Origin Broadband No Connection Guide UPD 05/09/2014

[prichardson]

You are realying on the fact that you speak to somebody that can get the job done for you correctly first time. Then that if any other person needs to action your order (e.g. the start in a few hours), that they read and understand the request first time.

Somebody simply asking for a stop start will be quite alien to them. Or, read this as "Ahhhhhhhh, I don't know what to do, this isn't writen on my drib sheet".

When you go off script, you risk hitting problems as they try to interpret what may be needed, rightly or wrongly.

I have memories of activating my Sky Multiroom card. They asked me to go through menus to get the current firmware version on the box (as a minimum version was needed). Only when I read back an unsupported version (box had been unplugged 14 months) that was not on their multiple choice crib sheet, the gal I was speaking to went to the front of the script.... and I mean right to the front, with the full blown "Thanks for calling Sky, you are speaking to Blah, how can I help"

[teejayuu]

Thanks - used to work at BT Call Centre myself a few years back and there are a lot of good advisors who get a bad press for the few numpty's they take on. I recently had to call BT to get an engineer to undo a 2nd line (long story going back to work done 10 years previously) and after a few attempts (as you described) managed get hold of someone who worked it through with me. Most people call 150 and that is/used to be sales (customer service). If you ring COT (retentions team 0800 800 880) they tend to be more switched on.

Will use the strategy of wanting to leave as the other company will take the tag off, but would be prepared to stay and take up Infinity if they can take it off.

[SpencerUk]

@prichardson

You're right re telling an agent to do a start stop. If you get through to someone experience or a very reputable company no problems, but if you ask the average donkey, no chance!.

Where did all them knowledgable agents go..Oh I remember, forced and kicked out at one company in sheff!

I still think and say everyones best bet is to get Andrews & Arnold to sort it because I've yet to see them not resolve an issue and as Phil will probably agree, they don't half stick the knife into wholesale and openreach and twist it!

[teejayuu]

Just an update - called BT last night to stop the line and explained why. Said I would prefer to have someone from BT call the tags team and remove the marker. Advisor spoke to his manager and when he returned said that would be sorted, it would take up to 7 days and he'd call me back next Monday (or sooner if it was completed early) to discuss Broadband packages.

Email I got back from Andrews & Arnold:

Quote:Ah I see, before we can order a service on the line the TAGs (markers) will need clearing. To do this you will need to contact BT and ask them to remove them, 151 from a BT landline will get you through to residential who should be able to help with this.

Once the markers have been removed an order can be placed via our website, for ADSL the lead time is 5 working days.

151 is Faults and they won't touch it.

[Iaf1]

Oh dear oh dear.
My sky broadband should have activated today as a new install, guess what? It hasn't.
Spoke to sky and at a guess an engineer has not gone out to the cabinet. Anyway apparently they are sending someone out within 3 working days so will keep you posted.
The landline works, my new number works but no ADSL??
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm off work for next few days so I'm hoping I'll catch the engineer

[Chalky]

It sounds like Sky have activated your ADSL from the Exchange end but in order for it to work a BT Engineer needs to sever the connection between the BT Cabinet and the Digital Region cabinet. When it goes through the Digital Region cabinet the equipment in there filters out any foregin signals to avoid interference.

Even though the Digital Region cabinet has been rendered useless, your physical wires still go through it and that needs to be removed.

[yaxu]

Hi all,

After getting a reassuring email from origin a month ago, and trusting them to do the right thing, I got home from holiday to find no connection, like a lot of others.. Being otherwise left in the dark I'm *really* grateful for the information that has been compiled here.

Now cancelled my direct debit, and trying to sign up with plusnet.

But plusnet say "There's currently a pending cease on the line with the current provider which is due to complete on 26/08/14. Please contact your current provider to get this removed and contact us ... to confirm."

What does this mean, and what should I do? I understand from this forum trying to ring origin is not worth the bother.. Any advice much appreciated!

[WillPS]

You have a tag on your line. Contact Plusnet and ask them to raise the issue with the "Tags on the Line" team at Openreach. Don't let them tell you they can't - tell them you'll move to another ISP who will (eg AAisp).

[yaxu]

(19-08-2014 10:53 AM)WillPS Wrote:  You have a tag on your line. Contact Plusnet and ask them to raise the issue with the "Tags on the Line" team at Openreach. Don't let them tell you they can't - tell them you'll move to another ISP who will (eg AAisp).

plusnet say I don't have a tag on my line:

"There's a difference between an active service (which is on your line) and a tag.

A tag is a marker that remains against a line to show it's active when that isn't actually the case.

With regards to your issue it's an active service so not something we could deal with via the tags process."

[prichardson]

Betty Swollox.

Having worked the tags process extensively (and having written the software the support center at Plusnet use to check tags), what you have been told is only half the storey.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if this is the only side of what the tags process is in training.

Tags on the line is a bit of a poor coined term. It's a little like the irritating use of "MAC code" or "PIN number". What have become common is just that, incorrect but common enough that people understand the basics from the name.

The Tags process is also used in the case of a "Gone away provider". The gone away element here is Digital Region, not Origin (as the Openreach Supplier tie is DRL).

This is were a provider is no longer contactable in order to arrange a cease and/or MAC for the purpose of migration.

There has been little if no sign of a need to use the gone away process in recent years. A number of providers went pop in the era of recession in which this process applied.

I am trying to dig out come docs on it though, as I am trying to remember if their is a clause that requires Ofcom to provide pre-approval that it becomes open to use or not.