Comedy of errors

[Ann Chovie]

So .. Thought I would finally sort out my sky package . Strangely some sense of foreboding had so far left me making excuses not to do so. And not so strange my fears were well founded!

It sounded easy enough . Ring sky tell then I want to cancel my phone package and my inernet package .
They seemed confident that they had understood my instruction.

They advised me that this would happen immediately and advised me to ring BT as they could seamlessly take over the service without any loss of connection. So this I did.

Turns our that BT can't take over until Sky have released it. And Sky in turn cannot release it until BT have taken it over.

Three days of lunacy have followed. Phone call after phone call with grunting advisors irritated by my insistence that " the computer says no" and " because we can't" are not reason enough
for me still to have no Internet.

So two weeks before Xmas with no presents ordered And booked in for overtime until xmas eve ..I have no access to online shopping except for snatched minutes at work when my boss is not around! Not
Much chance for casual browsing!

But apparently all is well because some self confessed genius at BT has made all well with the world and I will be back on by 16th December. I asked him was this a confirmed date? " oh no ! " he said. We always say about six days but it is often longer" I had better " make alternative arrangements"

Well thanks for that Einstein!

If I buy dongles at thirty quid a time will you and your crack team refund me? No? I thought not

 

[Second Summer]

Is there no consumer watch dog organization you can complain to? A best business practice office? Sounds like the kind of horror a lot of people will be subjected to, so logically should be something such an organization should be concerned about.

 

[Ann Chovie]

Is there no consumer watch dog organization you can complain to? A best business practice office? Sounds like the kind of horror a lot of people will be subjected to, so logically should be something such an organization should be concerned about.

Apparently it is quite a common experience ..second only to the horror of engaging with Orange about anything that involves more than paying your bill!

Do feel a bit appeased as I have just this minute phoned BT and spoken to a nice advisor who has confirmed internet access on 16/12/ and given me an actual time, AND has has put in a request for compensation of some type for the disruption and incorrect advice I have been given. Not only this but he managed to appreciate the irony of the situation and make me laugh about it despite the fact that I was enraged!!!

Lets just hope that he is a man of his word. I am still not confident , I have heard his optimism before ..on about day two I think!

Worrying that this will happen to others , yes. Especially if they are not confident or bloody minded enough to challenge the lunacy. Or even have the luxury of time and money to be able to sit for hours on the end of a phone as I have had to.

I think that complaints go to the Ombudsman or trading standards which I have not investigated as yet.

At CAB where I work we tend to send people to either of these, but to be honest the amount of money involved usually means they would not pursue unless someone could prove massive loss of earnings or being vunerable to serious danger as a result of a line being down. I have missed the deadline for a job I really wanted to apply for but I do not think that counts!

 

[SummerRain]

FWIW I've complained to the financial ombudsman about a small amount of money, and as soon as the bank realised I had contacted them, something which had taken months to try to sort out was fixed within the afternoon. Even just threatening to complain to the ombusman can work wonders. Hopefully whichever is the relevant ombudsman for this is equally effective...

 

[Ann Chovie]

FWIW I've complained to the financial ombudsman about a small amount of money, and as soon as the bank realised I had contacted them, something which had taken months to try to sort out was fixed within the afternoon. Even just threatening to complain to the ombusman can work wonders. Hopefully whichever is the relevant ombudsman for this is equally effective...

Yes good point..and thinking about it when I threatened a car dealer with trading standards (mentioned in another thread) he folded immediately.

Maybe, if monumental cock ups HAVE been made then just the threat of them being exposed would be enough to cause alarm and make them pay up.

Sticking to your guns and allowing your processes to be investigated by the ombudsman only works if you are faultless I suppose!

 

[Pirate]

In order to go to the Ombudsman you have to at least complain directly to the company and get a response from them first (let them attempt to sort it). Aha http://help.sky.com/my-account/make-a-complaint/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice . My advice would be to write down dates, times, and full names of everyone. It's helped me before when I've heard the old 'We cant find any evidence you called yesterday' BS. My friend recently moved into a new build flat and after 4 months of pestering BT when they kept cancelling appointments he gave up and got Plusnet. I hope your experience is better!

 

[Ann Chovie]

In order to go to the Ombudsman you have to at least complain directly to the company and get a response from them first (let them attempt to sort it). Aha http://help.sky.com/my-account/make-a-complaint/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice . My advice would be to write down dates, times, and full names of everyone. It's helped me before when I've heard the old 'We cant find any evidence you called yesterday' BS. My friend recently moved into a new build flat and after 4 months of pestering BT when they kept cancelling appointments he gave up and got Plusnet. I hope your experience is better!

thanks Liz
yes i do too .. just waiting for the magic 16th when everything will magically be sorted out alledgedly..fnger crossed !!!

 

[Ann Chovie]

WELL knock me down with a box of kippers!

BT kept their word and at 10.00am on 16/12/ as promised a hub duly arrived through the letterbox and magically by 12 we were Internet enabled again.

I now have a landline (admittedly they have not listened to my request to retain my old number so I have to learn a new one, but this seems a mere trifle in the circumstances) and the wonderful world wide web again.

Harmony is restored.

I can now apply for my dream job and answer all those emails from the Nigerian Royalty regarding that £4 m of mine resting in their account. Cash will come in handy for Christmas.