France Telecom find their arse in the dark ...
Posted by: Adam Meredith on 06 June 2007
I have just (3 months in) got ADSL.
This after:
1: Being told - you are outside the area (the previous owner had ADSL).
2: Online - being told Yes, you can.
3: Applying online and swiftly receiving a "live Box".
4: Sitting with the Live Box in eager anticipation of something
5: Having the dial-up turned off - because they believed we now had ADSL
6: After 2 months of waiting - no, it is impossible.
7: 2 engineers arrive to connect the line - with incorrect name on the papers.
8: The Head of France Telecom Aquitaine personally delivers the absolute news that No - we will not be able to have it and we certainly shouldn't hold our breath as there are no plans to extend the service during this financial period (whatever that is).
And 9: Chap from the local exchange rings to say - you'll have it in 5 minutes. And, unbelievably, I have.
Was BT really like this?
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by scottyhammer
in euros ??
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by Svetty
quote:
Was BT really like this
You mean you've already forgotten - of course it is!!!
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by u5227470736789439
Dear Adam,
Though my patience snapped about five weeks, and I gave on BT in Worcester [at my previous flat], I suspect that many very organisations are either very good or very bad on occasion. I do have BB at this new address [almost without problem], but on that occasion the system worked [almost] properly! I had it in Hereford and it was functional 48 hours before the promissed activation, which seems better than no problem! Seems like the luck of the draw with BT. Possibly the same in France?
Does this mean you will be posting [and looking] more? I hope so.
Kindest regards from Fredrik
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by jayd
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Was BT really like this?
Different accent, I presume.
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by AV@naim
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
I have just (3 months in) got ADSL...
...Was BT really like this?
Er isn't this normal procedure for geting ADSL??...
Think yourself lucky, at least you get a real French person when you phone up their "helpline".
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by Rico
as a matter of interest, what sort of speed are you getting?
I guess part of the rural ideal is that you're unlikley to be able to jump in on someone elses wireless broadband to get you out of such a 'tight spot'.
Before everyone flames me for suggesting such poor sportsmanship, I don't have any wireless. I understand others use available networks without compunction.
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by PJT
Isn't is Telco's in general.
My old man waited 3 months for ADSL after moving into a brand new house in a new subdivision. BUT, what really annoyed the hell out of him was the fact that there was so mucgh noise on the phone line that dial-up simply just didn't work. Speeds less than 20kb/s were not uncommon!
Posted on: 06 June 2007 by NaimDropper
Just returned from a biz trip to Mainland China (the South).
A very wired place, cell phones everywhere. Internet connections everywhere. But the internet connections were PAINFULLY slow, perhaps due to relentless “attacks” on all the ports of my computer. Some very smart and devious people were at work there.
Adam, I believe that incompetence has no nationality. Best of luck, hopefully once it is working they will leave it alone.
I firmly believe that all this internet stuff is alien technology. Think about what you are able to do with your computer, it is amazing.
The aliens are lulling us into a sense of complacency... Then they'll turn it off and in all our confusion come down to eat our brains.
Mark my words.
David
Posted on: 07 June 2007 by fidelio
adam, i work for the biggest telco in the u.s. (which shall remain unnaimed) and i can tell you with certainty that naimdropper is correct in his statement "... incompetence has no nationality." having seen into the bowels of the largest switching office in the world, i am just amazed that the stuff works at all.
Posted on: 12 June 2007 by Adam Meredith
I am BACK online.
France Telecom responded to the "impossibility" of my ever getting ADSL (despite my having it for 2 days) by issuing the unstoppable cancellation.
This, with remarkable efficiency, cut me off completely (no dial-up) and deleted my entire account.
They were happy to issue a NEW account (with ADSL) and this arrived today - working as you can see.
I confidently expect someone to arrive to pick up the LiveBox from the first fiasco - possibly even refusing to take back any unopened new LiveBox which they may, or may not, seek to issue.
The health service is very good.
Posted on: 12 June 2007 by u5227470736789439
This reads a bit like the unstoppable First World War, after the Russians had mobilised! Who knows what will be the outcome! Not four years of unprecendented strife, I hope!
ATB from Fredrik
Posted on: 12 June 2007 by MichaelC
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
The health service is very good.
Now you know why. Plenty of practice dealing with those who have suffered at the hands of their bureaucracy.
Having said that - I guess dealing with France Telecom is not really that different to dealing with the likes of BT et al.
Cracking health system though, completely unlike ours.
Posted on: 13 June 2007 by Svetty
quote:
Cracking health system though, completely unlike ours.
Should be - it costs enough
Actually it isn't that much better. And we now spend almost as much as they do [rolleyes smiley]
