full fibre installation completion?

[Jenjen3]

I have now been nearly 8 weeks without broadband.

When my router broke in December last year, I (regretfully!) signed a new contract for full fibre broadband.

The Openreach engineer was scheduled to come 3 weeks after I signed up. I asked for replacement router in the meantime and despite being promised one on 3 separate occasions, it never came. I later found out that each time it was ordered, the order was cancelled because of my new fibre broadband contract!

The engineer - a sub-contactor of Openreach - arrived on the designated day - 23rd January - and left after saying he couldn't connect me and I would need a connection to be dug in the street(?)

The following week an Openreach engineer arrived unannounced and said this was all rubbish - and he connected the fibre to a box on the outside of my building then left.

Since then I have repeatedly contacted Talktalk via the chatline to find out when the connection will be completed and can't get an answer. Yesterday I received an email saying my new broadband was up and running and I even had a bill!!

I have tried twice today (I have recorded all my interactions with Talktalk and it amounts to at least 20) and because I made a complaint about this  - it was 'only' 6 weeks then since having no broadband! - I keep being told that someone is scheduled to call me about this, usually the following day. They never do.

Today  I have been told twice that I will be put through to the complaints department. After a very long wait someone answered, only to tell me I was through to the wrong department! (I had said specifially that I was full fibre customer)

What I'm trying to establish - and no-one will tell me - is do they think that I am connected in my flat? Maybe a misunderstanding because of the engineer coming? Or do they intend to arrange an engineer at some point?

This situation has reduced me to tears on several occasions, and I am having to tether my computer to my phone to get any work done.

Any advice?

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Apologies, if the router is faulty then you shouldn't be charged for it.

Michelle

[Jenjen3]

Thanks Michelle. I've just been informed I will sent an 'additional ' router for which I will be charged £89 !!! I assume this will be refunded when I return the faulty one?

At least it means I'm getting one ( see my first email about the disappearing routers), but after everything I've been through the email could have been worded better.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thank you for the update and please let us know how you get on once the replacement router arrives. If you're still experiencing issues following this then we can escalate this over to our Faults Escalation Team for you.

Thanks

Michelle

[Jenjen3]

Just a quick update on this before I go away for a couple of days......

Openreach engineer did arrive yesterday (he had been told it was a repair!) but he was able to FINALLY coonect the fibre in my flat..........EXCEPT the Eero router wouldn't connect. I tried several times via the app; he tried several times; he called a colleague who tried several times, and still it wouldn't connect.

I then contacted the Eerio helpline this morning and went through several tests and she said it sounded as though the router was faulty and advised me to contact TalkTalk for a new one (aaargh!!)

Anyway, after over an hour on the chatline, going through all those same tests again, and having external tests done I was finally told what I had said at the beginning - the router was faulty.!!!! They will send me another and if this one doesn't work - I'm not sure what I will do.

And an important footnote to this saga. The Openreach engineer who came yesterday told me that the original sub-contracted engineer (see my first post) had marked on my record that he HAD connected fibre in my flat. THIS WAS A LIE!! Hence, every  subsequent converation I had with a TalkTalk technical expert, they must have thought I was just a silly (old) woman. I had that impression, and they certainly didn't believe me when I said I wasn't connected. 

I'm also convinced now that they seem to have a tactic for 'nuisance' customers, which is to tell them that someone from 'complaints' will call them the following day - which I have proved is rubbish (this has happened on several occasions).

I'm sure the TalkTalk staff on here would not do that!

I will update if and when my replacement router arrives and works. 

[ferguson]

@Jenjen3 

Aha, fingers crossed!

[ferguson]

@Jenjen3 

As I said, I am afraid you will have to wait until Monday before the support team pick this up again. Hopefully they have sufficient information now to get to the bottom of this and get it resolved. 

[Jenjen3]

It looks as though this may finally be sorted (fingers crossed!) I went onto yet ANOTHER chat  to report my dead landline, and after going around the houses again (after explaining I hadn't been connected in my property -Technical expert - 'is there a box in your property with lights on?' NO! - I sent the photo of the Openreach box posted here) FINALLY, I had an appointment made for an engineer for tomorrow!

We'll see......................

[Jenjen3]

Into my neighbours house. The box was already there because she has fibre.

[DJI_MINI_2_SE]

"It doesn't look remotely similar. First, the entry cable is clearly coming via underground ducting rather than overhead dropwire. And second, the poster has already explained that the ONT has yet to be fitted"

Where did i say it did?

I posted the picture to show there should be a second cable going up the outside wall and into the flat to the non existent ONT.

Jenjen doesn't appear to have had the conversation customers are supposed to have (as i did) with the installer about where the cable will enter the property and where they would like the ONT to be placed.

The only cable i can see going into the property  is the one i originally marked with a  green arrow which goes through the door frame  do you know  why it enters the property there and where it goes?

[ferguson]

@DJI_MINI_2_SE 

It doesn't look remotely similar. First, the entry cable is clearly coming via underground ducting rather than overhead dropwire. And second, the poster has already explained that the ONT has yet to be fitted. 

@Jenjen3 

I had my installation done in two parts, but I did have my existing service active in the meantime. Sadly, the support team here won't be back online again until Monday. 

[DJI_MINI_2_SE]

This is similar to my set up, the cable from the pole runs down the wall into the box below (top pic)  the second cable   runs back up the wall to a hole approximately 6 feet above the ground where it goes through the wall and into the ONT on the  inside wall.

Assuming the yellow arrows are the same cable (picture below) where does the second cable in the picture (green arrow) go?

https://youtu.be/vA9sDG8oIRQ?feature=shared&t=71

[Jenjen3]

It is now 24 hours since I was contacted by the complaints guy who promised he would call me back this morning at 10am. I don’t know why I believed him – of course he hasn’t.

Since last night my landline is no longer working.

The only communication from Talktalk today is yet another ‘how did we do?’ email!!!!!

Do they not believe me when I say I’m not connected? I may not be a technical genius, but I think I would know if an engineer had been into my home and fixed a new box.

If in doubt, here are images of the fibre outside (that’s my downstairs neighbour’s front door. To the left is the  Box to which the Openreach engineer attached my fibre – which can be seen coiled up on the right of the image. My flat is on the first floor above that. I’m also posting an image of the only box in my flat - which was for my old router).

 Can someone please just tell me what's happening? Should I just give up and go to another provider??

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, please let us know how you get on

Chris

[DJI_MINI_2_SE]

---

@Jenjen3 wrote:

. The Openreach engineer connected up something to a box OUTSIDE.

---

The ONT (top pic) will be on the inside of your house and something similar to the box in the second pic will be on the outside wall of the house..

[Jenjen3]

Okay, I just looked and it is the digital voice adaptor. The Openreach engineer connected up something to a box OUTSIDE.

Meanwhile I have had a call from TalkTalk complaints and it sounds as though on their records I am down as having had the installation completed? 

He SAID he was going to contact Openreach and get back to me tomorrow 

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Jenjen3,

We wouldn't usually send the ONT, are you sure it's not a digital voice adapter?

Chris

[Jenjen3]

NOTHING has been installed inside my property!  Both the ONT and the Eero are still wrapped, in the boxes in which they were sent.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Jenjen3 

Thank you. Did the engineer install the ONT box inside your property?

[Jenjen3]

Thanks Debbie. Done.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Jenjen3

I'm really sorry to hear this.

Please can you add your name and TalkTalk account number to your Community Profile, we can then take a look at this for you.

Thanks

Debbie