Crackling phone line and slow broadband - again

[Flers]

I have a crackling phone line and slow broadband 13mbs. This has been reported twice, the first time they told me I have too many devices connected. I went through the exercise of disconnecting everything and testing but no improvement, reluctantly they agreed to send an engineer. In the meantime the next the day the system was back as it should be. 32mbs (minimum guarantee 27mbs) The next day the scheduled engineer visit didn’t show up, no update from Now.

A week has past and the issue has returned 25mbs, no new devices attached, contacted the team and was told to edit the router and switch from auto to manual and work through the combinations until I found a result, that didn’t work so now at a loss as the support from the team is totally inadequate. In addition when using test my line it says everything is fine!

 I have pointed out to the team that virgin media are laying cables in my street and could this be a contributing factor?

All very frustrating 

[gavs82008]

@Flers 

All I can say is to get back on and ask for full line investigation. 

Nothing will get sorted on here as no broadband staff have ever come on the form to post. 

[Jayach · Accepted solution]

If your phone line is crackling, there is a fault, plain and simple.

Call them again, report the crackling line, don't mention the broadband, that is irrelevant until you have a clear line.

[Flers]

Finally convinced them that the fault was not in the house and they sent an Open Reach engineer who confirmed that it was in the road where virgin media had been laying cables. So probably looking at a total of two weeks without broadband and landline as they have both deteriorated to zero. Has anyone ever managed to get compensation in the form of reduced monthly fees?

[RoyB]

@Flers 

Compensation is in the form of a single payment calculated per diem for the days beyond two where the service was not provided.

You have to start the clock on this with Now, which your initial report has possibly done.

However, everything you have written up until this last post refers to a reduced service, not an absent one. So Now might not be aware of your complete loss of service; get back in touch with them and record this with them, so that they can check back, and arrange the proper compensation.

[Jayach]

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@Flers wrote:

Finally convinced them that the fault was not in the house and they sent an Open Reach engineer who confirmed that it was in the road where virgin media had been laying cables. 

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Irrespective of the cause, Openreach have to resolve it. But yes, underground faults are always going to be the longest fix.