Who's responsible?

[josell]

Hi There,

I've just got myself into a tricky situation with a cable installation and not sure what to do, wondering if you can help me here. I'll explain.

Moved recently into a new flat (renting) with a cable installation and bought a broadband package from VM. All fine so far.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the gardeners from the landscaping company (hired by my landlord) that does the hedge outside my flat cut through the cable. The gardeners refuse to accept liability as they say the cable was badly laid and hidden under the hedge. I checked the installations in other flat's around my block and noticed that theirs are fully buried whereas mine runs overground and under the hedge before going underground in the middle of the front garden. So they seem to have a point.

My landlord wont pay for it as he says its VM's responsability to lay the cable properly. We wants me to call VM and argue my case with them. But the thing is, I dont know how to approach them. Can I press them hard to acknowledge that its their fault my cable got cut? Have they got a duty to lay the cable properly, in my case, completely underground?

The story is further complicated by the fact that the cable installation was done whilst a previous tenant was living here thats not contactable any more. Has anyone come across a similar problem?

Any advice appreciated.

regards

J.

[BenMcr]

It's a difficult one.

I think it would be probably done by Virgin for free if, as you say, it wasn't buried properly.

However, if it wasn't buried and runs under the hedge, why didn't the landscaping company see it?

---------- Post added at 13:52 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------

Either way, Virgin won't try to charge you as soon as you turn up. They will send a faults engineer who will assess what is required, try to make a temporary fix, and then arrange for the property to be rewired if required

[chickendippers]

Exposed cables should be in a protective green conduit tube, there are also regulations about how deep it should be buried (although I'm not sure quite what they are). It does sound like the cable wasn't laid properly, and would be VM's responsibility to fix.

[Stuart]

However, if it wasn't buried and runs under the hedge, why didn't the landscaping company see it?


If it wasn't in the bright green protective tubing, then it would be quite easy to miss.. Black cable in the shade (from the hedge) on brown soil.. It would actually be quite difficult to see it.

[josell]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies, feeling more confident now about talking to VM.

Now,some of you are asking how the gardeners missed the cable and whether it was protected. Well, the cable is inside a green protective tubing but it so happens that the hedge, when overgrown,covers up the the drain box and the cable itself. So theres genuinely no way of telling they are there.Also, because the gardeners use a chainsaw, the tubing is no protection at all, it will cut through it just the same.

Anyway I'll talk to VM today and I'll keep you posted.


cheers

J.

[girlracer1597]

Sorry for the thread hijack, but am i right in thinking that cable not underground should be in a green protective tube? Ours is not as the bloke that came to fix our problem had a bad hand and couldn't put it underground for us. Above ground is part of our cable and an orange box.

[Druchii]

Should be buried in green conduit at least 6inches in IIRC.

[josell]

In this episode...

I called VM and got an engineer booked up (took me half an hour being bounced around different agents and press-this-key menus). He got it fixed it in 10 minutes and said that they wouldnt be charging for it, as it was accidental damage, happens all the time apparently.

When I asked him why it wasnt running underground all the way from the box to the house wall ( I hope this answers girlracer1597's question) he said probably because they wouldve had to drill into the walkway kerb and make a hole in the hedge, too much trouble. He replaced the green tubing with an orange box but which still didnt completey cover the cable.

He then said he'd talk to his supervisor about buriying the whole length of it.

Watch this space for the next instalment!

J.

[zing_deleted]

6 inches isnt deep enough. I remember years ago when I had my install I nearly put a spade through it digging my borders. In all fairness I only knicked the green protective tube and have managed to be careful ever since (year and years) imo the cable needs to be at least an average spades depth plus couple of inches

[Jonnymeg]

The orange box is just to protect the joint.

[girlracer1597]

Thank you for helping me out. when we moved in to our new house the cables had been cut by the previous owner. VM came and replaced it but we had continues problems with our phone line (crackling then finally giving up) they came out 3 times to fix it and the last guy dug up the cable fixed it but didn't put it back down due to his hurt hand. Is it ok to be left like that?

[BenMcr]

No. If the tech couldn't bury it correctly, they should have got someone else out to do it