Downgrading from eircom i-Stream Solo to I-Starter

I have had i-Stream Solo (€89/mth) since May 2002, so have been waiting for the first flush of install delays to pass before asking to step down (?) to the new i-Starter service. Especially with the possibility of the free install, a free month and a permanent loan of another eircom ADSL modem. So I phoned the 1890220023 number and got talking to a nice male Biddy who we will call MP. He was sweety-pie about my downgrade request. Told me that it involved cancelling my Solo, (no prob as it was in place for 18 mths) and a new order for i-Starter. I would get all the benefits, whether I needed them or not, and I could phone him back on the following day (Fri 30/10/03).

My current service was due to be billed again from 09 Nov, so I thought I had given them time to set the new setup in place in time to issue the next bill for i-Stream @€;55 instead of €107, doubled for nex two months. I phoned him back at his desk number on the next day, and he told me all was in place, and gave me an Order Number to follow up. It would be very quick, he said, as the exchanges were being manned for new installations, and mine was a minor job.

I waited with interest for a note from An Post that they could not deliver a parcel, but nothing happened. On Saturday last, I phoned the MP desk number, got a voicemail message. Fair enough, it was Saturday. So I phoned the ..0023 number and spoke to a pleasant male Biddy from a nice country. He checked my reference number, told me that the technicians had attempted to install RADSL and had found ADSL already on the line. Naturally enough, their attittude was " wha the fcuk, send an email to someone who sent this Order". Of course nothing had been done. He could do no more on a Saturday, so promised to follow up and phone me on Monday.

At 16:30, I decided to chase a bit further, phoned the original MP desk number, got voicemail, phoned the ..0023 number and started again with my story. Now I got normal Biddy treatment, "very strange, I'll put you on hold for a while", "I think you should be talking to another department, I'll transfer you", and I stuck it out. So I eventually was routed to another nice Mr F., who was interested but perplexed. His computer system did not display any details for the reference number I had been giving, and which was producing the quotes from the Exchange techies. He actually knew the Mr MP I had earlier dealt with, and told me he had left eircom on the day I had last spoken to him. The only reference he had for any work on my account was the original installation order, 18 months ago.

It looks to me that I rang an eircom Sales number. Mr MP probably took the New Business portion of my request, ignored the Cancellation element, entered it as a new order, took his commission and fcuked off. The Order Number I had must be for a Sales Department system. My requirement should have been handled by the eircom Broadband Support team. (God bless them, always great service, guys - to include gals, if you're reading). So, I was finally in touch with the right department, bu three weeks later, and with a monthly billing date passed. I asked to start the process again properly, but expect that I will have to pay the higher rate for the service to December, if not January.

I should have known from my Boards experience that I would get some form of runaround where reducing payment to eircom was concerned, but you would think that an Internationally-aware organisation such as eircom would not let a small-time operator con them in this way.

Oh Well, I'll wait and see. The new nice Mr F. invited me to phone on Friday to check the position. Fill the kettle for the next episode. Sorry for an Omnibus Edition to start, but once I start, I have to finish! Anyway, it's a start on my next 100 posts .