Wi-Fi NotSpots: how to get refunds and fixes for broken hotspots

If you’re in a Wi-Fi NotSpot you’ve paid for, but which isn’t oughing up a connection, what can you do about it? We’ve pooled together a handy reference guide to give you the the down low on how to get help, support, and sometimes even a fix for the NotSpot you’re stuck in.

The Cloud
If you’re trying to connect to a hotspot hosted by The Cloud then you can email notspots@thecloud.net.The Cloud hotspots pose less of a problem for potential refunds, because hotspots are often free, or you pay on a monthly basis, and so don’t lose out immediately if a hotspot is broken. In reaction to dud addresses and locations, The Cloud has added a “help us make FastConnect better” function to its FastConnect app which locates hotspots. In that function you can’t report broken hotspots, but you can report when a hotspot is not present, or if the address listed is wrong, the former of which we found to be the main cause of The Cloud NotSpots. This is then fed through to The Cloud HQ, where the FastConnect app is updated on a weekly basis.

BT Openzone
We asked BT Openzone how customers could get a refund on a Wi-Fi NotSpot, and it said: “Any customers who experience trouble connecting to the BT Openzone service can contact the freephone helpdesk on 0800 022 33 22, who have a high success rate of resolving connectivity problems immediately. If the problem is a technical fault with the site the BT Openzone helpdesk will also be able to deal with refunds were applicable.”

Twitter help
If you’re using T-Mobile (who were not a part of our tests) then you can contact them via Twitter @TmobileUKhelp. You can also tweet BT Openzone @btopenzone with problems. The Cloud does not have a twitter account, but it says it is “planning to get more actively involved in social media in the New Year” and point customers to the service section of the website.

Now, remember to make this page available offline, or it won’t be much use come your next NotSpot visit! You can also tell us your Wi-Fi NotSpot heroes and horrors over on the Facebook page!

Have we solved your problem? Let us know how you get on!

Be Sociable, Share!

•