STB rebooting/locking up

[mwtb]

Last Friday, my STB locked up. I did the usual, unplugged, waited, plugged back in, and found that it just continually rebooted after the NTL logo screen. If I leave it for a while, I can get it to boot to viewing a channel if I'm lucky, but then it will start rebooting again after a while half the time, and will lock up immediately if I actually try to use the remote. Even the engineer menus are inaccessible.

Basically, I'm just wondering if this is what I think it is -- a knackered STB (it's acting like it's overheating at a guess) or am I likely to be heading into a nightmare of multiple wasted days off work while various "engineers" come around and tell me that someone else needs to visit some other time. Anyone familiar with this sort of error?

mwtb

If the box continually reboots then its time for a new one. If you can use your vcr to record it continually rebooting. That way if its working when the tech comes round you can show him the problem and demand a new box.

[Marge]

Sounds like the STB is knackered, ring faults tomm open from 8 am

[[darren]]

like the bit about vcr...

my stb reboots once a day and I dont feel the need to record ALL day in case it happens. rang CS four times and each time they say I have to call when it happens... thing is it happens at night or weekend when I'm actually in the house, and guess what! CS isn't available then >8^(

they will send a refresh to your stb though! not sure what this does but my EPG goes crap and I have to reboot in manually.

I think I'll report it one more time then if they say call again I'll just dump ntl there on the phone.

Originally Posted by [darren]

like the bit about vcr...

my stb reboots once a day and I dont feel the need to record ALL day in case it happens. rang CS four times and each time they say I have to call when it happens... thing is it happens at night or weekend when I'm actually in the house, and guess what! CS isn't available then >8^(

they will send a refresh to your stb though! not sure what this does but my EPG goes crap and I have to reboot in manually.

I think I'll report it one more time then if they say call again I'll just dump ntl there on the phone.

The refresh as its called just removes and then re-adds all your entitlements. It has no effect on levels etc.
I'd be more than a little disappointed with the response that you need to call when it happens, I'd be demanding that notes are added to my account and be getting names/extension numbers (some sort of assurance that each time you call its logged).

By 4 calls I think I'd be thinking of leaving as well, its not how it should be.

[sirsimon]

yes been there done that i had that problem also with a 1000 box it kept on rebooting and the display was scrolling numbers from 0000 to 9999 over and over it turned out tobe faulty so call cs and tell em straight ok
simon

Originally Posted by mwtb

Last Friday, my STB locked up. I did the usual, unplugged, waited, plugged back in, and found that it just continually rebooted after the NTL logo screen. If I leave it for a while, I can get it to boot to viewing a channel if I'm lucky, but then it will start rebooting again after a while half the time, and will lock up immediately if I actually try to use the remote. Even the engineer menus are inaccessible.

Basically, I'm just wondering if this is what I think it is -- a knackered STB (it's acting like it's overheating at a guess) or am I likely to be heading into a nightmare of multiple wasted days off work while various "engineers" come around and tell me that someone else needs to visit some other time. Anyone familiar with this sort of error?

mwtb

[mwtb]

Ahem, as unbelievable as it may be to some people. I haven't actually gotten around to phoning up about this until today (Yes, it is possible to live without TV). The guy I spoke to was quite insistent that I should phone back from home so he could run through some tests on the STB with me. After querying his logic that it was to save me a 25 pound charge, I relented, seeing as an extra few days without TV while I go through the NTL machinery isn't much of a big deal on top of 5 months of self-inflicted delay.

I'm curious what these checks will entail though. Is he going to do any more than simply tell me to unplug the cables and plug them back in or is there some magic involved across the network.

[mwtb]

Well, as expected, the call resulted in the usual NTL hassle.

1/ On asking to be put through to the advisor I spoke to earlier, I was treated like I'd asked for the alarm codes for NTL's headquarters. When the guy I was speaking to "tried to put me through" he came back on the phone within a second and told me the person I had spoke to earlier and who had told me he was available until 7 wasn't in work... ho hum.

2/ The extensive testing of my STB problem consisted of getting me to turn it off and then on. I have to wonder why they didn't believe I had tried this already.

3/ The usual shenanigans with the guy on the other end following a script and refusing to answer questions in the middle of it. What's the point of having a human if they're forced to act like computers?

4/ After failing to get across my point about an engineer visit during work hours being only workable if they did a first call or last call, I asked to be put through to cancellations. What followed was a quite remarkably poor example of customer service:

"Sir, you have been speaking to my colleague."

"Yes."

"He has offered to get an engineer to you tomorrow." <very angry tone>

"Are you okay, you sound a little upset."

"You asked to be put through to cancellations and he has offered an engineer tomorrow." <bile, venom>

"Yes, but that isn't the problem. The problem is that I can't be in during the day, which is why I asked to be put through to cancellations."

"Sir, what you are asking is unreasonable." <still angry>

"I don't think it is, and it has been done before."

<This goes on, I should note that I felt I was very calm during this conversation despite the tone I was receiving. Eventually, I decided I wasn't happy about this at all>

"Can I ask who I am speaking to?"

"You are speaking to me."

"Sorry, who is me?"

"My name is <>"

"And your surname?"

"We don't give out surnames." <she's practically spitting down the phone at this point>

"And your position?"

"Why do you want all this information?"

"So I know how to identify who I am speaking to."

"I gave you my name, I work in faults."

Anyway, to cut a long story short. After this it transpired that a Saturday call could be done. I questioned why I hadn't been offered a Saturday seeing as my conversation had been about unavailability during work hours and was told words to the effect "We just give out the next availability."

I am honestly quite shocked at how I was spoken to considering how normal this conversation must be, and I'm in two minds about whether to complain or not. Does anyone know where the place to send a complaint would be (a letter, not an email, too easy to ignore).

[seaneeboy]

You absolutely must complain - you sound like you've been treated appaulingly and unless you make that complaint they won't even know they're doing anything wrong.

Make the complaint, cause a fuss. It's the only way we can keep things getting better.

With any luck one of the NICE ntl-types on here can help you escalate it.

All this trouble over a knackered STB, eh? I'll bet they tried to charge you £50 for the pleasure as well!