and comes out with a very small coax cable that had to be no longer than one foot in length (much, much shorter than what we gave him and what we need) and he claims that's the best he can do and offers to throw in a few more...? What are we to do with separate pieces of coax cabling? God forbid I splice it together myself and ruin any hope of Cogeco ever providing service to my parents when they need it.
Now that the modem is sorted out, my parents' business relies on their POP3/SMTP services for business email. Against my better advice, mind you - when they signed, the Cogeco rep was very persistent that their email services would far exceed their needs (LOL) and that no third party service would be needed, promising a 99% uptime guarantee or something like that. Thanks to that rep, my hope of getting them to use something like Google Apps for Domains was out the window. Now, over the past few months!, POP3 service has been intermittent, with it going down for hours at a time. It's gotten to be quite temperamental, with it just denying access for one or two access attempts and then working magically. Again, I suggest that they call in and in the few times they did they were told over and over that it was a known issue, and that they never promised mail availability even for business accounts. Great. If this keeps up I'm forcefully moving them away from this Cogeco garbage. Can't even get POP3/IMAP SSL, mind you IMAP service.
The easy answer is to switch to a different provider, but where they are (and I've checked) has no service from any TPIA or Bell. It's Cogeco or a 56k modem.
What the hell has happened to Cogeco's service? We were given a friendly greeting, rock solid service and great support just a few years ago. Everything goes rock solid and now boom, nothing but issues.
(Note that I'm not asking for support, this is just a rant thread.  ) |
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 dillyhammerBack to TeksavvyPremium,MVM
join:2010-01-09
Hamilton, ON
kudos:9
·Cogeco Cable
 ·TekSavvy DSL
·Caneris
 ·voip.ms
| I for one have never used Cogeco's pop3/smtp services, for the reasons you describe. 99% uptime my ass. They have always been and will likely remain unreliable - certainly to the point where if your email is mission critical relying on it is suicide. I have far too many examples of lost smtp/pop connections and email gone astray to even remotely consider them anything but half-assed deployments of legacy (read: antique) systems.
On the business side, I've never had equipment issues. But on the residential side I know I've been handed or left with equipment that has been recycled for years, and it's obvious. That indicates to me that Cogeco knowingly and willingly deploys equipment well beyond the expected EOL - they'll keep refurbing units and getting them out the door as long as they power up, that seems to be the only requirement.
I think one of the things that gets people in trouble with Cogeco, especially on the business side, is their demeanour. I am always of the posture, when I call Cogeco Business Solutions, that Cogeco is within 30 seconds of losing my business. If they get the sense you'd hate to migrate to a new provider, you're sunk. And they assume that by default. Even though switching is a royal PITA (and they know this and use it to their advantage), folks need to have a plan B in the works at all times and not be afraid to implement it on a moment's notice.
All that said, over the last couple of years Cogeco has seriously declined. Their billing tactics and pricing schemes have become shameless. Particularly so in the last few months. The recent UBB Nightmare issue, evident in the other thread (and now playing out elsewhere - seems to be going viral), was an indication to me that keeping my business with Cogeco puts my business at risk - and I can't have that. I face enough FUD on a daily basis to have to worry about that stuff. With their recent tinkering with plans and prices on the business side, I have no choice but to assume it would be in the best interests of my company to go elsewhere ASAP, and that's precisely what I'll be doing.
Personal beliefs and loyalties have no role to play here. In the words of a famous Pseudo-Italian-American - "It's not personal, it's strictly business Sonny." Folks serious about their own business need to get there head around that, and quickly.
Mike
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Cogeco - The New UBB Devil
»[Burloak] Usage Based Billing Nightmare |
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 kimPremium,Mod
join:2001-03-25
ON
kudos:6 | reply to got_milk
Your parents run a business and use an @cogeco.ca address for it?
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Currently auditioning for profound and witty posting .sig
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Reviews:
·Cogeco Cable
| reply to got_milk
I'm also on a business package, like your parents, and in the past 6 or so years since having the package I've never had an issue with uptime. The only problem I've ever had with their SMTP server is their poorly configured anti-virus filters which block legitimate business emails.
My uptime has been decent and the phone tech support has been good; although I do have a complaint with the amount of time it takes to receive service for a business account, which can be days at a time. |
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Reviews:
·Cogeco Cable
| reply to kim
said by kim:Your parents run a business and use an @cogeco.ca address for it?
cogeco.net, actually, since it's a business plan. It's not a public-facing e-mail address, so using a cogeco.net address isn't a huge deal. |
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| reply to got_milk
It's always a little gratifying feeling to see those that were more "pro" Cogeco turn direction and see the light.
No matter everyone else's experience with Cogeco as long as they don't do me wrong I am fine with them mentality is a mystery to me.
Law of averages (or Karma) says Cogeco will wrong you sooner or later.
There are so many reliable free services for email I don't even see why anyone would use Cogeco email, i don't see the upside to it.
If you think having @gmail is unprofessional for your business you can get a simple email redirect and domain for less than 20 bucks a year. |
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DavesnothereNo-BHELL-ity DOES have its Advantages
join:2009-06-15
START&Cogeco
kudos:6 | said by NoSuprise :....Law of averages (or Karma) says Cogeco will wrong you sooner or later....
But with B$ELL it was always SOONER !  |
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kimPremium,Mod
join:2001-03-25
ON
kudos:6 | reply to got_milk
Good that it isn't public facing. The only layer I want between me and my email is gmail. I love their spam filters and it sync's with my bb nicely.
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Currently auditioning for profound and witty posting .sig
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dillyhammerBack to TeksavvyPremium,MVM
join:2010-01-09
Hamilton, ON
kudos:9 Reviews:
·Cogeco Cable
·TekSavvy DSL
·Caneris
·voip.ms
| said by kim:Good that it isn't public facing. The only layer I want between me and my email is gmail. I love their spam filters and it sync's with my bb nicely.
+1
I use several gmail accounts for non-critical and personal things. Top drawer, has been since the beta days.
Mike
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Cogeco - The New UBB Devil
»[Burloak] Usage Based Billing Nightmare |
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 rjbrakePremium
join:2010-06-19
Petawawa, ON | reply to got_milk
Using your ISP's email service is like asking your taxi driver to call your mom. Don't do it. |
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