Repull cable problems - no BB for 10 days - need advice...

[corvusrex]

First off, sorry for the long post....at the end of my tether!:mad:

My BBXL went down mid afternoon last Friday (16th Nov) so I called up CS and arranged for an engineer to attend on the following Monday. The symptoms were cable modem couldn't sync and/or ready light keeps blinking. I was a little annoyed that I was without internet for the weekend - I'm a web developer, so it *was* a pain - but was looking forward to getting it fixed on Monday.

The engineer arrives and checks the signal strength - it's -12 coming into the house from the street junction box. He went over to the box and told me that the cable had already been boosted to the maximum - probably when we had connectivity issues about 3 years ago. He tells me he will raise a work order to repull the cable. Finally get a call back saying that it will on Thursday 22nd.

Thursday rolls round and 2 perplexed engineers arrive. No problem, think I, you need 2 people for a repull. They check the cable modem (still having the smae problems) and the the signal strength (guess what? it's still too low for the modem to sync). Go back to the vans for a chat. I pop out 15 minutes later to see what's happening and they have both left (this is 10am).

At 11:30, I decide to ring BB support (got through to Wales) to see what's happening and when they will return only to be told that the work order has been closed and the cable was replaced. I point out that it hasn't been becuase a) they were there less than 15 minutes, b) I didn't see them pull any cables, and c) the cable is under my front garden that hasn't been touched. They promise to find out what's going on and call me back. Finally get a callback about 45 minutes later, the enginner's phone is switched off - engineering dispatch will call me back and let me know what time to expect the enginners back.

Hear nothing and at 3pm decide to start calling to find out what's going on. Over the space of 7 hours and 15 calls I get the runaround from India and promises of calls back; none of which materialise. At one point a CS rep suggests the "replace cable" meant "replace cable modem" and initimates that this is what the engineer actually did according to the work order. She then tries to "activate" my existing cable modem that hasn't been swapped out at all!

I even tried calling cancellations but was on hold witing for a representative for 29 minutes before the call was simply dropped.

This morning (Friday 23rd) I've called again and rebooked a repull for next Monday morning. I have to say that I'm not at all sure that happen.

So, I'm going to be without internet access for at least 10 days. Should I just cancel VM and got for BE + Sky or should I persist and try and get some concessions from VM for all the problems that they have caused me?

All advice and comments welcome, I just don't seem to be able to get my service fixed or even cancel it!

Cheers

-- Mike

[Mick Fisher]

So, I'm going to be without internet access for at least 10 days. Should I just cancel VM and got for BE + Sky or should I persist and try and get some concessions from VM for all the problems that they have caused me?

All advice and comments welcome, I just don't seem to be able to get my service fixed or even cancel it!

Cheers

-- Mike
If you want an internet connection that works sometime within the foreseeable future it looks like you will have to.
Be was considerably cheaper than VM for me so I got my concession and a better connection by just moving to Be.
VM resignedly accepted my cancellation, due to not being able to provide me with the service I pay for, this morning offering only apologies? No difficulty in cancelling whatsoever.

[Nedkelly]

Hi looks like the contractors have done there we know best and done a runner :mad: When a repull is booked in because of poor levels they come along check and say it does not need a repull and bugger off and close the job .When theyu come next time if you dont cancel do not let them leave until it is done .When complaing tell them that the repull or sro has not been done as the garden and the cable has not been removed .This goes on all the time with some of the contract techs if we find out that they have not done a repull in this area and closed it down as done then are put on a final warning or sacked its the only way they learn

[corvusrex]

Thanks for the replies. A repull was scheduled for this morning but guess what? they arrived an noone was in - despite the fact I was sitting in my kitchen next to the front door all morning. They didn't even bother to knock!

So, they rescheulded for 6th December and I have just cancelled the whole service. I did request, however, that the keep the engineers appointment on the 6th so that I can waste their time for a change!

Off to signup for Be now...

[Ian-Highlander]

The difference in service between the Residential service and the Business service is what has astounded me. I recently took up the business service from Ntl/Telewest Business in addition to my residential line which I have also kept. Both of these are on one physical cable into my house.

I've had two issues requiring engineers out already more due to bad luck than anything else, the first one was for a cable re-pull as the cable had been damaged, the engineers arrived within 3 hours of me making a ten minute call to the free phone business faults line, within half an hour they'd pulled through a new cable, re-terminated everything and both my modems where back up and running perfectly. The second call was when my SNR dropped off the scale and although my modems where both synched, the internet was basically completely innaccessible on either, anther very brief call to the free phone business faults line quite late in the evening and the next morning at 10am an engineer turns up, checks the entire cable setup, re-terminates one dodgy connector and everything's back up and running fine again.

Am I a happy bunny, too damn right I am with service like that, I gave up calling the residential support lines a long time ago unless I really have to, but the difference is outstanding, the guys on the phone know their stuff, you don't need to explain to them a hundred times what you're talking about, they make very quick efficient checks and deal with it very quickly and they are all friendly and helpful and the end result is a very happy customer. Not to mention after the first outage of about 24hours or so total due to the dodgy cable, they refunded me a months subs even though I hadnt actually paid any yet and wasnt complaining or asking for it. Outstanding, THAT's the way to keep customers, shame the residential service cant do the same.

[corvusrex]

I agree - the residential CS is appalling. I even had the cancellations rep agreeing with me that the service they had provided was awful and he'd cancel if he were in my position!

How much doe the business service cost over and above residential?