New Eircom line-connection rules - #ripoffireland?

zoro

Bit of a long one, sorry.

Having only just yesterday moved into a new house, earlier this morning I was trying to get Magnet ADSL hooked up for some non-Eircom broadband happiness.

Unfortunately, it turned out that Magnet couldn't help me, as Eircom has control of the line in question and wouldn't release it - it was up to me to contact Eircom to reconnect the line, and then tell Magnet that it was good to go again.

So, I rang Eircom, only to be told that since last Thursday 3rd Dec 2009, any new connection (such as I was trying to get arranged) was subject to a 6 month contract, regardless of the reasons for the connection.
I was more than a little annoyed at this, as I had no intention of paying Eircom a cent, so argued my case a bit. After a few minutes of me saying how unacceptable the situation was, and how it was an abuse of Eircom's monopoly position over ownership of the lines, I was asked

EircomPhoneAgent - Paraphrased wrote:

How else can we make money? We don't get a cent of the line rental paid to other ISPs

Now, this was news to me, as I was under the impression that line rental paid to a reseller would be paid to Eircom on my behalf.

The issue I had with the whole situation was that, in order for me to sign up to *Magnet* broadband, I had to sign up for, and pay for 6 months of Eircom's line rental in advance, and then pay for my Magnet service separately, or they wouldn't bother reconnecting me.

Again, this only came into force last week, and is already causing Magnet a bit of hassle - one of their customers has already negotiated the 6 months payment down to 60% of that. But I flat out refused to give Eircom any money at all - I'm not their customer, and have no wish to be.

Has anyone here experienced this? Can anyone tell me if I'm right to be angry with Eircom over this, or am I just over-reacting, and they're well within their rights?

_Sidhe_

Eircom do recieve the line rental, and this is almost deffintaely illegal.
Eircom will be able to get away with it for a few months however until Smart/Magnet/etc get on to Comreg.

zoro

As far as I know Magnet are already challenging it via Comreg, but my understanding of it is that Comreg has already given it the green light.
I've put in a personal complaint to Comreg about it too, by the way

BurnsCarpenter

Another thread here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055757346

Seems Magnet will be able to get around this.

Cabaal

zoro wrote: »

Bit of a long one, sorry.

Having only just yesterday moved into a new house, earlier this morning I was trying to get Magnet ADSL hooked up for some non-Eircom broadband happiness.

Unfortunately, it turned out that Magnet couldn't help me, as Eircom has control of the line in question and wouldn't release it - it was up to me to contact Eircom to reconnect the line, and then tell Magnet that it was good to go again.

This has always been the cause, nothing new here

So, I rang Eircom, only to be told that since last Thursday 3rd Dec 2009, any new connection (such as I was trying to get arranged) was subject to a 6 month contract, regardless of the reasons for the connection.

Now this is a new thing and Eircom website does indeed confirm it

6 month contract applies to residential lines

I'm curious to what Eircom charge a customer if you break this 6 month contract, I know BT Retail in the UK also have a contract when you first subscribe to their service and get a PSTN line installed.

Afaik BT Retail in the UK charge approx £80 if you break this

Now, this was news to me, as I was under the impression that line rental paid to a reseller would be paid to Eircom on my behalf.

Your impression is correct,

The issue I had with the whole situation was that, in order for me to sign up to *Magnet* broadband, I had to sign up for, and pay for 6 months of Eircom's line rental in advance, and then pay for my Magnet service separately, or they wouldn't bother reconnecting me.

Again, this only came into force last week, and is already causing Magnet a bit of hassle - one of their customers has already negotiated the 6 months payment down to 60% of that. But I flat out refused to give Eircom any money at all - I'm not their customer, and have no wish to be.

Has anyone here experienced this? Can anyone tell me if I'm right to be angry with Eircom over this, or am I just over-reacting, and they're well within their rights?

Your right to be pissed off with eircom, I would hope people on this forum start complaining to comreg about this anti competitive action by eircom

zoro

Thanks for the detailed response Cabaal, and for the link BurnsCarpenter.
I can't believe they think they can get away with this sort of activity - there's no way it can end well for them

Nick_oliveri

zoro wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed response Cabaal, and for the link BurnsCarpenter.
I can't believe they think they can get away with this sort of activity - there's no way it can end well for them

Lol tbh! Comreg wont do squat. You would probably need to go higher. Maybe theres some EU legislation someone could look up. It is a shambles.
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/telecommunications/overview_en.html
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/legislation/specific_rules.html#broadband
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/liaison_en.html
That site might be a bit outdated. But this is the route I think people need to take. Theres no point in contacting our communications regulator when they don't regulate anything in the first place.

eircomsucks

While Comreg may not do anything they are still the first port of call and they need to be exhuasted first before we go any higher, this new move by eircom is extremely concerning as affectively it locks out eircoms competitors for 6 months and after that the customer is likely going to stay with eircom

Nick_oliveri

Define "exhausted"! There is legislation in the EU to protect the consumer and Comreg seem to look the other way.This attitude that if enough people write to Comreg maybe one of them will get a positive response is tired and impractical. All the while more people are forced into a contract with eircom. And the price of breaking the contract is irrelevant, even if it was a fiver.

zoro

zoro to comreg wrote:

I'm trying to setup a new account with a non-Eircom DSL provider (Magnet).
As the line has been disconnected (there is still a connection there - with an auto-"sign up to Eircom now" message looping on it), I need to have it reconnected before Magnet can take ownership of it to provide me with a service.

I've just been informed that before Eircom will reconnect my phone line, I must first sign up to a 6 month contract with them, or pay 6 months line rental up front, before I can move to another provider. Apparently, this has move been approved by Comreg, and came into force last week (beginning 30th Nov 2009)

As a consumer, this comes across as blatant abuse of monopoly position, and is the sole reason for me deciding to absolutely not proceed with signing up to Magnet.
This kind of market-blocking is exactly what has held Ireland back in broadband development, and it offends me that they are allowed to get away with it now!

I'd appreciate some sort of feedback regarding this issue - I am not, nor do I wish to be, an Eircom customer. I point blank refuse to pay them a cent for the reconnection of a line (again, that already seems to be connected, albeit limited) so I am free to choose a provider. Can you tell me why this move is deemed legal, appropriate, and fair to the market (and consumer) in Ireland?

Regards,
Zoro

comreg to zoro wrote:

Dear Mr. Zoro,

Thank you for contacting ComReg.

Eircom do own and maintain the majority of fixed lines in Ireland. As the Universal Service Provider, Eircom must allow other operators access to and use of their lines. These obligations do not prevent Eircom from applying a minimum term to their service when a line is connected / reconnected,.

From November 30 2009, all telephone lines connected by Eircom will be subject to a minimum contract period of six months. This means that if you get a telephone connection with Eircom on or after that date, and you switch telephone provider before the six months is up, you will be liable for cancellation penalties (also known as early termination fees). In practice this means you will have to continue paying Eircom for line rental until the end of the six month period.

Under the Universal Service Obligation, Eircom, on receipt of a reasonable request, must provide telephone lines to every premises throughout the State.

You can request a telephone connection through any telecoms operator, but other operators do not have an obligation to provide you with one. However, there are processes in place which mean that any operator can arrange connection on behalf of their customers, so customers do not necessarily need to connect through eircom directly and they do not need to commit to a 6 month contract with eircom. If you are requesting a connection through another operator check the terms and conditions to see if a minimum contract period applies. You can contact Magnet directly in order to request that they provide you with the service, but as stated they are not obliged to carry this out.

I hope this clarifies matters for you. Should you have any other queries or require any other assistance from me you can call our Consumer Team on 1890 229668 or 01 8049668. Your ComReg case number is ZoroRocks.

Yours sincerely,

Maria Power
Commission for Communications Regulation

It would appear that I need to enter text that is *not* just a quote, in order to allow this post to go through, so:

It looks like Magnet are dropping the ball on this one, as they should (according to Maria Power) be able to arrange the install/re-activation on my behalf, at no extra charge to me.
*edit* I'll just add that that's a should be able to, not an are obligated to
I could be misreading it though - I'll give it another pass over and see if I still have the same impression in a few minutes.

Either way, the fact that Eircom can do this, with ComReg's blessing, sickens me

Cabaal

Providers can indeed accept PSTN line orders from customers however its well known eircom delay these orders,

zoro

Yeah I'm aware of that. Her response reads as though it's Magnet's fault - that's what I'm getting at

Right, after 2 more re-reads it looks like she completely missed the point. The line in my house was already there, and was active 2 weeks previously.
There was no new physical installation required (I'm guessing it's just a switch to flick on Eircom's end), which is why I had such a problem with the 6 month line-rental charge.

I've responded to her to find out what she makes of it now that I've clarified exactly what my problem is for her.

Sponge Bob

Ask her why eircom do not publish those terms on http://www.eircom.ie/pricing

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/internet_special_offer.pdf

Page 4, NO MENTION OF 6 MONTHS MINIMUM OR ANY MINIMUM AT ALL

Nor is it in the GLUMP?LLU Process document on teh eircom wholesale website

http://www.eircomwholesale.ie/dynamic/pdf/GLUMP%20CoP%20incl%20TPV%20V1.0.pdf

Therefore unenforcable from eircoms point of view and from Comregs point of view.

zoro

zoro to comreg 2 wrote:

Thank you for the response Maria,

I think you may have misunderstood my complaint - the line is already physically in place at my address. My issue is with the reconnection fee (of 6 months) being charged, regardless of my choice of service provider.
I made it painfully clear while talking to Eircom that I had no intention of signing up with their service, and that I wanted the line connected so I could use a different provider. *this* is what I was being charged 6 months line rental for. Not the new installation of a physical line.

Can you confirm that this is also approved by ComReg or not?

comreg to zoro 2 wrote:

Dear Mr. Zoro,

Thank you for your email. I apologise if my email wasn’t clear. If you contact Eircom to reconnect a line, they are entitled to charge a reconnection fee. However, the reconnection fee would not be the equivalent of 6 months rental. Please see this document for full details on the costs of installation, connection, and reconnection - http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/sn1_pt1.pdf

Now, since 30/11/09, Eircom are also applying a six month term when customers do reconnect their lines with Eircom. The penalty for moving to another provider would be the line rental cost for each remaining month of the contract. This is most likely the six month fee that has been mentioned to you. Eircom are not in breach of any regulations by introducing this minimum term. Therefore, ComReg cannot insist that the charges incurred are waived / credited. However, as outlined already, all other operators have the facility to arrange reconnection of an eircom line for you (although they are not obliged to do this). You would not be tied to the 6 month contract with eircom in this case but you may be committing to a minimum contract period with the other operator. It’s also quite likely that a reconnection fee fee would be applied in this case.

I hope this clarifies matters. If you do have any other queries or require any other assistance from me you can call our Consumer Team on 1890 229668 or 01 8049668. Your ComReg case number is ZoroRocks.

Kind regards,
Maria Power
Commission for Communications Regulation

/me sighs
Totally above board, and she claims Magnet could've taken care of it themselves (despite them saying flatout that these new rules meant that they couldn't)

mcgooie

Sounds like an easy way for eircom to make money in the current economy. Again the consumer is sh4t upon from a great height

lucernarian

As for eircom delaying PSTN orders from other providers, I can say that I had a phone line order via BT processed in 48 hours, and the LLU broadband connected within the 10 days (albeit it took them another week to send the modem).

I note with interest that the minimum contract provision is not in the current USO provision notice for this year or in the GLUMP regulations, thanks SB. I wonder what ComReg's position is on that. I further note that such an ostensibly beneficial move for eircom did not happen until now. The incumbent effect has been well noted before, so why is this only coming about recently?? The only other thing that eircom have had to do is to change their meteor minutes/pricing on their bundles...

There's much more of a story to this than meets the eye. Also, I wonder if there is an official reference version of the USO/pricing/contract information from eircom which has been updated. Maybe the internet is behind on this update.

But effectively it is up to other mobile companies it seems to sort their own s*it out.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Dublin_Gunner

Obaraten wrote: »

im in the same situation,recently moved into an apartment ,there is no adsl2,cable or midband in the area so my only choice for broadband is through a phone line,i have no intention of ever being with eircon again
i feel seriously ripped off having to pay them for use of a phone line just because i want to take my business to a competitor,18 euros for 6 months,no wonder why people are leaving them in droves,extortion,pure and simple !!!

Well I have just done the same thing - but was not aware of this. There is a physical phone line in my apartment, though no NTU as there has not been an active line here before.

I have just the other day ordered Magnet BB, so I tested the cables in my apartment (as Magnet said they got Eircom to activate the line) and guess what? I cannot get a voltage across any of the pairs coming in

This line BETTER be activated, and there had better be NO CHARGE due to Eircom (I won't be paying it) as I will be paying my line rental directly to Magnet.

Absolute joke of a company Eircom, absolute joke.

Magnet: Rory

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Well I have just done the same thing - but was not aware of this. There is a physical phone line in my apartment, though no NTU as there has not been an active line here before.

I have just the other day ordered Magnet BB, so I tested the cables in my apartment (as Magnet said they got Eircom to activate the line) and guess what? I cannot get a voltage across any of the pairs coming in

This line BETTER be activated, and there had better be NO CHARGE due to Eircom (I won't be paying it) as I will be paying my line rental directly to Magnet.

Absolute joke of a company Eircom, absolute joke.

Do you want me to check this?

Dublin_Gunner

Magnet (Rory) wrote: »

Do you want me to check this?

Hi Rory, if you could that would be great, I have responded in more detail on my own thread that you replied to.

Thanks again

Magnet: Rory

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Hi Rory, if you could that would be great, I have responded in more detail on my own thread that you replied to.

Thanks again

Got it and responded.

Johnboy1951

Seems to me that Eircom have a minimum service requirement of six months on connection/reconnection.

If the end user contracts with Eircom to provide the service, then the end user is the one who must pay them.

If another provider contracts with Eircom, then the end user contracts with the provider .... again for a minimum of six months service from Eircom.

I don't see any rip-off by Eircom.
They charge whoever contracts with them a minimum service period.

But of course I may be missing something blindingly obvious ......

Dublin_Gunner

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Seems to me that Eircom have a minimum service requirement of six months on connection/reconnection.

If the end user contracts with Eircom to provide the service, then the end user is the one who must pay them.

If another provider contracts with Eircom, then the end user contracts with the provider .... again for a minimum of six months service from Eircom.

I don't see any rip-off by Eircom.
They charge whoever contracts with them a minimum service period.

But of course I may be missing something blindingly obvious ......

The problem is some people are contracted by thei ISP, and pay them the line rental, and Eircom are then asking for line rental to ALSO be paid directly to them, effectively making the customer pay line-rental x 2.

That is the issue.

It becomes apparent when you go through a secondary ISP, and wish to have your line activated. Eircom should NOT be doing this, as the line rental will be paid to them from Magnet / Vodaphone / BT etc

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

dub45

Obaraten wrote: »

my problem is why should i pay eircon any money,why do they charge line rental,its anti competitive !its a disgrace !

If you want a service you have to pay for it simple as that. It hardly takes a genius to figure out that maintaining a network costs money. Whether the charges for those services are too high or not is a different question.

Given that all dsl suppliers incorporate the same line rental charges into their retail prices it is hardly 'anti competitive'. In fact I am sure that the likes of UPC are absolutely delighted with Eircom's line rental charges as it makes their bb products even more competitive.

dub45

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

The problem is some people are contracted by thei ISP, and pay them the line rental, and Eircom are then asking for line rental to ALSO be paid directly to them, effectively making the customer pay line-rental x 2.

That is the issue.

Are you absolutely sure that this is the case?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure that this is the case?

I'm 100% certain this was the case when I first started this thread.
I was told by Eircom, Magnet and Comreg that it was correct and completely above board.

Magnet, understandably, weren't particularly happy about it though - they lost me as a customer as a result of it, and I'm now with UPC

dub45

zoro wrote: »

I'm 100% certain this was the case when I first started this thread.
I was told by Eircom, Magnet and Comreg that it was correct and completely above board.

Magnet, understandably, weren't particularly happy about it though - they lost me as a customer as a result of it, and I'm now with UPC

Is it not the case that the procedure is that if you want to go say with UTV - you contact UTV and let them initiate the process?

If you contact Eircom then you are stuck with Eircom for six months.

Where does the double payment arise?

Previously people got Eircom to install the line and then immediately went elsewhere for their bb and phone calls. Presumably Eircom considered they were losing out on this and instituted the new arrangement.

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

Is it not the case that the procedure is that if you want to go say with UTV - you contact UTV and let them initiate the process?

If you contact Eircom then you are stuck with Eircom for six months.

Where does the double payment arise?

That's what I thought at first, and was the cause of a couple of confused conversations on the phone with both Eircom and Magnet.

Basically, to have my house's line reconnected (so that Magnet could offer me a service) I had to activate the line with Eircom, and commit to a 6 month contract (for line rental only) - which I could pay up front in full if I wanted out of the contract early.
Then, and only then, would Magnet be permitted to take over the running of the line and offer me a service on it.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

dub45

Obaraten wrote: »

im not paying for eircoms service,i want nothing to do with them,what this is is holding the customer to ransom more or less

How exactly are they holding the customer to ransom? No one is forcing anyone to avail of Eircom's services. The alternatives may not be ideal but they are there.

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

How exactly are they holding the customer to ransom? No one is forcing anyone to avail of Eircom's services. The alternatives may not be ideal but they are there.

Unfortunately, in this particular case, they are forcing you to pay for 6 months line rental up front.
Line rental that you will have to pay again as part of your contract with another provider

dub45

zoro wrote: »

That's what I thought at first, and was the cause of a couple of confused conversations on the phone with both Eircom and Magnet.

Basically, to have my house's line reconnected (so that Magnet could offer me a service) I had to activate the line with Eircom, and commit to a 6 month contract (for line rental only) - which I could pay up front in full if I wanted out of the contract early.
Then, and only then, would Magnet be permitted to take over the running of the line and offer me a service on it.

So why could magnet not initiate the process for you? there is no double payment involved unless you choose that route presumably?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

So why could magnet not initiate the process for you? there is no double payment involved unless you choose that route presumably?

Magnet, at the time, had no way to do it themselves. They had no choice but to direct me to Eircom to do it myself.
At the time, Eircom were not dealing with other providers to allow them to do it for them- or at least, with Magnet.

Believe me, when I posted this thread it wasn't just a rant (well, partially), it was after a number of calls with Magnet and Eircom,... plus some mails to Comreg

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

there is no double payment involved unless you choose that route presumably?

Missed this, sorry: There would have been double payment regardless of who had applied on my behalf. Eircom wanted their 6 month contract, no matter who they spoke to (I was told this by Magnet)

dub45

zoro wrote: »

Missed this, sorry: There would have been double payment regardless of who had applied on my behalf. Eircom wanted their 6 month contract, no matter who they spoke to (I was told this by Magnet)

But that appears to be misinformation from Magnet. there is no provision for that in the new agreement at least as far as I can see?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

But that appears to be misinformation from Magnet. there is no provision for that in the new agreement at least as far as I can see?

At the time, Magnet said that they had no option to waive the additional costs, and that they couldn't get around the system on my behalf. Eircom's new (at that time, only a week or so old) rules were causing them quite a bit of damage

dub45

zoro wrote: »

At the time, Magnet said that they had no option to waive the additional costs, and that they couldn't get around the system on my behalf. Eircom's new (at that time, only a week or so old) rules were causing them quite a bit of damage

But there should have been no getting around the system. There appears to be no system that would require double charging. Presumably the proposed changes had to be notified to Comreg in advance of their introduction and something should have been put in place to inform the other isps?

(By the way lest anyone accuse me of it I am not defending Eircom here I am just trying to tease out the reality of what should be happening)

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

But there should have been no getting around the system. There appears to be no system that would require double charging. Presumably the proposed changes had to be notified to Comreg in advance of their introduction and something should have been put in place to inform the other isps?

I was told that the only way I would get a service from Magnet (by Magnet themselves) as a result of this rule, was to get Eircom to reconnect me myself. Eircom were not accepting these applications from providers - only from customers.
Again, there was no possible way for me to get around this fact - I was told it by multiple people on the Magnet call lines, and was also told that at least 1 person had already gone through with this process and negotiated a reduced payment to Eircom directly in order to allow him to move to Magnet

(By the way lest anyone accuse me of it I am not defending Eircom here I am just trying to tease out the reality of what should be happening)

My next post was actually ask you why you were being so hostile about it all

dub45

zoro wrote: »

I was told that the only way I would get a service from Magnet (by Magnet themselves) as a result of this rule, was to get Eircom to reconnect me myself. Eircom were not accepting these applications from providers - only from customers.
Again, there was no possible way for me to get around this fact - I was told it by multiple people on the Magnet call lines, and was also told that at least 1 person had already gone through with this process and negotiated a reduced payment to Eircom directly in order to allow him to move to Magnet



My next post was actually ask you why you were being so hostile about it all

The reality appears to be that Magnets inability to arrange the line for you (for whatever reason) was the major contributor here. And that raises questions as to how this came about - whether it was them or the system being introduced without due warning.

As far as I remember from previous threads here there was always the arrangement that any isp could request a new line for you or reactivation of it but people preferred to do it through Eircom and then transfer to another isp.


But to clarify things for people considering getting dsl bb the choice is get your line activated through Eircom and you are stuck with them for six months or get it done through the dsl bb provider of your choice. there is no actual requirement to pay a double line rental.

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

there is no actual requirement to pay a double line rental.

As I understand it, this is now correct.
This thread, however, was created in early Dec 2009

dub45

zoro wrote: »

As I understand it, this is now correct.
This thread, however, was created in early Dec 2009

And there was no provision then for Eircom to double charge either! And people are still today making similar claims.

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

And there was no provision then for Eircom to double charge either! And people are still today making similar claims.

Pfft. All I know is that Magnet couldn't (or wouldn't?) do anything on my behalf back then. Eircom were (apparantly) stonewalling them.
Eircom wanted 6 month's line rental up front to let me out of the contract, where I would be paying line rental all over again with Magnet.

Them there's the facts Mr.

Dublin_Gunner

dub45 wrote: »

And there was no provision then for Eircom to double charge either! And people are still today making similar claims.

I've never actually encountered it myself - I have just recently signed up with Magnet, and have heard no such thing. I even called them today to arrange an engineer to install an NTU, and no issues


Could this be a case of someone getting confused? However - I will say this. Eircom support do NOT KNOW that you do not need an account with them in order for them to activate a line / install a line / install an NTU.
I had an e-mail from a member of Eircom support (whom I know) who stated that in order for them to activate my line and install an NTU - I would have to pay line rental.

I stated I know this, the line is already active, and I'll be paying line rental to Magnet, but they couldn't understand this, and insisted I had to pay Eircom.

Could this piece of mis-information be coming from Eircom staff?

dub45

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

I've never actually encountered it myself - I have just recently signed up with Magnet, and have heard no such thing. I even called them today to arrange an engineer to install an NTU, and no issues


Could this be a case of someone getting confused? However - I will say this. Eircom support do NOT KNOW that you do not need an account with them in order for them to activate a line / install a line / install an NTU.
I had an e-mail from a member of Eircom support (whom I know) who stated that in order for them to activate my line and install an NTU - I would have to pay line rental.

I stated I know this, the line is already active, and I'll be paying line rental to Magnet, but they couldn't understand this, and insisted I had to pay Eircom.

Could this piece of mis-information be coming from Eircom staff?

There is obviously confusion somewhere along the line.

But it is important that people contemplating getting a new line should understand the new procedures. If you want bb with an isp other than Eircom order your line or reactivation though them. There is no double line rental.

As far as I know you could always do this anyways?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

There is obviously confusion somewhere along the line.

But it is important that people contemplating getting a new line should understand the new procedures. If you want bb with an isp other than Eircom order your line or reactivation though them. There is no double line rental.

As far as I know you could always do this anyways?

The rules absolute definitely 100% changed last Dec (or at least late Nov), but granted there was likely some confusion and miscommunication at the time.

Right now, I'm guessing that the issues I experienced no longed exist

dub45

zoro wrote: »

Pfft. All I know is that Magnet couldn't (or wouldn't?) do anything on my behalf back then. Eircom were (apparantly) stonewalling them.
Eircom wanted 6 month's line rental up front to let me out of the contract, where I would be paying line rental all over again with Magnet.

Them there's the facts Mr.

Yes but you had signed a contract for six months with Eircom no?

Magnet should have clarified the position for you earlier and you are relying on information from them to make your case. As a matter of interest why did you not just sign up for six months bb with Eircom and then transfer to Magnet?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

Yes but you had signed a contract for six months with Eircom no?

Magnet should have clarified the position for you earlier and you are relying on information from them to make your case. As a matter of interest why did you not just sign up for six months bb with Eircom and then transfer to Magnet?

I signed nothing with either Eircom or Magnet. I had set the ball rolling with signing up with Magnet until I was hit with the 6-month-contract Eircom news.
Magnet clarified it all very, very well, and stated in no uncertain terms that it was an issue with Eircom's new rules.

And I didn't sign up with Eircom (and then transfer) because I had (and still have) serious issues with giving Eircom money I don't have to. Line rental is a requirement, but anything above and beyond that? They can pry it from my cold, dead fingers. They've held back the development of tech in this country for decades. They can go and shove it

dub45

zoro wrote: »

I signed nothing with either Eircom or Magnet. I had set the ball rolling with signing up with Magnet until I was hit with the 6-month-contract Eircom news.
Magnet clarified it all very, very well, and stated in no uncertain terms that it was an issue with Eircom's new rules.

And I didn't sign up with Eircom (and then transfer) because I had (and still have) serious issues with giving Eircom money I don't have to. Line rental is a requirement, but anything above and beyond that? They can pry it from my cold, dead fingers. They've held back the development of tech in this country for decades. They can go and shove it

If Magnet accepted your order then it was up to them to pursue the matter on your behalf simple as that. From what you have posted earlier it appeared that Magnet did not clarify things for you very well at all?

zoro

dub45 wrote: »

If Magnet accepted your order then it was up to them to pursue the matter on your behalf simple as that. From what you have posted earlier it appeared that Magnet did not clarify things for you very well at all?

Magnet accepted the order, and came back to me because of this problem

dub45

zoro wrote: »

Magnet accepted the order, and came back to me because of this problem

Have you read this thread? http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055757346 It looks from that as if Magnet were very slow to get their act together.