Until we moved . . . the Internet company we're with here is called Telstra. The issues started at our old house when our modem started failing. Multiple calls to Telstra finally managed to convince a technician to come to our house three weeks from Saturday. The technician came, fixed nothing, Joel complained, and the technician said he didn't like Joel's attitude, felt THREATENED by him, and left without fixing anything. (I put the THREATENED in caps because I was upstairs while the guy was trying to fix stuff, didn't hear a peep, and then all of a sudden he was gone - no voices raised, nothing. Joel figures he just wanted to take the rest of the Saturday off).
We figured we'd write off the Internet at the old house, we were moving the first week in November, and we'd just make do. Joel called Telstra to arrange service at our new house, and they said they could install it the day we moved in. Fabulous!
Joel was at our new house when Telstra arrived. This was their conversation with him:
T: We can't install your Internet today.
J: Why not?
T: It's a new house.
J: I told you it was a new house when I booked this appointment.
T: Yes, but you didn't say it was a NEW new house (not a teardown and rebuild)
J: So . .
T: Yeah, nah we need to run a data line to your house
J: On the poles, right? How long will that take?
T: Yeah, nah, the council decided all future data lines should be run underground, so we need to sink a hole on your property to install the line, then run the line under the street. And it needs council approval.
J: So how long?
T: Mate, no idea.
So we've been making do with a hotspot that we pay about $200 a month (our normal bill is $120/month for unlimited data) until the council and Telstra sort themselves out. Data is limited on our hotspot - we can't stream any videos including Netflix. The kids are having to read books or play outside. It's a real burden. Once a week a rep from Telstra calls to tell Joel they've still made no progress.
About two weeks ago, the Telstra rep called and said,
T: We might be able to string a line on poles for you after all. You would get your line sooner.
J: But we don't want an overhead line. They break more easily. We want the underground line.
T: Well, we could still do the underground line, but we will have to charge you for the installation.
J: What? It's your duty to provide a line to all houses. We don't have to pay for them.
T: But we're offering to give you a line on the poles. You're the one being difficult. (HE'S the one being difficult!!)
J: How much would an underground line cost?
T: About $5000.
J: (laughing too hard to talk)
T: We could install the pole for free.
J: You understand that erecting a new pole is a lot more work and a lot more expensive for you than running a line under the street, yes?
T: (no response)
J: How about we pay the difference in cost from installing the pole and the underground line?
T: We'll call you next week to let you know our progress.
This non-service service has not stopped Telstra from billing us, however. Joel doesn't pay the bills, because we aren't getting service (we bought the hotspot separately). The icing on the cake, however, is that Joel got a call from Telstra's billing department last week. The woman on the other end threatened to sic a collections agent on Joel if he didn't pay his bill. Here's that conversation:
J: The reason we aren't paying bills is because you are billing us for service we are not receiving. Please check your records.
T: Oh, now I see that. We should probably change your billing status. Let me connect you with technical support.
J: Aren't you in billing? Why don't you just change my status on your screen so I don't get any more calls?
T: Sorry, can't do that. I'm not allowed to make changes.
J: Hm. Then why don't you connect me with someone in the billing department who can correct it and I won't get anymore calls?
T: I need to connect you to technical support so they can help you with your service issue.
J: I'm already in constant contact with technical support. They are aware of the issue. I don't need to talk to them again. If I talk to whomever you connect me with, I will have to explain everything again, and it won't help and I don't want to. Please connect me with billing, so I won't get any more calls from you threatening collection services.
T: I'm sorry, I cannot do that.
The latest is that we MIGHT have our Internet service installed by the second week in February. On a pole. Council decided they can't be bothered to run the line under the street after all. At this point, we're just, whatever. It's been an entire summer holiday with two kids and no Netflix. Updates as they are warranted, but don't hold your breath.
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