[Gloucs] broadband (was New member)

[Guy Edwards]

On Thu, 2002-10-10 at 00:21, steve@stevesearle.com wrote:
> > I'm having Telewest installed next weekend and was meaning to ask on the
> > list whether the 486 would process packets fast enough. (I have no idea
> > of the processing power required). Guess if it's working for you on a
> > 486 then it should be fine.
> Don't rely on it.  I live in Abbeymead and broadband isn't available
> (cable or ADSL on our street).  I am still on a dial up modem. <Bloody
> BT, rant, rant, rant>

You think BT's bad? (BIG moaning rant follows, skip to ---- for the end)

<rant>
I used to live in Croydon, I signed up to Telewest for the broadband
service and would have been able to work from home instead of having to
commute 1.5 hours to work and the same back.

After 2 weeks a guy came round to install it, he got the hole in the
wall wrong the first time and had to drill a second, ripping all the
wallpaper and loosing me my deposit (rented). Then when it came to
connecting the wiring in the house to the hole in the road there was no
cable in the pavement, and we would have to wait for that to be done.

We didn't hear anything for ages and when I eventually got through to
speak to someone on the phone (40mins each time listening to Robbie
Williams "Millenium") turns out that the hole under the pavement that
the cable goes through is blocked and because it was a "traffic
sensitive area" we would have to wait a month while the gave notice to
the council of road works.

A month later a guy comes round to install the cable, I point out that
the house is already wired up, which is news to him. He says he will
send round the cable team to connect up the house to the pavement.
He tells me that the pavement is blocked and that it will take a month
to unblock it as it is a traffic sensitive area.........

(Continues in a loop for 6 months until I'd had enough and cancelled)

Rules I learnt:

* It usually took about 30 minutes to get through, although it is less
is you ring during the day.
* At 8pm they all go home, so your phone call is liable to be cut off
* If they say they are going to ask a manager, you will be on hold for
around 10 minutes extra (not a joke)
* Manager will agree to everything you say but nothing will be done.
* Telewest will put lack of communication down to not having your
contact number, even after you've given it them more than 3 times.
* Random installers will turn up mid week, around 11am-3pm claiming to
have agreed an appointment with you but not knowing that the house is
already wired.
* Telewest will start billing you for use of the internet, despite you
having no possible connection.
* When you finally get a manager round to see the damage the install guy
did to the house, he will agree to do something about it, then will
disappear. His phone will not answer, Telewest will have no record of a
manager coming to visit or agreeing anything.
* You will receive at least 3 threatening letters for each Telewest
bill, no matter how prompt you pay.
* When Telewest owes you money, it will take over 2 months to come
through.

</rant>

--------------------

Telewests service sucks but there's no way I'm putting my name on BT's
ransom list while I wait for them to decide whether or not the want to
upgrade the exchange in Hardwicke. BT have it completely backwards, if
ADSL isn't available then why are people going to wait if the cable
companies run a line past the house?

I'm going to measure out exactly where I want the holes drilled in the
walls in advance and have a windows machine setup ready in case the
installer is clueless just to get rid of him. This is by the
recommendations of the Telewest guy I spoke to on the phone, as he
warned me about some of the installers. I didn't tell him about my past
troubles with them.

Guy