Why do we put ourselves through this.....

[limnos]

uberNoob, what the number to call for your progress report?

I have been waiting atleast 7 weeks now, and not one person has called me since today. The man told me I have to settle on 192k as it is not viable for them to install 512k.. Have you ever?!?!?! After they promised 512k after 6 weeks of my order date.

 

[uberNoob]

Seven weeks? you poor soul..... What area are you in ?

Phone 0800456786 to ask for an update. Do not expect to GET an update, but you're welcome to ASK for one. The 'Manager' there is a Mr Nur Peters. If you;re not happy with the 'update' you get, ask them for his email addy and/or phone number (which is in Cape Town and is not a toll free number ,either on cellphone or land line)

When promtped, press 1 for ADSL. Make sure you haqve your order number with you.

I'd recommend you do NOT phone this number from a cellphone, as this is NOT covered by 'free minutes' and is NOT a free call, and you WILL be on hold for anywhere upto 30 minutes. AND you stand the chance of them just disconencting your call, and then you will have to phone again and then hold for another 20 minutes... and so on.....

I THINK that a possible reason they can only give you 192k is maybe you're too far from the exchange for 512k... I don't know much about ADSL, so maybe one of the ADSL fundies here can elaborate....

 

[Kalvaer]

The further away you are from the exhange, the greater your line attenuation and signal degradation. Meaning that telkom can not Guarantee your line speed higher than 192kbps, Anything higher than 192kbps "could" cause your line to disconnect and in effect cause more problems than a 192kbps. It could also be caused by crappy overhead cables or bad connections along the way (more than likely the case if you were promised 512, and are now getting 192)

This is actually something Telkom should have been doing from the very beginning but was kinda forgotten about when they tried to just sell the most expensive options to everyone, and fix their mistakes at a later date. Its the same way it is done all over the world and is actually a step in the right direction, and by the same way, i mean dropping line speeds due to bad conditions not the part about forgetting to let you know.

Expect that it takes them 6 weeks to tell you this, when it should be done on your first phone call.

edit Before anyone says anything I realised I said Guarantee and Telkom in the same sentance and I beg for your forgiveness, since telkom will in fact only guarantee too take your money regardless if you get any form of service

 

[viceroy]

Sigh...I have only just started this process again after having moved....

MTN 1Gb data bundle for me in the meantime

 

[spiderz]

I'm sitting with the same hassels !!
My installation was booked for the 24 May (yea, last wednesday!) and nobody called me or rocked up to do the installation. So back to calling, holding on, eventually got new installation date (29 May, which is today). Still no call from any techies. Called the helpdesk twice already, seems like a waste of time. Got the number of Mr. Peters, the Installation manager (021- 414 4865) but that just rings.... (no surprise there)

Sigh...

i'm now getting to that stage where i want to tell them to stick their ADSL where the sun don't shine!

 

[lucifir]

I am in the same boat with u spiderz .... .... if only there was something that could b done .... I wish I could go to parliament and give them a piece of my mind

 

[spiderz]

Telkom complaint helpdesk....0800 600 126
Like complaining will help ....

 

[uberNoob]

I'm a sucker for punishment....

I am now 100% convinced that EVERYONE in Telkom is involved in a conspiracy to completely ruin my day every chance they get.

Having not learnt my lesson with my ADSL application for JHB, I decided to apply for a NEW ADSL line at a friends place in PTA as well, as I will be staying there for a few months.

I phoned them on the 15th May. They said it will definitely be quicker in PTA than in JHB. I phoned them last week (25th May) for an update, and they said all testing and stuff was done and they just needed to arrange an install date. So I'm like "SHWEEEEEEET, that means a week at most and then I got ADSL in at least one of the two places I want it in." First thing this morning, some tart from Telkom phones me and says she's from Telkom installation department and wants to arrange a date to come and upgrade the existing phone in PTA to ADSL. I'm like "SHWEEEEEEeeeet.... ummm.... UPGRADE THE EXISTING LINE ?!?!? <remainder of conversation censored>"

I started breathing again and calmed down and informed her that I had applied for a NEW ADSL line at the premises in PTA. She then says 'Eish, but if it's on the system as an upgrade of an existing, and you want a new line, then I can't send the technician. We will have to cancel the order and you must re-apply." At this point, if I had been sitting in a Telkom shoppe, and the Telkom okie had said that to me, I would have beat the living ---- out of him.

Nonetheless, I remained lucid enough to politely ask the lady NOT to cancel my application just yet.

I then phoned 0800 456 786 and they said that it indeed WAS a new line, and NOT an upgrade, and that whoever had spoken to me ealier obviously (quote) "Had her lines crossed" (is this Telkom's weak attempt at humour?)

So... after reading this post, and my previous posts, you tell me that Telkom is not involved in a conspiracy against me......

 

[jabulani]

To take your mind off it I recommend:

1. Klipdrift
2. Religion
3. Join the French Foreign Legion

 

[spiderz]

It's gonna snow !!!

I just got a call from the installation people. Their sending a contractor tomorrow between 13h00 -16h00. I still say "seeing is believing!"

but in the mean-time i'll take jabulani's advice and get myself a "few" klipdrif's

 

[spiderz]

You guys better stock up on ur klipdrif, we're gonna be snowed in for quite a while.
I acctually got my second phone call from telkom on the same day. Someone from there helpdesk phone to inform me that my installation will happen tomorrow.
I still say seeing is believing, but will keep an extra bottle ready if they get the install done tomorrow!

 

[uberNoob]

I hope you get sorted spiderz.

However, don't get yer hopes up... When they came to my palce on the 19th, I had an email and 2 phone calls to confirm the install. And they were there on time. The only problem was that there was no cable to the exchange. Remember, install department and Techies ASSUME that all the preparatory work has been done. So... If you;ve been having endless problems with getting ADSL, and suddenly out of the blue they're coming to install....expect there to be something not completed yet. And thet something WILL be out of the techie's hands.

Once again, I REALLY hope you get sorted out - coz then there will be one less ADSL line being installed, and that might mean someone will actually be available to sort mine out once and for all

 

[spiderz]

All sorted!

ADSL line installed and working. Seems like it helps bugging them all the time.

One thing i did pick up is that some part of the delay on my installation might have been due to their helpdesk not e-mail ing the correct information to the technical people. They just sucked a date outa their thumbs to get you off their backs.

Well, i'm gonna have to celebrate this tonight. Snowstorm and all.

 

[uberNoob]

Gratz dude !!! I'll be over this evening to own yer cap

But on a different note.....

Telkom techie just showed up at the premises for my PTA ADSL install to install the cable from pole to house. Not getting TOO excited though, coz they still gotta get a DIFFERENT techie to come through and setup the ADSL stuffs.

 

[killadoob]

Applied 06/11/2005. Exchange upgraded 04/02/2006. Port assigned 29/03/2006. Still waiting for install. Amount spent on phoning Telkom for updates - R1839-29.

isnt telkom's numbers toll free?

 

[uberNoob]

Applied 06/11/2005. Exchange upgraded 04/02/2006. Port assigned 29/03/2006. Still waiting for install. Amount spent on phoning Telkom for updates - R1839-29.

isnt telkom's numbers toll free?

NOT free when phoning them from a cellphone. And as I usually phone during office hours, I do not want my work colleagues to hear me shouting and swearing at Telkom, so I usually phone from outside, using a cell phone.

 

[uberNoob]

Well blow me down... It seems that Telkom's crap service does not only apply to installing ADSL lines. It seems to affect getting an ADSL account with them too. So far I have applied TWICE for an ADSL account by faxing through an application form, phoned them to confirm they received it and then waiting while nothing happens.

 

[uberNoob]

JHB Line - MiniDslam installed, but not activated yet - They dont know why
PTA Line - Still waiting for then to make an appointment to finalize install
ADSL Account - I finally have an ADSL account (but nothing to use it on )

 

[Arzy]

I feel the pain of everyone waiting for an installation.

My situation is very similar. I purchased a new property in November last year, my existing rental agreement only expired at the end of May however. That was all fine and dandy to me as it gave me a lot of time to get the finishing and painting and gardening done at my new house before I moved in. On the 6th of March I applied for the installation of a new telephone line and ADSL, effectively 2 months before I had to move out of my existing flat. I honestly thought this would be enough.

I can't give you exact details on when I called Telkom, but in essence it was almost once per day except for weekends. During March I moved into my new house but left my pc and office equipment at my flat because I had connectivity there. At the end of May I had to move over finally however and cancelled the line I had.

Calling Telkom that week they said that the "project" had been completed and ports were avaliable, I simply now needed to call 0800456786 and get the date of installation. I did so and the date I received was 9 June. Luckily this was during the period that I had taken for study leave so I was at home the entire day. Waiting. Calling. Eventually just giving up.

Calling Telkom again on Monday the 12th simply generated mass confusion. Apparently the "project" had not been completed and that no ports were available. Attempting not to lose my temper I then said thats fine and asked the opperator what else anyone could expect from a company like Telkom. I then enquired why a normal telephone line couldn't be installed in the mean time as it doesn't require the availability of ports. The opperator then simply said that no lines were available.

I find this rather amazing. My new house is less than 5km's from my old flat. It is in an upmarket residential area a block away from a major shopping complex, there are in actual fact two of these complexes on the same road which forms the corner with the street I stay on. I can actually walk to both of these and the gym which is also in the area. Doing so I acually walk past the Telkom box/exchange that supply these complexes with their lines. But, as Telkom will have it, there is nothing available.

After confirming installation for the 9th of June the latest update is that the "project" will only be completed on the 31st of July and I can expect installation sometime in September or October. I honestly fail to see how a "customer centric" approach can entail a customer waiting 5 to 6 months for installations...

 

[uberNoob]

What area you in Arzy? Do you know what exchange you would be using ?