Serious lightning strike affecting phone line and router

[AndyG55]

Hi, We suffered a serious lightning strike 50 yards from us on Monday. Thank you, God, nobody was hurt but one property was damaged and a number of residents had electrical items burnt out. The impact affected quite a lot of residents as there were several strikes. Having contacted TT on Monday  via WhatsApp I was given the standard response by Openreach of 2 - 3 days. An engineer was assigned to complete the work and i was then told the issue had been resolved at 8pm. It hadn't, so I contacted TT WA again and having gone through the usual processes I was left without any answers or further information. Good news though as an Openreach engineer arrived yesterday morning finding a number of problems at the pole and where the line comes into the house. These were fixed, thank you Openreach. However, the router was burnt out. Thankfully I had an old spare router that I could link to gain WiFi as I had an important meeting with friends needing to be on line last evening. However, then the bad news. I contacted TT via WA at 6.20pm last evening requesting a new router and had to go through all the initial processes but disappointingly the TT staff member wouldn't listen, when I said the phone line had been fixed, telling me OpenReach had to visit. Only when I finally gave the engineers name was I listened too. However, They still haven't answered my question - please can someone send me a new router? I have been a loyal client of TT for 25 years. I am a neighbourhood watch coordinator and write 000's of emails each year. I am now out of contract with TT - should I leave?  Why are some TT customer reps so difficult to deal with? Thanks for your help, Andy     

[angelique-TT]

Good morning AndyG55. That's fine we will complete the checks when you are free. Please just send through a message, thanks.

[AndyG55]

Thank you. I have to go out at 7.50am until approx 10 am this morning.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Staff will respond when they are back on here - soon after 8am.

I will escalate the thread for their attention, @AndyG55.

[AndyG55]

Hi, Thanks for your help. This is ridiculous. It is a joke. Why wasn't I advised? I was asked to connect the dud router after 6pm and it was connected for probably two hours, plus one hour in the morning. Have the tests been completed? This cannot continue. Please can you ask someone to send me a new router. Thanks, Andy

[Gliwmaeden2]

@AndyG55, sorry to read that  - is your line still down for testing?

Staff will have clocked off soon after 6pm.

Very sorry to see that communication just stopped without notice.

[AndyG55]

Hi, It’s been off for well over an hour now, I need to restore WiFi now. Surely your tests are complete? 

[nambuso-TT]

Thank you for doing that, please ensure you keep this connected for now 

[AndyG55]

Hi, i’ve just seen your message. I’m reconnected the old router that is not working, so you can check the line. Thank you Andy

[nambuso-TT]

Please connect the router that is no longer working so that we can detect this router on our system. 

[nambuso-TT]

I understand, is that old router that you are using currently connected? as checks are picking up that router on our side.

[AndyG55]

Hi,

There shouldn't be a fault as I have reconnected an old router, which I kept after Keith French replaced it with a new one when we had problems a few years ago. The replacement router blew up in the lightning strike. Wouldn't a new router be better than the old one I am currently using?

Thanks

Andy

[nambuso-TT]

A line test is currently underway. This checks the equipment used to provide the broadband service to your home - including the exchange, cabinet and line equipment.

This can take up to 5 minutes to complete. I'll let you know if this test finds a fault, otherwise I'll continue with further checks.

[AndyG55]

Keith

I am at my wits end, please can you help me and read this train of posts. This is a ridiculous situation now. Please can you get staff focused to provide good customer service. I am not asking for excellent service, just someone who can send me a new router!  

Many thanks

Andy

[AndyG55]

Hi, Please read my answer below. Why repeat this question, when I have already said I am not a vulnerable adult. Why did Angelique and Sabelo not mention vulnerable adult, they just said they would check my connection. From what I was told the checks were taking place? Were they not?  

[nambuso-TT]

I want to flag the account correctly if I need to and after that we can proceed with checks, please confirm if you have any active monitoring for life threatening health reasons which is solely dependant upon your TalkTalk Broadband or Telephone line?

For example a care alarm, lifeline, health pendant or fall detector.

You provide your answer privately.

[AndyG55]

Thank you for explaining that, but what is the relevance of those questions to this situation? Where does that leave me? Have the line tests been completed or not?

[angelique-TT]

Openreach has a dedicated team to deal with vulnerable customers, and these are identified as Emergency Welfare Cases. An Emergency Welfare Case is where the customer has a life-threatening illness and applies to repair cases that have a total loss of service In-life or in a provisioned state that requires the urgent restoration of service.

[AndyG55]

No, why do you ask that question? 

[angelique-TT]

Do you have any active monitoring for life threatening health reasons which is solely dependant upon your TalkTalk Broadband or Telephone line?

For example a care alarm, lifeline, health pendant or fall detector.

[AndyG55]

Hi, I’m sorry but I cannot believe that tests take nearly 1 hour. As I haven’t heard from you I will restore the old router until a new router arrives. Please send this asap. Thank you, Andy