ISDN to Broadband

RobertFoster

I rang eircom today to see if BB was available in my area - they told me it was and I was shocked (they could have at least contacted me after all the times I rang them before... )

The person on the phone was going through the costs, €99 for connection, €39.99/month, 4GB cap....then she said "we'll send around a techie to downgrade your ISDN line - this will cost €124..."

WHAT?! In order to upgrade to BB, I have to downgrade my line...? The very same line that took MONTHS to get installed a couple of years ago? Is this just eircom being eircom, or if I choose to get Clicksilver (UTV) or IOL, or NTL, wil they all be charging as much to downgrade before I can upgrade?

What a way to treat a customer who took the best offered (at the time)...

ozmo

Originally posted by RobertFoster

The person on the phone was going through the costs, €99 for connection, €39.99/month, 4GB cap....then she said "we'll send around a techie to downgrade your ISDN line - this will cost €124..."
[/B]

Got that myself.

If you have got an isdn line installed - its 124 (sometimes up to 150 depanding on who you get on the other end).
But if you had so called "High Speed" - ie. a standard line that was upgraded to ISDN then the change is €24 to put it back to standard line.
All the operators dont know about this - so ask them to check if they disagree.

please post how you got on.

ozmo.

Tazzle

You sure they don't just mean €24.99 to downgrade ISDN and then an additional €99 for installation bringing it to €124 (rounded off of course)?

RobertFoster

I'll give eircom a ring tomorrow (their lines close at 5pm) and ask what the charges are - the girl was too eager to push the sale rather than let me get a word in edge-ways.

I rang UTV after I posted here, the guy said there was new prices coming out so to ring back tomorrow...maybe they're going to go lower than eircom. I said I had an ISDN line and he told he removing would cost €25 and eircom would do it, so I'm begining to think the "€124" was like Tazzle said, €99 + €25, though I'm not sure.

Now that I've been told BB is available to me, I'm sorta spoiled for choice (well, 3 anyway) - I'm with UTVipXL at the moment and I'm not too keen on moving back to eircom...The brief read I've had of this forum, I've noticed people reporting "downtime" on both packages....would I be better off trying IOL instead?

ozmo

Originally posted by RobertFoster
I'll give eircom a ring tomorrow (their lines close at 5pm) and ask what the charges are - the girl was too eager to push the sale rather than let me get a word in edge-ways.

I rang UTV after I posted here, the guy said there was new prices coming out so to ring back tomorrow...maybe they're going to go lower than eircom. I said I had an ISDN line and he told he removing would cost €25 and eircom would do it, so I'm begining to think the "€124" was like Tazzle said, €99 + €25, though I'm not sure.

Now that I've been told BB is available to me, I'm sorta spoiled for choice (well, 3 anyway) - I'm with UTVipXL at the moment and I'm not too keen on moving back to eircom...The brief read I've had of this forum, I've noticed people reporting "downtime" on both packages....would I be better off trying IOL instead?

I've tried them all and I have to say Eircom is the best. Zero downtime so far and always top speeds. Bit more expensive - but same cap etc. now.
But if you want to join the marters for the cause of affordable bb in ireland - utv is probably your best bet - but they admit to having difficulties upgrading isdn lines - ask them if you dont believe me - even if it works you will be without idsn or bb for weeks - eircom claim to be able to do the switch on the same day - isdn to bb.

Tenshot

The parents just got their ISDN line switched to DSL; there is a bigger up-front installation charge, but the DSL hotline claimed that this will be refunded over the course of the year, by way of reduced monthly charges. Not unreasonable, considering that some extra work is necessary to effect the changeover.

The installation guy was in and out in about 20 mins, including router and PC configuration, and six minutes on hold to Eircom sales waiting for them to find the username & password for the account, which hadn't been posted out. I was quite impressed!

Ripwave

Originally posted by ozmo
But if you want to join the marters for the cause of affordable bb in ireland - utv is probably your best bet - but they admit to having difficulties upgrading isdn lines - ask them if you dont believe me - even if it works you will be without idsn or bb for weeks - eircom claim to be able to do the switch on the same day - isdn to bb.

Eircom are responsible for the ISDN downgrade, and are fully responsible for the delays when ISDN customers choose IOL or UTV for broadband.

It's criminal that eircom are allowed to get away with that sort of scam.

ozmo

Originally posted by Ripwave
Eircom are responsible for the ISDN downgrade, and are fully responsible for the delays when ISDN customers choose IOL or UTV for broadband.

It's criminal that eircom are allowed to get away with that sort of scam.

Yes - I agree. Eircom are responsible. But there seemed to be some sort of communication problems between all the parties to get my ISDN downgraded.
There was some chain which UTV wouldnt admit to me - but it did actually involve Esat somewhere. And Eircom wouldnt talk friendly to Esat - and UTV could never
get a hold of Esat.

After three months of giving up Isdn and getting 22K on my junk pots winbond modem - and on the phone complaining every day to both Eircom and UTV and even Esat - I gave in. (Although Eircom provide the DSL line and UTV provide the IP, Esat provide some of the middle bit for UTV apparently - probably to get the traffic up to their hq in belfast maybe.)

So - as I said - do one for the cause and go with a third party - or do your self a favour and do what the bullies Eircom tell you to do.
Up to yourself what you choose- but make sure you do a search on these boards for ISDN downgrades and you will see the company I had.

RobertFoster

eircom seems like the simpler option.

however, the caps [4 down, 1 up] would worry me... (gaming, website uploads etc)

a friend in england says he can get 1mb connection with no caps for the same price as eircoms 512k 8GB cap.... we're always so damn expensive.

it's begining to look better to stay where I am for the moment