Engineer no show

[PBrooks]

Had openreach engineer booked for 1st December to attach our new broadband and never showed. It was booked for 8am to 1pm and I had to book the day off work because after 5 attempts to change the date, all I was told was unfortunately not available, brilliant. So stayed in all day as told can get charged £25 if not there.....so can I get £25 as they didn't turn up? Had zero communication from sky or openreach, which is unacceptable. Checked the MySky app to see about a new date and it still says the 1st December!!! Its now the 4th!! Not a happy new customer.

[TimmyBGood]

---

@PBrooks wrote:
so can I get £25 as they didn't turn up? 

---

Actually slightly more.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/auto-compensation 

[TimmyBGood]

@PBrooks 

Incidentally as the 1st was a Friday, Openreach notes probably wouldn't have updated over the weekend to show Sky the date needed to change on their system.

[PBrooks]

@TimmyBGood 

Yeah I had thought that but still frustrating, plus I feel the openreach engineer just wanted a early Friday finish. If they'd just text saying it won't be today I could have got on with something else.

[DJacey]

Exactly the same issue here - they've probably overstretched Openreaches Engineers with the latest cashback offers. I'm awaiting a new date. I haven't had the hub delivered yet either - does the Engineer bring it?

[PBrooks]

@DJacey 

We got our hub from Royal mail, I got a text from sky saying it was sent out so you may need to check. It says on the MySky if it's been despatched.

I've just got a new date and a text from openreach so more then first attempt.

All it needed was a text saying it won't be today and rebook. 

Wouldn't mind but the new date I got is one I was originally trying to get it changed to.

[TimmyBGood]

---

@DJacey wrote:

 they've probably overstretched Openreaches Engineers with the latest cashback offers.

Also working with optical fibre at this time of year is really tricky: cold fingers and hair-fine glass is not a great combination.

I haven't had the hub delivered yet either - does the Engineer bring it?

No: ISPs send those out.  An Openreach installer would bring an ONT if they are putting in FTTP.

---

[DJacey]

My order says hub is 'awaiting dispatch' so I wouldn't have had my broadband activated on Saturday even if the OR Engineer turned up. Can't see me getting  activation for several days so in that case I'll just let the compo add up - £29.15 for the missed appointment and £5.83 per day.  I'' also be expecting an additional payment for the extra cost of being out of contact with my currect BB provider.

[TimmyBGood]

---

@DJacey wrote:

  I'' also be expecting an additional payment for the extra cost of being out of contact with my currect BB provider.

---

There's no provision for that under the Ofcom scheme.  You could attempt to negotiate it with Sky.

[DJacey]

Yep - wishful thinking I guess.

[DJacey]

I contacted Sky today who said there has been a 'technical issue' on their system during the ordering process that meant that no order has gone throught to Openreach to activate the connection. Apparently, the only thing that they can do is to cancel this order and raise a new one and start again. Furthermore, they said they I would not be due any compensation because it was not their fault and the the compensation scheme is actually with Openreach and not Sky so if Openreach didn't receive an order then that's my problem not theirs 😡 So I've just looked at relevant page on the Sky website and it states 'We’ll automatically give you compensation' i.e. Sky will not Openreach so what the they have told me is incorrect and I'll be pursuing compensation based on my original order date. Extremely frustrtaing as it appears they are essentially saying it's my problem even though it was beyond ny control.

[TimmyBGood]

@DJacey 

Might be worth referring to the full Ofcom wording for the scheme.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/216962/Industry-Code-of-Practice-for-Automatic-... 

I'd note Ofcom says:

Unless a specific exception applies, the scheme requires signatories to pay automatic compensation to customers when the problem is caused by an event beyond a customer’s, or the provider’s control.

The ISP is the 'signatory', not Openreach.

[DJacey]

So put it down to a system error which is nobody's fault?

[TimmyBGood]

@DJacey 

I don't think that's a get-out for the ISP.  They might, of course, claim that as the order was never placed with Openreach there was never a date, which probably doesn't work as a reasonable excuse if you were given one.

I'd suggest the key is to be polite but persistent: typically no ISP wants grief from Ofcom.

[DJacey]

You would have thought so but the chap I spoke to said 'we can both argue until we're blue in the face but we wont pay you any compensation'.