Hey all, this one is a bit of a doozy, and I'm not sure how well I can explain it without this turning into a gigantic novel and I don't really want it to seem like yet another hate rant about a company. 

So, been with 2Degrees ever since they bought out Snap (who I was also with a long time). And for the most part, I've always been pretty happy with them. At least I was, until 2023. 

My personal problems seemed to begin around when they moved over to their new web portal. First issue was my address was wrong on the new one. Instead of being Christchurch, as it was on the old web portal still, I now apparently lived in Martinborough somewhere. Strange. I left it for a while, because I can be a pretty anxious person a lot of the time (literally have to take medications for it... yuck). Eventually I made contact about that, but nothing seemed to happen. 

Around a similar time, our connection started becoming somewhat unstable. We were still on VDSL at the time (I know, I'm waaaay behind the times - Again those anxiety issues meant I was pretty reluctant to have people come over to install fibre). Basically, we'd have periods where the connection would drop for 30 seconds or so, reconnect, then drop again a few mins later. And this behaviour could last for maybe an hour or so, then everything would go back to normal for a few days, maybe a few weeks... not unusable, but pretty annoying if you're gaming or watching something on a streaming service etc. Again, mostly put up with it for the most part. At some point though, I make contact about it all, and don't really get any response of worth. 

Fast forward into late December and I again try to get a resolution for the address being shown incorrect on their new web portal. Connection is still pretty junk really. 

It is now late December, 28th to be exact. Get an email from 2degrees about letting them know we're moving. Huh? Guess that's just part of the process of getting our address fixed on the new 2degrees web portal. Strange, but I don't know how it all works. Connection stability is now at its absolute worst. It has become a joke now. Make contact again using the web portal, I get back some things to try on the modem, as I had mentioned maybe the modem is dying? And they say they'll get the address issue sorted. Okay, lets try these things. No resolution, problem persists. Keep trying different things, buying cables and things to replace all that kind of thing. Get someone around to check wiring under the house too, and apparently that's all fine as well.

There's some back and forth via email here, trying solutions etc. Eventually it is January (I believe the 5th) and the connection just completely shuts off around lunch time. 2 hours later, still nothing. I make contact again because well now I don't even have internet at all (I'm a prepay mobile user too, so no unlimited mobile data to fall back on). I get a call back where the guy basically explains the connection has been disconnected by chorus, as the copper network has depreciated and isn't maintained anymore so they won't be able to get me back on my VDSL copper connection, and our only option is to move to fibre. And they can give us 50GB data to get us over the gap. (we average about 1TB a month usually, so 50GB isn't much). We have no date for install or connection, just... wait they'll call. Ehh, okay  at least it is something I guess.

That afternoon I send another email, because I'm really confused about how we got our whole connection cut off without any warning at all and 2degrees just seem to be ehh, whatever. 10 days later, the 15th of Jan, Enable come around for the site visit to decide on an install plan. That's happening on the 29th for the trench and whatnot. And the 5th of feb for the hardware inside and the connection to be turned on. So basically a month now with no internet at all aside from hotspotting off my phone (I had to buy a 2degrees prepay sim for that). 3 times so far I've had the 50GB loaded on, and every single time it was an absolute nightmare. A call center seemingly staffed with people with pretty thick accents, and more people screaming in the background with equally thick accents making it extremely difficult to understand anything. Combined with whoever I get on any call seems to have absolutely no idea whatsoever what is going on it's a recipe for extreme frustration. It's like there's no notes or something... I don't know what's up with it, but it's hard work. 

Early the next week after our internet shut off, we got put through to a manager or someone that was pretty awesome actually with trying to help get some things rectified and literally changed our address on the new web portal in about 5 seconds. Something I've been trying to get sorted for months and no one ever seemed to have a clue how, or what I was even talking about. 

When the guy from Enable came around and I was explaining what happened, he was pretty shocked. Suggested maybe I contact again because they shouldn't be just leaving us without a phone line without any warning. After he left, I went and talked to a few neighbours, and several are also still on copper connection and still have copper landlines etc... so the network in our street hasn't even been disconnected as 2degrees claimed. Just us... Now I'm wondering if they messed up and misunderstood my request and submitted an actual change of address, and step one was disconnecting the old address, which on my account is where I've lived the last 15 or so years? 

I'm now writing this after a few days ago having to go through the frustration of needed to ask for more hotspot data and having the rep on the phone bitching about an unpaid bill (that's been credited already, if I log on to the new portal it says exactly that at the top of the page) - Because that manager that was pretty good applied that credit when I was talking to him. And that if I didn't pay it immediately, they'd disconnect me. Disconnect what exactly? I have no connection... you lot already had it disconnected without warning. Here I am with no connection for weeks, with weeks still to wait before we have something again, and now these clowns are demanding money for the non-existent connection for they'll disconnect me.... nothing? 

I'm so frustrated with 2degrees. Used to like this company, then at some point last year they seem to have gone down hill, now I just want to jump ship to someone else entirely, but I don't know what to do. I'm worried 1: it'll cause my install date to be reset, and I'll have to wait even longer without any internet connection than we already will be. And 2: I'm completely reliant on the 50GB data blocks they are giving us right now to hotspot off (can't do a whole lot really with it, because they make us feel like we're in trouble when we call for more so I'm trying to make the 50GB blocks last as long as possible)

Does anyone here have any advice for what I should maybe do next? Sorry for the massive rambling wall of text. It's been weeks now, and I'm still irritated about it all. :(