Cannot get Eircom Broadband but neighbour can?

Caroline K

Hi there,

I'm sorry this is long but it reads easy, I swear!

We moved into a new build five minutes drive from Watergrasshill, Co. Cork just after Christmas. At the end of January, I contacted Eircom to enquire about getting the bundle deal. The chap I spoke to in sales told me that all my neighbours have Broadband (Bb) and he didn't foresee us having any problems in getting it. I went ahead and placed an order.

A week later, I got a call from a very nice gentleman, an engineer with Eircom living in Watergrasshill. He said that he had looked at our area and would be surprised if we could get Bb. I'm no teckie, but he explained that, to get Bb, you need to have a straight line. A straight line can be split into four carriers, which individually support a phone line but not Bb. He said that a number of our neighbours are already on carriers, suggesting that there would be no straight line left for us. However, if one of our neighbours had a straight line but only had a house phone and no internet, they'd give us their straight line and put them on our carrier. However, until they ran poles to our house they wouldn't know what the situation would be with lines.

We had fun and games getting poles up to our house, which brought us up to the end of March. At this point, the phone was working, but heard nothing about internet. I rang customer Care and spoke to a fabulous lady who tested the line for Bb, which failed. I then explained what the engineer had said about giving us a neighbour's straight line, if there was one. She kept me on the line while she called the area engineer and then the specific engineer dealing with our order. She explained the situation and he said he'd need to check the paperwork and visit the exchange and come back to her. She said she'd follow up and come back to me.

(This next it is a rant I need to get off my chest! After two weeks heard nothing so called again. Got an unfriendly girl with attitude. Explained that I rang on such a date and spoke to ******. The girl proceeded to tell me that there was no record of me having called at that time and that there was no one there called *****. I was quite stunned but assured her that I called and ***** had kept me on the line while she called two engineers. She said she didn't know who I think I called but that Customer Care don't call engineers and protocol is that they email problems to management to deal with. At this point I was ticked off so I gave her the full name of both engineers and the first and surname of the lady I had spoken to, who was definitely based in Galway. At this point and without any hesitation, she said she'd email ***** and have her call me!!!!!! Within 5 minutes I got a call from that nice lady saying she was still working on it but that the engineers were very busy.)

By early May had still heard nothing. Called again and a girl told me that a line test had been done the previous week and had failed and there was no more could be done. Tried to explain about the story to date but no joy. Accepted the terrible fate that Bb was not meant to be...

During all this, we spoke to a neighbour who was also building. She asked if we had gotten Bb and by May told her we couldn't get it. Last month, she enquired with Eircom and LOW AND BEHOLD she's now connected .......

Am I right to feel completely cheated here? We were told we'd be given any spare line if there was one - why weren't given that one when it was available? And does that mean there are more out there?

Now I acknowledge that, when I say neighbours, I don't exactly mean terraced houses. But the neighbour in question lives just under a half mile away and there are only four houses between hers and ours. There are third world world countries out there who don't have this problem. Eircom went to the trouble of running new poles to our house but I fear its either a lack of communication or a lack of interest in doing the little it extra required to get Bb to us. I now find myself paying €32 per month for a phone I don't really want or need instead of €36.99 per month for a bundle. And I don't need to begin saying how important it is to have Bb...

Would love to hear from the Eircom great reps here...

Kind Regards,
Carrie

eircom: Mark

Caroline K wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm sorry this is long but it reads easy, I swear!

We moved into a new build five minutes drive from Watergrasshill, Co. Cork just after Christmas. At the end of January, I contacted Eircom to enquire about getting the bundle deal. The chap I spoke to in sales told me that all my neighbours have Broadband (Bb) and he didn't foresee us having any problems in getting it. I went ahead and placed an order.

A week later, I got a call from a very nice gentleman, an engineer with Eircom living in Watergrasshill. He said that he had looked at our area and would be surprised if we could get Bb. I'm no teckie, but he explained that, to get Bb, you need to have a straight line. A straight line can be split into four carriers, which individually support a phone line but not Bb. He said that a number of our neighbours are already on carriers, suggesting that there would be no straight line left for us. However, if one of our neighbours had a straight line but only had a house phone and no internet, they'd give us their straight line and put them on our carrier. However, until they ran poles to our house they wouldn't know what the situation would be with lines.

We had fun and games getting poles up to our house, which brought us up to the end of March. At this point, the phone was working, but heard nothing about internet. I rang customer Care and spoke to a fabulous lady who tested the line for Bb, which failed. I then explained what the engineer had said about giving us a neighbour's straight line, if there was one. She kept me on the line while she called the area engineer and then the specific engineer dealing with our order. She explained the situation and he said he'd need to check the paperwork and visit the exchange and come back to her. She said she'd follow up and come back to me.

(This next it is a rant I need to get off my chest! After two weeks heard nothing so called again. Got an unfriendly girl with attitude. Explained that I rang on such a date and spoke to ******. The girl proceeded to tell me that there was no record of me having called at that time and that there was no one there called *****. I was quite stunned but assured her that I called and ***** had kept me on the line while she called two engineers. She said she didn't know who I think I called but that Customer Care don't call engineers and protocol is that they email problems to management to deal with. At this point I was ticked off so I gave her the full name of both engineers and the first and surname of the lady I had spoken to, who was definitely based in Galway. At this point and without any hesitation, she said she'd email ***** and have her call me!!!!!! Within 5 minutes I got a call from that nice lady saying she was still working on it but that the engineers were very busy.)

By early May had still heard nothing. Called again and a girl told me that a line test had been done the previous week and had failed and there was no more could be done. Tried to explain about the story to date but no joy. Accepted the terrible fate that Bb was not meant to be...

During all this, we spoke to a neighbour who was also building. She asked if we had gotten Bb and by May told her we couldn't get it. Last month, she enquired with Eircom and LOW AND BEHOLD she's now connected .......

Am I right to feel completely cheated here? We were told we'd be given any spare line if there was one - why weren't given that one when it was available? And does that mean there are more out there?

Now I acknowledge that, when I say neighbours, I don't exactly mean terraced houses. But the neighbour in question lives just under a half mile away and there are only four houses between hers and ours. There are third world world countries out there who don't have this problem. Eircom went to the trouble of running new poles to our house but I fear its either a lack of communication or a lack of interest in doing the little it extra required to get Bb to us. I now find myself paying €32 per month for a phone I don't really want or need instead of €36.99 per month for a bundle. And I don't need to begin saying how important it is to have Bb...

Would love to hear from the Eircom great reps here...

Kind Regards,
Carrie

Hi Carrie,

I have your details from our systems I will look into the case and get back to you with an update in a few days.

Thanks, Mark

Caroline K

Many thanks Mark,

Do you need my full name, address or phone number?

Regards,
Caroline

eircom: Mark

Caroline K wrote: »

Many thanks Mark,

Do you need my full name, address or phone number?

Regards,
Caroline

Hi Caroline,

No harm in sending it on to insure I have the correct details

Mark

Caroline K

Thanks Mark,

I'll PM you my details.

Look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,
Caroline

eircom: Mark

Caroline K wrote: »

Thanks Mark,

I'll PM you my details.

Look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,
Caroline

Hi,

I got your details thanks, I will be back to you soon.

Thanks, Mark