Why Do Feel I'm Being Phished/Scammed! Where's Jim Browning When You Need Him?

[ownwonnow]

Ok signed up for NOW broadband 7th Dec 2023. Installation date set as 21st Dec 2023 but issue on day meant engineers had to revisit with date set 16th Jan 2024. Went live same day and everything seemed fine, if a little slower than "guaranteed minimum speed" but put that down to the first-week expected fluctuations.

Within 4 days internet completely dead. Phoned 0330 041 2460 helpline. CSA apparently did line test & concluded the problem was external to property and multiple times gave absolute assurances (even in the face of my scepticism on this!) that the engineer would definitely not need access to the apartment block or flat. He said the engineer would attend in 72 hours.

FFwd 72 hours and no call, email, text or other communication from NOW or BT Openreach received about an engineer attending or outcome of any visit and I purposely was home all the time just in case. 

So I call the "It's best to get in touch by phone" 0800 7591213 broadband/calls complaint line. Options are exactly the same as the 0330 helpline... Despite using the exact same account holder name, exact same mobile phone handset, exact same mobile service provider and exact same mobile number that I used to set up the account, and given the helpline password the CSA tells me I have "logged on to the wrong account". How is that even possible???? When "logging on" all one does is select appropriate options (3 for technical help, 2 for problem) and confirm a couple of yes/no questions! No account number or any other identifier is given. After much exasperation she asks for my account number and email address, which I give. Then she says I have to hang up and call back!!!!

I call back using the 0330 helpline number and get through to another CSA (though sounding like the same woman to my subcontinent accents-untuned ears). In a few words I say I haven't a broadband service and she puts me on hold with zero explanation or notice. When she returns she says "the previous advisor [which?] is looking after this case." I ask for an update on the 72-hour window for the engineer visit and she says that the timescale for an engineer visit is 3-5 working days and disregards my questioning the 72 hour timescale I was given and just reiterates about someone else "looking after this case". When pushed she goes on hold claiming to "speak with [her] higher manager" 🙄... and simply says the "previous advisor... he will call you back on this number in 5 minutes."

Has anyone ever had a call back from a NOW customer advisor? Seems odd.

Well over an hour later and lo... not a thing.

If this isn't one big call centre scam then it's one of the worst examples of customer service I've ever had the misfortune to be on the receiving end.

[redchiz1]

@ownwonnow 

I suspect an issue on the Openreach end of things. Sadly, NOW don't deal with things here on the community, you will have to persevere with customer services directly for updates.

You might also care to look here and make sure that you get any compensation due:

https://help.nowtv.com/article/auto-compensation

[Jayach]

@ownwonnow 

I had to look up who Jim Browning is.

You really shouldn't give credence to YouTubers. (IMHO)

There is no scam here. Incompetent support, maybe, but scam, no.

[ownwonnow]

The saga continues...

Called again today after still no contact nor service. Told that I have to book another engineer visit and, as predicted, access is needed despite the multiple absolute assurances previously given to the contrary.