Final score Local pub 1 IDNet support 0

[Magic Foundry]

Sorry - long rambling story.

Last Friday our internet connection ceased working, but since nobody actually needed it at the time we left it. Friday evening, after coming home from work, still no connection, but once again everyone was going out, bonfire parties and all that so we didn't bother too much with it. When it was still not working on Saturday morning, decided it was time to do something.
   Rang IDNet support and a very friendly and helpful young lady took all the details, asked us to try disabling the firewall and antivirus, unplug all other phones, plug router into master socket etc. Unfortunately we'd already tried all that, so no real help. She said "We'll look into it and get straight back to you" So waited until just after dinner and then rang again, gave the details again and was told again "We'll look into it and get straight back to you". Saturday evening still no response, so rang again, this time they remembered us and said again "We are aware of the problem, we will look into it and get straight back to you".... Still waiting for that call.
    However; all was not lost, later that evening we ambled down to our local pub, as we have a wont to do occasionally and sitting round the bar on my usual stool in discourse with some of the usual crowd, discovered that everyone else in the village was in fact "cut off". Slightly heartening to know it wasn't just us I suppose.
   Now, this is where the real horror stories begin. Despite the slightly lacklustre standard of IDNet support, BT support have proven to be in a league of their own. A number of people from the village who have BT as their ISP have been told by BT that "Nobody else in the area is having any problems and the fault is therefore either your router or your computer. Get a new router or try your computer at another location". One person has been sent and been charged for a new router, somebody else has had BT out at their house with BT attempting to charge them for the callout and most people contacting BT support are being told "It's an ISP problem don't bother us, contact them". There's a couple of mail order businesses based in the village having major problems and of course there's the post office, which has effectively had to close. BT still insisting it's nothing to do with them.

  However, we have a BT insider in the village, a guy who works for Openreach who after plying him with a few pints says "Oh yeh BT are well aware of the problem and are running up and down trying to track it down". and a few Openreach vans have been seen wandering aimlessly around the place.
Rumours are rife as to the cause of the problem: One old guy saying " Aah, I seen a gang of em, ruffians up yonder like, rippin up big black cable they were last Friday". That might have been Openreach though.

It's now Tuesday evening and our connection is fragile, coming and going and still no response from IDNet. It would have been nice to have heard something, if only "We don't know what's going on". Openreach vans are periodically being sited here and there and the word is it could be Thursday before it's fully sorted.

It's rather strange that in this age of technology, customer support lines etc, the only information we've received has come from the local pub.

Next time you get a problem don't ring support just go down to your local. Even if nobody knows or can do anything, the chances are by the end of the evening you won't care anyway.

Managed to post this during one of the "on" periods.

Nevermind!

[Steve]

It's an interesting tale that the users knew more than the providers whilst the supplier who is aware is saying absolutely nothing. I would agree that next time the internet's down and the local's busy enjoy your beer and the camaraderie!

[Glenn]

This is the 2nd time in a few days that someone has had issues with the 'Out of hours Support', if you can let IDNet support know your experiences.

[Magic Foundry]

Rang again about an hour ago, letting them know that we had not been overwhelmed by their efforts. Told them that we understand that the problem isn't caused by IDNet but could they at least fight our corner with BT. We were told that they would now escalate the issue, not sure what that means. However, connection now seems to be stable.

[esh]

Rang again about an hour ago, letting them know that we had not been overwhelmed by their efforts. Told them that we understand that the problem isn't caused by IDNet but could they at least fight our corner with BT. We were told that they would now escalate the issue, not sure what that means. However, connection now seems to be stable.

"Escalate" the issue is tech speak for when an ISP raises a fault to high priority with BT. This probably means IDNet suspect it's a BT issue (as there is little that can go wrong IDNet's end without lots of people going offline), and are waiting on BT to confirm it or send any information at all. BT are extremely slow at this and sometimes don't say anything at all, and have occasionally in the past been known to outright fabricate tales.

Simply put, BT aren't telling you any more than IDNet, which is probably why nothing has happened. This is usual, I'm afraid.

That said, I agree some more frequent contact (from IDNet) even via email to let you know it is being dealt with would be nice. More frequent contact from BT would be great, but isn't going to happen

[Technical Ben]

I feel for you, but also for idnet too. BT are very quiet about admitting faults even exist (as that means admitting fault = addmiting to fix it = cost = less money =angry share holders.) it would seem. So IDNet probably did not have any information to get back with you with. If they cannot find the fault at their end, because say BTs telegraph pole is mission, and BT tell them "it's all fine" what can they tell the customer? They just have to wait for BT to quietly fix it, or admit there is a fault. 

[Simon]

Rang again about an hour ago, letting them know that we had not been overwhelmed by their efforts. Told them that we understand that the problem isn't caused by IDNet but could they at least fight our corner with BT. We were told that they would now escalate the issue, not sure what that means. However, connection now seems to be stable.

I'd suggest actually calling IDNet themselves during the day, and let them know your experiences with the out of hours support service.