Two months plus and still no UFB connection!!!

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Two months plus and still no UFB connection!!!

stone2

103 posts

Master Geek

#185535 26-Nov-2015 16:51

Hi all
Rang spark over two months ago to sign up for 100/20 UFB. No problem they said. Chorus came over two weeks later and couldn't get the cable through the conduit, a couple of elbows apparently. Whole suburb is only 20yrs old and plenty of room in the conduit that I could see. Any-who chorus said they have to do a bit of digging and will be back. Two months later and several calls to spark (one hour waits on the phone or a call back). Really Spark? one hour to talk to somebody??? Still no more info than they will contact chorus and find out what the hold up is. To date I still don't know what the hold up is. Am on hold right now, was told over an hour wait and no option for a call back this time!
Have been with spark for 15+ yrs and now thinking if I should just go with someone else as the service seems to have dropped right off.

Thanks for reading my rant!

PeterReader

5846 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1435374 26-Nov-2015 16:51

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

Jase2985

9935 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1435398 26-Nov-2015 17:15

changing providers wont change anything as the issue is with chours as they provide the fibre network, spark just provide you internet over chorus' network.

your rant should be dirrected at chorus not spark

maybe one of the nice spark reps on here will be able to find out what the holdup is and let you know

and by the way, this a way way to common place these days, just look at the number of threads on there about issues with getting fibre, with 90+% having chours as the issue.

Wheelbarrow01

1016 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Chorus

#1435408 26-Nov-2015 17:34

Jase2985: changing providers wont change anything as the issue is with chours as they provide the fibre network, spark just provide you internet over chorus' network.

your rant should be dirrected at chorus not spark

maybe one of the nice spark reps on here will be able to find out what the holdup is and let you know

and by the way, this a way way to common place these days, just look at the number of threads on there about issues with getting fibre, with 90+% having chours as the issue.

AGREED! If the OP can flick me his/her account number and address in a PM I will look into it tomorrow morning.

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

quickymart

5570 posts

Uber Geek

#1435413 26-Nov-2015 18:07

Do not change ISP, as (amongst other things) you will go to the back of the queue with a new ISP.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1435415 26-Nov-2015 18:11

@stone2 two months nothing to worry about, Many people have waited much much longer and as already advised changing request to another ISP will put you at the back of the queue and the process will start all over again

:)

NastyNoble

26 posts

Geek

#1435899 27-Nov-2015 11:06

I have been waiting since September with the exact same issue that they couldn't get the wires through the conduit. I get no updates from Spark. I get no help from Chorus. Downers have no clue. I actually thought about cancelling as well, but realize that any other ISP will use Chorus and Downers. I have told Spark that I would consider cancelling as soon as my service is installed because of the lack of customer service.

reven

3468 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1435918 27-Nov-2015 11:14

but shouldnt the end customer have zero communication with chorus, and all that been handled via the ISP?

Personally it sounds like Spark should be on chorus' back about the install but spark are mucking around and making the end customer constantly call up and wait on hold. So if one did change ISPs, the new ISP would then get onto chorus and get them to do the install, that new ISP might be more proactive about this and get the install sorted quicker.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#1435945 27-Nov-2015 11:43

reven: but shouldnt the end customer have zero communication with chorus, and all that been handled via the ISP?

Personally it sounds like Spark should be on chorus' back about the install but spark are mucking around and making the end customer constantly call up and wait on hold. So if one did change ISPs, the new ISP would then get onto chorus and get them to do the install, that new ISP might be more proactive about this and get the install sorted quicker.

No. Once chorus takes over the initial process, then scheduling of scope, install etc should be managed directly between customer and chorus. Makes no sense to involve the ISP as the middle man passing info back and forth (obviously they should be kept informed though)

kingjj

Baby Get Shaky!
1677 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#1435950 27-Nov-2015 11:52

reven: but shouldnt the end customer have zero communication with chorus, and all that been handled via the ISP?

Personally it sounds like Spark should be on chorus' back about the install but spark are mucking around and making the end customer constantly call up and wait on hold. So if one did change ISPs, the new ISP would then get onto chorus and get them to do the install, that new ISP might be more proactive about this and get the install sorted quicker.

When we got Fibre installed I remember calling Snap about 6 weeks into the order to query the status and why I hadn't heard anything yet, their response was simple and straight to the point: we are waiting on the LFC, we cannot hurry them up, it will take as long as it takes, you will be contacted when the LFC are ready to install.

I appreciated their honesty and waited patiently knowing that the order was in the system and that Snap were playing the waiting game as I was. A couple of weeks later the call came with an install date from the LFC and an email from Snap confirming.

All ISP's are in the same boat, they follow the established process with the LFC's and cop flack from the customer for something that is largely out of their direct control. As others have said, 2 months is nothing compared to the average experience reported on here.

reven

3468 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1435951 27-Nov-2015 11:53

NonprayingMantis:
reven: but shouldnt the end customer have zero communication with chorus, and all that been handled via the ISP?

Personally it sounds like Spark should be on chorus' back about the install but spark are mucking around and making the end customer constantly call up and wait on hold. So if one did change ISPs, the new ISP would then get onto chorus and get them to do the install, that new ISP might be more proactive about this and get the install sorted quicker.

No. Once chorus takes over the initial process, then scheduling of scope, install etc should be managed directly between customer and chorus. Makes no sense to involve the ISP as the middle man passing info back and forth (obviously they should be kept informed though)

oh ok then, I was always under the impression customer is ISPs customer, and ISP is chorus customer similar to power companies (e.g. customer -> mercury -> vector).

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#1435955 27-Nov-2015 11:57

reven:
NonprayingMantis:
reven: but shouldnt the end customer have zero communication with chorus, and all that been handled via the ISP?

Personally it sounds like Spark should be on chorus' back about the install but spark are mucking around and making the end customer constantly call up and wait on hold. So if one did change ISPs, the new ISP would then get onto chorus and get them to do the install, that new ISP might be more proactive about this and get the install sorted quicker.

No. Once chorus takes over the initial process, then scheduling of scope, install etc should be managed directly between customer and chorus. Makes no sense to involve the ISP as the middle man passing info back and forth (obviously they should be kept informed though)

oh ok then, I was always under the impression customer is ISPs customer, and ISP is chorus customer similar to power companies (e.g. customer -> mercury -> vector).

Yeah, but Think of it like getting a package from mighty ape.

You buy from mighty ape. You are a mighty ape customer. When mighty ape ship a apackage to you they pass you over to the courier company and give you the ticket number. If you want to follow up on delivery timing, you go to the courier company website, put the ticket number in there, and see what's going on. It adds complexity to have to go via mighty ape at that point, since all they can do is contact the courier company. Far better to work directly with mighty ape.

RogerMellie

90 posts

Master Geek

#1435967 27-Nov-2015 12:26

Beat this: my whole apartment complex has fibre connected into it, but the property manager is now refusing any new connections by Chorus owing to two previous installations where the contractors (from UCG - Universal Communications) caused damage to ceiling tiles in the corridors and didn't clean up after themselves.

I found this out AFTER moving into the complex, so not very happy.

DarkShadow

1633 posts

Uber Geek

#1435998 27-Nov-2015 13:06

RogerMellie: Beat this: my whole apartment complex has fibre connected into it, but the property manager is now refusing any new connections by Chorus owing to two previous installations where the contractors (from UCG - Universal Communications) caused damage to ceiling tiles in the corridors and didn't clean up after themselves.

I found this out AFTER moving into the complex, so not very happy.

Well, you can still get copper broadband right? Spare a thought for people in the same situation but in a fibre only area.