OPENREACH/SKY - TURNING INTO A KAFKA-ISH NIGHTMARE

[Debpf]

I recently decided it was time to renegotiate my SKY package which included phone/broadband and TV.  As I knew full fibre was available in my village I, regretfully, thought it would be a good idea to have it installed - BAD MOVE, there was nothing wrong with my broadband speeds etc.

This started a journey down a deep rabbit hole that has had a significant affect on my mental health.

OpenReach came to install the new cable.  I showed them where the current cable comes into my home, in the perfect place.  My partner and I then made a BIG MISTAKE and went out, leaving the OpenReach engineers to do their work.

We came home to find that instead of following the current phone line from the pole at the edge of my property, they took a short cut, bringing it to the front elevation which is single storey, running a cable about 6ft down the wall, not straight but at an obvious slant, and installing the box nowhere near where I showed them, so that it is in the completely wrong place.

This started a nightmare.  I complained to SKY who gave me the phone number for OpenReach's damages and repairs department.  I called it and ascertained (I could not understand what the operative was saying for most of the conversation) that someone would come out within 48 hours to put things right.  2 days later someone from OpenReach rang our doorbell, we explained the issue, he was extremely sympathetic, agreed that the workmanship was unacceptable HOWEVER he could do nothing as he only dealt with actual damage to property and no windows had been broken!

So I went back to SKY who said I had to contact OpenReach who said they didn't deal direct with SKY customers so go back to SKY who said I had to contact OpenReach who said.....  I had a solid 3 hour phone call with SKY whilst having an online 'chat' with OpenReach with this nightmare circular conversation.

SKY assured me that my order was still open and today OpenReach would come and make everything as it should be.....fortunately I did not believe this and I was right!  Another SKY engineer has just left my property having made many phone calls etc with various managers.  His take was that a previous SKY engineer ticked the wrong box and instead of the issue going back to OpenReach, it was closed......but not to worry because everything is going to be sorted and OpenReach know they have to come back and install the cable correctly and remove the bodged job and then I can contact the Damages and Repairs department and this time they will come back to fill in the holes/make good the front of my house.

As you can imagine...I'll believe it when I see it. 

In the meantime, when I mentioned making a formal complaint, SKY sent me an email address of a firm of solicitors who handle complaints for OpenReach/BT which is all well and good but one thing SKY seem unable to understand is.....MY CONTRACT IS WITH THEM, I am their customer, I pay huges sums to them every month, they provide me with phone/broadband/TV....I have absolutely no relationship with OpenReach, I am nothing to them!

To their credit, all the SKY engineers who have turned up at my property have been absolutely lovely (useless in some cases, but lovely) and assure me that I am not alone in having problems with the installation by OpenReach, especially in my area where the work is subcontracted.

I am a) venting and b) asking for direction as to how to make a formal complaint to SKY directly at a most senior level, not using the methods on the website - any advice is most welcome - thanks.

[Daniel0210]

@Debpf 

There is no complaint process to a 'most senior level'. The complaints procedure is as per this link

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint

Sky (or more appropriately Openreach at the end of the day) have 8 weeks to resolve it satisfactorily or a deadlock letter being provided. 

[den43]

just beginning our nightmare with sky and openreach. Similar issues, the cabel installed was underground and part of our property was dug up. Engeneer fitted all his stuff and everything is working ok. But openreach have never returned to put right the ground work, leaving us with uplifted flags and barriers on property. I too went down the same road as you ringing sky only to sent to openreach site with the bot in the corner to fill out our request. I got the case number and then nothing. Ringing sky is a lottery of uk and and staff from abroad with a variety of different info from them. I agree the contract is with sky and sky are the ones contracting out so they should be dealing with them. All we want is a completion of the order.

[JimM1]

@den43 The OR civils team normally do the dig, install ducting if required or cable direct depending on as per there work order, normally they do return everything work wise and close up, week or so latter the barriers team arrives and collects all off them and everything is finished, sounds like the last part the uplift has still to be done!

[den43]

yes dug up 29th sept, engineer installed 11th october then nothing. sky says nothing to do with them its openreach, openreach says you have to go through sky to get a date to put everything back

[JimM1]

@den43 It's all to do with OR Civils the start middle and end, when done like that it just gets messy, teams move away while waiting on the Fibre team to connect you all up, and they get tied up with other jobs and forget to return to complete, you can only get sky to flag it up to OR nothing else, bit off a catch 22 you have now!