Dumping Sky Broadband and Landline one month into contract

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Gordy7

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#306909 2-Sep-2023 21:48

My neighbour is pretty disappointed with her Sky Broadband and Landline package and wants to dump the Sky Broadband and Landline contract only one month into the contract because Sky can not competently provide the full service.

My neighbour has had Sky fibre up and running for a month but has only been able to make available the landline number for porting from Spark since 28 August.

The landline at best has had intermittent outgoing calling only. Incoming callers receive a number unavailable tone. Recipients of the outgoing calls show the correct area code and landline number.

Daily calls to Sky have resulted in no landline service at all some days and outgoing calls only other days.

My neighbour is on the Chorus fibre network.

I think my neighbour has very good grounds for avoiding an early termination fee.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

networkn

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#3123152 2-Sep-2023 22:19

I don't know much about this particular solution but am familiar with the technologies in general. Was this a Sky provided router/modem, or did your neighbour bring their own? Calls working in one direction can be misconfiguration of the Modem. If it was a BYO modem, the next solution may not be appropriate.

Alternatively, call up and calmly but firmly ask for a supervisor. Explain the issue and the fact the phone hasn't been working a month. Give them 48 hours to resolve the issue or ask them to permit you to migrate to another provider without incurring any termination fees.

If they do manage to resolve it within 48 hours, then I think requesting a good will credit for all the time your neighbour has spent on it and the time they have been without the service, isn't the worst thing you could get.

Gordy7

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#3123168 2-Sep-2023 22:34

As far as I know the landline phone is connected to the phone port on the fibre box - from memory it looks like a Chorus ONT 300.

The provided Sky router does not have a phone port.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

loceff13

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#3123171 3-Sep-2023 01:23

They can also complain via the TDR about this which will give them a kick in the butt to resolve it

Gordy7

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#3123389 3-Sep-2023 18:31

loceff13:

They can also complain via the TDR about this which will give them a kick in the butt to resolve it

Thanks. Report filed with TDR today.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

nztim

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#3123447 4-Sep-2023 09:12

This process is normally very smooth, Sky like all other Vocus/2Degress voice circuits use the ONT Voice port.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Gordy7

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#3123456 4-Sep-2023 09:41

nztim:

This process is normally very smooth, Sky like all other Vocus/2Degress voice circuits use the ONT Voice port.

I would have though so too.... A landline on fibre using the ONT phone port is totally in the hands of the ISP and maybe Chorus.

However, my neighbour has had a very rocky trip churning from Spark to Sky.

Over a month ago she somehow got a requirement/misunderstanding from Sky to cancel her Spark account first before signing up with Sky.

Fibre eventually got connected but her landline number was not available for porting.

In 28 August a very helpful lady at Spark put the landline number on hold using the Customer Link Service.

Sky ported the number over that same day but outgoing calls only.

Daily calls to Sky have left my neighbour without landline some days and outgoing calls only other days.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

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nztim

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#3123464 4-Sep-2023 10:12

Ahhh I can see where this is where it all turned into a Shambles, you don't give notice to the losing service provider, was she on Spark Fibre before? their disconnection service order would have potentially locked up the Voice port on the ONT.

They are also very lucky Spark were nice enough put that number onto Customerlink, as they moved away from Spark they could have told them to GGF.

This brings me to another point (slightly off topic) Exchange area number blocks (for example in Wellington CBD 04499, 04495, 04472, 04473) should be made available to any RSP

Getting caller ID calls from weird number blocks e.g. 04650, 04881 I often ignore as SPAM calls.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Gordy7

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#3123470 4-Sep-2023 10:30

nztim:

Ahhh I can see where this is where it all turned into a Shambles, you don't give notice to the losing service provider, was she on Spark Fibre before? their disconnection service order would have potentially locked up the Voice port on the ONT.

They are also very lucky Spark were nice enough put that number onto Customerlink, as they moved away from Spark they could have told them to GGF.

This brings me to another point (slightly off topic) Exchange area number blocks (for example in Wellington CBD 04499, 04495, 04472, 04473) should be made available to any RSP

Getting caller ID calls from weird number blocks e.g. 04650, 04881 I often ignore as SPAM calls.

All turned to custard for sure. Yes, she was on Spark fibre.

I guess there may be many more cases like this when the consumer does not understand the churn process.

My neighbour was very very lucky with Spark to rescue her landline number.

My neighbour provides some sort of community help with her landline phone.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

tim0001

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#3123471 4-Sep-2023 10:33

I've been following this thread with interest/trepidation because my mother is moving from Spark to Sky this Thursday (broadband+landline). The contract with Spark ends on Friday. Are there any more tips for a smooth transition?

Its already been a rocky road with Sky because after signing up online they managed to get the following wrong: the address, cutover date, the plan, current provider and whether there was a landline. I suspect that they are having some issues with their systems. (Its almost as if they are recording their customer data on post-it notes and passing it around the office.) On the positive side I found their customer service easy to get hold of and above average to deal with.

Gordy7

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#3123473 4-Sep-2023 10:49

tim0001:

I've been following this thread with interest/trepidation because my mother is moving from Spark to Sky this Thursday (broadband+landline). The contract with Spark ends on Friday. Are there any more tips for a smooth transition?

Its already been a rocky road with Sky because after signing up online they managed to get the following wrong: the address, cutover date, the plan, current provider and whether there was a landline. I suspect that they are having some issues with their systems. (Its almost as if they are recording their customer data on post-it notes and passing it around the office.) On the positive side I found their customer service easy to get hold of and above average to deal with.

The key is to sign up with the new ISP first and get confirmation of the connection date required.

I recently started a churn process myself, 6 weeks before the end of my old ISP contract.

This allowed plenty of time for the new ISP to confirm the connection date with Chorus.

This also allowed me plenty of time to give 30 days notice to my old ISP to end my contract spot on the end of contract date.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

nztim

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#3123474 4-Sep-2023 10:51

tim0001:

Its already been a rocky road with Sky because after signing up online they managed to get the following wrong: the address, cutover date, the plan, current provider and whether there was a landline. I suspect that they are having some issues with their systems. (Its almost as if they are recording their customer data on post-it notes and passing it around the office.) On the positive side I found their customer service easy to get hold of and above average to deal with.

They are not completely just reselling 2degress/Vocus, they have their own relationship with LFCs, Have their own ASN and IP ranges, Vocus just provide the heavy lifting.

I am wondering if their own staff are processing these orders rather than Vocus stuff meaning they are not properly trained on the backend systems.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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tim0001

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#3125001 8-Sep-2023 14:04

The switch from Spark to Sky went smoothly at my mothers yesterday. Broadband was out for about a minute and the phone 45mins. (We'd given both providers plenty of notice)

However we were not able to setup a Direct Debit because their system is broke. You put in the your bank number, and at the end of the process it returns the last 4 digits. Unfortunately the last 4 digits were always wrong. Customer services were unable to sort it out. I suggest paying by credit card.

@Gordy7 Please let us know the outcome from the TDR

Gordy7

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#3125004 8-Sep-2023 14:21

tim0001:

The switch from Spark to Sky went smoothly at my mothers yesterday. Broadband was out for about a minute and the phone 45mins. (We'd given both providers plenty of notice)

However we were not able to setup a Direct Debit because their system is broke. You put in the your bank number, and at the end of the process it returns the last 4 digits. Unfortunately the last 4 digits were always wrong. Customer services were unable to sort it out. I suggest paying by credit card.

@Gordy7 Please let us know the outcome from the TDR

Pleased your move to 2degrees went well. My move from Skinny to 2degrees went well also after the incorrect sign-up plan got updated.

My neighbour received some sort of communication from TDR re her Spark to Sky churn problem.

However, because of the tortuous churn journey my neighbour had in understanding/misunderstanding the process and long delay getting her landline phone going she returned to Spark. Yet to hear about the fallout from all this.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.