ShellfishUK
18-05-2007, 15:37
Hello to all,
My first post - sorry for the size of it, but i would really appreciate your time and help!
I have always been a cable customer (Diamond and then NTL and now VM) and up until this week, I was perfectly happy with my service: 1 TV with all channels (movies + sports) 2 Phone Lines (I only need 1 now) and 4 Meg broadband.
I recently discovered that if I upgraded to the VIP service, then I would be getting more for my money and a cheaper bill to boot, so I did it, and here is the story:
15/05/2007
V+ box installed
Pace STB was installed in a bedroom
I got home and all seemed ok with the TV service - I like the new box a lot
The second phone line was due to be de-activated but was still live
The Cable Modem was not running at 8Meg – indeed it now only runs at 1.5 Mbps despited always running at 4 consistently before (I am a software developer and VPN to a local server a lot which always had the same speed).
I Called tech support about the modem and they told me they couldn’t upgrade the modem speed and they would put me through to customer services
Was put through to customer services and was told I needed to phone Tech support – I said I already had, and they put me back through to them
Back at tech support – and at last, someone who seems to know what he’s doing – He told me my account is a mess, my modem is registered on a TV account and it can only do 4Meg max anyway (SurfBoard 3100)
They had tried an incorrect updgrade package that seems to have reduced my modem to approx 1.5 Meg. He told me that a new modem would be sent out to me and that he had created a new account to sort out my messy old one – I need to quote the new account so that customer services can see his notes as I only need a self install package. After I have installed it, I then need to call Tech Support back again and ask for my old account to be migrated to the new one – seemed sensible.
I was put back through to customer services, quoted the new account number and was told I couldn’t have a self-install modem. She talked to sales then came back and said I needed to go online and select to upgrade my package. I pointed out I was already on BBXL (VIP) and that I just needed an updated modem, she then realised I was exisiting customer and booked to have an engineer install new modem rather than send me one out.
I also asked her to disconnect my second phone line as it was still on, she tried and it wouldn't work, so she scheduled for it to happen the next day
Total calls: 1hour 8 minutes!
17/05/2007
the engineer came out, plugged in the new modem and left me an installation DVD
I get home from work – install the DVD (Vista x64) and it says I don’t have a network adapter, even though I do, so wont register the modem!
I call tech support – tell them this and they don’t seem to believe I have a NIC – err - yes I do!
Eventually they verify I do have a NIC (via device manager) and tell me the IP for the modem registration page, but I do not have a PIN, and he cannot give me a PIN because he cannot verify me, so I get passed to customer services!
They verify me and give me a PIN and tell me to call them back if I get any problems
The PIN doesn’t work when entered – I get a message telling me that my account is not valid.
I Call back customer services and explained the problem
They put me back through to technical support – who confirm the PIN, fiddle with something, and then it magically works! I talk to them about the account migration, but they tell me my old account is still active, so my emails will be ok?
I try the new modem and it still only doing 1.5Mbps max
I call tech support and they try a lot of tests with me until they run out of ideas – everything looks fine at their end, but I can’t get more than 1.5 Meg, even though prior to my VIP upgrade I was on 4Meg (and consistently getting it) fine. We tried tests on 2 of my machines to rule out a problem on the PCs.
After talking with a manager, they booked me in for another engineer to come out and fix it next week
Total calls: 1hour 20 minutes!
The Problem is i'm really worried now. Every time I call it seems they can't verify my account, I obviously have 2 accounts now, and my second phone line never gets de-activated. I'm worried i'm going to end up paying for all my old services + the VIP one, When all I should get billed for now is the VIP one.
Who should I call to confirm what I will actually get charged for in my bill? Has anyone ever had these account problems if they were with Diamond originally? Whenever I call I get passed from one department to the other and end up on the phone for hours - it all seems a bit ludicrous?
Thanks for any help/info you can give.
My first post - sorry for the size of it, but i would really appreciate your time and help!
I have always been a cable customer (Diamond and then NTL and now VM) and up until this week, I was perfectly happy with my service: 1 TV with all channels (movies + sports) 2 Phone Lines (I only need 1 now) and 4 Meg broadband.
I recently discovered that if I upgraded to the VIP service, then I would be getting more for my money and a cheaper bill to boot, so I did it, and here is the story:
15/05/2007
V+ box installed
Pace STB was installed in a bedroom
I got home and all seemed ok with the TV service - I like the new box a lot
The second phone line was due to be de-activated but was still live
The Cable Modem was not running at 8Meg – indeed it now only runs at 1.5 Mbps despited always running at 4 consistently before (I am a software developer and VPN to a local server a lot which always had the same speed).
I Called tech support about the modem and they told me they couldn’t upgrade the modem speed and they would put me through to customer services
Was put through to customer services and was told I needed to phone Tech support – I said I already had, and they put me back through to them
Back at tech support – and at last, someone who seems to know what he’s doing – He told me my account is a mess, my modem is registered on a TV account and it can only do 4Meg max anyway (SurfBoard 3100)
They had tried an incorrect updgrade package that seems to have reduced my modem to approx 1.5 Meg. He told me that a new modem would be sent out to me and that he had created a new account to sort out my messy old one – I need to quote the new account so that customer services can see his notes as I only need a self install package. After I have installed it, I then need to call Tech Support back again and ask for my old account to be migrated to the new one – seemed sensible.
I was put back through to customer services, quoted the new account number and was told I couldn’t have a self-install modem. She talked to sales then came back and said I needed to go online and select to upgrade my package. I pointed out I was already on BBXL (VIP) and that I just needed an updated modem, she then realised I was exisiting customer and booked to have an engineer install new modem rather than send me one out.
I also asked her to disconnect my second phone line as it was still on, she tried and it wouldn't work, so she scheduled for it to happen the next day
Total calls: 1hour 8 minutes!
17/05/2007
the engineer came out, plugged in the new modem and left me an installation DVD
I get home from work – install the DVD (Vista x64) and it says I don’t have a network adapter, even though I do, so wont register the modem!
I call tech support – tell them this and they don’t seem to believe I have a NIC – err - yes I do!
Eventually they verify I do have a NIC (via device manager) and tell me the IP for the modem registration page, but I do not have a PIN, and he cannot give me a PIN because he cannot verify me, so I get passed to customer services!
They verify me and give me a PIN and tell me to call them back if I get any problems
The PIN doesn’t work when entered – I get a message telling me that my account is not valid.
I Call back customer services and explained the problem
They put me back through to technical support – who confirm the PIN, fiddle with something, and then it magically works! I talk to them about the account migration, but they tell me my old account is still active, so my emails will be ok?
I try the new modem and it still only doing 1.5Mbps max
I call tech support and they try a lot of tests with me until they run out of ideas – everything looks fine at their end, but I can’t get more than 1.5 Meg, even though prior to my VIP upgrade I was on 4Meg (and consistently getting it) fine. We tried tests on 2 of my machines to rule out a problem on the PCs.
After talking with a manager, they booked me in for another engineer to come out and fix it next week
Total calls: 1hour 20 minutes!
The Problem is i'm really worried now. Every time I call it seems they can't verify my account, I obviously have 2 accounts now, and my second phone line never gets de-activated. I'm worried i'm going to end up paying for all my old services + the VIP one, When all I should get billed for now is the VIP one.
Who should I call to confirm what I will actually get charged for in my bill? Has anyone ever had these account problems if they were with Diamond originally? Whenever I call I get passed from one department to the other and end up on the phone for hours - it all seems a bit ludicrous?
Thanks for any help/info you can give.