Frustrating broadband situation

JaMarcus Hustle

Hi, have a bit of a frustrating situation to run by you guys. I was going to cross post this in the Broadband forum as well because I want some advice from both a tenancy/rights perspective, and from a technical perspective.

Basically, we moved into an apartment 2 weeks ago that was advertised with “Satellite TV” and “Broadband”. There is an Eircom line in the apartment, and a couple of days after moving in we set about enquiring with Sky as that’s what we want to get.

It turns out though, that the line is still active because the previous tenant never cancelled their Vodafone account (so if we plug in a router, there is wireless internet, and likewise if we plug in a landline, we have a working phone). Obviously we have no interest in using this as we want Sky, so we rang them to get our own service installed. But they apparently require a UAN number to switch over an active line, which the previous tenant should know (it’s on their bills, or they can get it from Vodafone). Unfortunately, the previous tenant has left the country and is un-contactable so we have no means of getting this number.

We got in contact with the bank (landlord), who have sent a mail to Vodafone confirming that we are now the legal tenants and that the previous tenants are no longer living in the country. That’s where we’re at right now. But I rang Vodafone last night and they said that they will soon tell the landlord that they will cancel the account (which de-activates the line, I believe). I then rang Sky, and they said it can then take up to 4 weeks for them to see the line reactivated on their system, so it would be about 6 weeks from move in date before we can even try and get someone round to install Sky.

I find it very hard to believe that it can take that long, surely things like this happen all the time? My question is, has anything like this ever happened you/someone you know or is there any options you can think of that we’re not aware of? Do we have any right to complain to the landlord given the apartment was advertised with Broadband? It’s frustrating as we really need this for work-from-home, and 4 weeks is a long time to wait with some big workloads coming up for me in particular. I’m guessing we have no right to break the lease if that’s how long it takes, seeing as the lease doesn’t mention broadband in particular?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

No Pants

How long would it take Vodafone to activate the line in your name?

JaMarcus Hustle

No Pants wrote: »

How long would it take Vodafone to activate the line in your name?

I don't know, but we want to go with Sky as a relative can get us a really good deal that we don't want to pass on.

No Pants

It would be faster if you could get a UAN, but you can't as it's not your line. To get a line from Vodafone initially would probably require a contract of at least 12 months duration, but might as well confirm that. Are you sure that there isn't an old Vodafone bill lying somewhere around the apartment?

If the 4/6 week delay is unavoidable, could you use another product in the meantime? Maybe a 3G dongle or, if there was another apartment with broadband, offer them half of their monthly bill in exchange for their passcode. I had to do that with my neighbour (house) once for a short period due to a fault. No money changed hands because we have a decent relationship.

khards

We spent months trying to get a line connected and the previous tennants vodafone account cancelled.
In the end we gave up and got a meteor dongle instead.

djimi

Have you any other options for broadband? UPC would be considerably better than any of the DSL broadband services, and probably cheaper too.

No Pants

Vodafone and Eircom are also rolling out fibre, which is cheaper than their regular broadband doesn't require a phone line.

L1011

No Pants wrote: »

Vodafone and Eircom are also rolling out fibre, which is cheaper than their regular broadband doesn't require a phone line.

No, it requires a phone line. You dont pay rental or have to have a number but it requires the line

djimi

How is it fibre if it is coming down a standard phone line?

No Pants

MYOB wrote: »

No, it requires a phone line. You dont pay rental or have to have a number but it requires the line

I thought it was going to be fibre to the house. They've been setting up new cabinets for this and I was told that I'd require a new socket and modem.

Anyways, my point was (supposed to be) that since Vodafone would have to visit the house and perform some work, the status of the previous phone line should not come into it. Also that it should be cheaper.

L1011

Fibre to cabinet, vdsl over existing copper to house. New filtered socket on existing line. Neither "efibre" or UPC "fibrepower" are fibre to the house.

Endgame: you need a working line for vdsl

No Pants

MYOB wrote: »

Fibre to cabinet, vdsl over existing copper to house. New filtered socket on existing line. Neither "efibre" or UPC "fibrepower" are fibre to the house.

Endgame: you need a working line for vdsl

Ah crap! I'm in a neverending dispute with Vodafone over my service dropping and I thought that maybe fibre may force them to replace the line all the way to the door.

Anyway, back to the OP's issue...

Richard Dower

the only other advice not offered yet is to get a brand new landline installed....it costs 120 quid though.

but....vodafone might start sending YOU bills for the previous tenant...since they know someone new is living there, so they could start hassling you to pay his bills.

i bet he owes alot too, he legged it and left the line/account active....scumbag behaviour imo :mad:

JaMarcus Hustle wrote: »

Hi, have a bit of a frustrating situation to run by you guys. I was going to cross post this in the Broadband forum as well because I want some advice from both a tenancy/rights perspective, and from a technical perspective.

Basically, we moved into an apartment 2 weeks ago that was advertised with “Satellite TV” and “Broadband”. There is an Eircom line in the apartment, and a couple of days after moving in we set about enquiring with Sky as that’s what we want to get.

It turns out though, that the line is still active because the previous tenant never cancelled their Vodafone account (so if we plug in a router, there is wireless internet, and likewise if we plug in a landline, we have a working phone). Obviously we have no interest in using this as we want Sky, so we rang them to get our own service installed. But they apparently require a UAN number to switch over an active line, which the previous tenant should know (it’s on their bills, or they can get it from Vodafone). Unfortunately, the previous tenant has left the country and is un-contactable so we have no means of getting this number.

We got in contact with the bank (landlord), who have sent a mail to Vodafone confirming that we are now the legal tenants and that the previous tenants are no longer living in the country. That’s where we’re at right now. But I rang Vodafone last night and they said that they will soon tell the landlord that they will cancel the account (which de-activates the line, I believe). I then rang Sky, and they said it can then take up to 4 weeks for them to see the line reactivated on their system, so it would be about 6 weeks from move in date before we can even try and get someone round to install Sky.

I find it very hard to believe that it can take that long, surely things like this happen all the time? My question is, has anything like this ever happened you/someone you know or is there any options you can think of that we’re not aware of? Do we have any right to complain to the landlord given the apartment was advertised with Broadband? It’s frustrating as we really need this for work-from-home, and 4 weeks is a long time to wait with some big workloads coming up for me in particular. I’m guessing we have no right to break the lease if that’s how long it takes, seeing as the lease doesn’t mention broadband in particular?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

mistress_gi

This might not be valid but can't you just hook up a phone to it and ring your mobile? That would most definitely give you the landline number!

L1011

mistress_gi wrote: »

This might not be valid but can't you just hook up a phone to it and ring your mobile? That would most definitely give you the landline number!

That doesn't give anything of use, seeing as its a UAN (Universal Account Number) he needs.

zef

If the service is active the billing to the address should be active too- keep a look out for bills from Vodafone.

djimi

zef wrote: »

If the service is active the billing to the address should be active too- keep a look out for bills from Vodafone.

You know its illegal to open someone elses mail, right?

zef

Yes, I meant so he could get in contact with Vodafone and prove he had them, to prove he was now resident at that address. I didn't mean to open them, sorry if it read like that.

djimi

Fair enough! Im not sure what having a bill would achieve though; by the sounds of it they need this UAN from the previous tenant to close off an active account, which probably requires the accountholders authorization.

mistress_gi

ah! I thought it was too simple