Moving home

[Ricardo]

I moved home on the 29th September 2023. I called NOWTV on the 12th September (well ahead of time!) to take my NOW Broadband with me. I had an appointment booked with an engineer for the 29th September. That was cancelled on that day as OpenReach had to do some work in the property. After having been postponed several times and many promises of updates that were nothing more than another postponement, OpenReach visit happened on the 1/11/2023. I had no notice that this would happen. I was contacted in that morning by my lettings agent that had received a call from them asking if they could give the engineer my contact to allow them in. I was at work, had no possibility of being home with such short notice but I managed to ask my lettings agent if they could be there on my behalf. They kindly managed to be. OpenReach did all the jobs they needed and I was informed by them via SMS at the end of it that my router was online. When I got home it was not. I have not heard a word from NOWTV until the 6/11/2023, just saying their team of experts were working to resolve the issue and I would be updated on the 10/11/2023. Yesterday (7/11/2023), I received an email from NOWTV saying that my broadband and phone service was going live on the 1/11/2023 (in the past). A few hours later another email from NOWTV informing me that they have had to make changes in my order. No explanation why. Today (8/1/2023), I received the exact same messages via SMS. The first one saying my broadband and phone service was going live on the 1/11/2023 and the second one saying that there had been a delay and I would be updated on the 14/11/2023. As far as I am aware, there is no reason for the service not have been activated after the OpenReach visit on the 14/11/2023. I live a busy life and work hard. I need Home Broadband for personal and professional purposes as well and have relied so far on a mobile broadband device that I had with limited data and that keeps failing when I need it for Zoom meetings, e.g. I have also relied on my own mobile data hotspot. Therefore, I have spent hundreds of pounds on these alternative methods and I cannot see an end for this mess yet. This is really upsetting, is affecting my personal and professional life and my mental health. I cannot recommend NOWTV costumer services to anybody.

[RoyB]

@Ricardo 

We are seeing a lot of reports of delayed activations recently, and I wonder what percentage of activations this is, as the people with uneventful ones rarely post about them. But it’s a worrying trend.

By my reckoning, if Openreach do finally get you connected on the 14th, you will be in line for about £265 of automatic compensation for the delay, which may help defray the hundreds of pounds you have spent on alternative methods.

Though quite large data boosts are surprisingly inexpensive these days, and perhaps you could have availed yourself of one of those, to keep the costs down?

Anyone with critical business needs though, shouldn’t be relying on a domestic broadband supplier like Now. It’s OK till the service breaks; but if and when it does, you realise what you are paying for with the specialists.

But I do know how stressful it is not to have things working, and never to know when they are going to work, so I can understand how you feel, and I don’t want you to think me unsympathetic; it really shouldn’t happen.

But it does, and you will find many similar reports on the Community, though perhaps not as long-drawn-out as yours is proving.

However, everybody here, on this customer to customer Community, is someone who has come to an accommodation with Now, perhaps even finds the service praiseworthy, so in that sense, you are, I am afraid, preaching to the choir.

Perhaps if you post the above on TrustPilot, it will better serve your intentions of giving prospective user due warning?

[Ricardo]

Thank you for your suggestion Roy! I will definitely do that !

[Ricardo]

An update on this long and painful process. The process has been delayed until today when I received a message from NOW TV saying they are sorry to see me go but they can confirm that my order has been cancelled and they will refund a payment I had done at the beginning of the process (28/9/2023). No mention to the automatic compensation I am entitled for. As I did not cancel anything, I have answered stating exactly that and asking about the automatic compensation. They replied saying that OpenReach had cancelled my activation under the reason "The end user has changed their mind" and NOW TV lightheartedly accepted it. I am a NOW TV client, not an OpenReach client and the only contact I had with OpenReach was to allow access to my property at the beginning of the month to proceed with the necessary installation. They confirmed to me that everything on their end was done on that date. How can NOW TV accept so easily to lose a client because OpenReach decided to blame me as if I had changed my mind. Again, no mention to the automatic compensation...

[RoyB]

@Ricardo 

Openreach will have recorded that “The user has changed their mind” solely because Now informed them that you had got fed up and were cancelling.

So it would be rather disingenuous of Now to then turn round and quote that reason back to you as the reason your broadband was no longer scheduled.

But if I understand you rightly, you never did cancel with Now?

Did you perhaps threaten to cancel, if things weren’t sorted, and some over-enthusiastic staffer took you at your word? But even that would be a bit irregular.

However, if you had ruled out cancelling at that point, why was it put forward? I don’t know how compensation works if the account never gets set up - maybe there isn’t any?

Which would be a loophole if true, so I hope it isn’t. And would mean that staff should be doubly careful about putting a unilateral Cancel through, if that would have financial implications for the customer.

At this point, you should certainly record this as a complaint with Now, if you haven’t already:-

https://help.nowtv.com/article/how-to-make-a-complaint

and be prepared to go to CIFAS for dispute resolution. And maybe Ofcom would have something to say.

But start with a formal complaint to Now, and hope the compensation that is your due is forthcoming, and that it goes no further.

[NotPeteButPeter]

I am having the exact same issue.

My broadband should have gone live on 15/11/2023. Still waiting. Still get the same generic text message, but no real updates as to what the issue is and when to expect it to be fixed. Every time I call the customer service line, I just get told “it’s with our secondary team” and “it’s an issue with OpenReach”. The last time I phoned them, I was reassured that I would get an email from the ‘secondary team’ explaining why the delay is happening… but of course, I didn’t, I got the same generic delay text.

OpenReach refuse to communicate with end service users, so I’m getting no information from them, nor NOW.

I note that OpenReach are technically part of the BT company, so my cynical mind can’t help but wonder if that’s why they are taking so long?

Either way, I’m very tempted to just cancel and go with a completely different provider at this point. NOW are being just as unhelpful as OpenReach.

[gavs82008]

@NotPeteButPeter 

Is full fibre in your area? Aka FTTP, as NOW can only provide FTTC, which OpenReach are starting the process of closing down the FTTC network in favour of FTTP.

[NotPeteButPeter]

@gavs82008 

I’m not sure exactly.

Before moving, I did check via the NOW website, by entering the new address, and it confirmed that not only would I be able to use NOW Broadband, but also that the guaranteed speeds are one of the best for that address (as I compared them to other providers, such as BT).

[gavs82008]

@NotPeteButPeter 

It could be the cabinet is overloaded and OpenReach are now generally more focussed on the closure of the FTTC connections. 

All I can say is keep at broadband support until you’re happy with the resolution. 

That said you do have this as consolation as long as it’s reported.
https://help.nowtv.com/article/auto-compensation

[NotPeteButPeter]

@gavs82008 

Well, unfortunately, they've just decided to cancel my order without my permission. I was told that it is due to the order being 'stuck in delay' and that I can just reorder broadband tomorrow and they will try again. Unsure how that will affect the issue with OpenReach (if I reorder) and how that will affect my autocompensation...