It costs such companies to send technicians out of the way to rural areas. We have had this issue for years with Telstra (previously Telecom.) They wait until they have a few requests to do technical work in the area before they send someone. Otherwise the techs waste a lot of time on travel to both reach and find the location, etc. I'm talking about rural Victoria, Australia. But I heard same issue was happening all over Australia. ie: what a tech could do within an hour in the city, would take them perhaps an entire day in rural areas due to both the travel & locating of equipment concerned.

Similar to the costs of upgrading the phone & internet cables. Less people to cater for in rural areas, so very high costs for less income. Less demand and cost efficiency gives it a very very low priority for Telstra.

I personally 'detest' Telstra. And yes I have lots of stories I could tell of their cheating ways. Telstra are arrogant & aggressive in various ways. (Dare I say, I worked for them twice lol.)

LOTR (& PickaxeFairy)

Most reasonable people will understand that supplying rural customers with brandband facilities is more expensive, less cost effective, than supplying city dwellers. And to some extent, it is an additional cost, i.e. fewer modern facilities, rural communities have to endure.

However, there is absolutely no excuse for BT to treat PF's friend's mother like someone that has just come out of the dark ages.

It's this kind of stupid and arrogant behaviour that has convinced me that BT & Virgin forget that some of their income depends on their (bread & butter) customers.

Whenever these big boys have a monopoly (or duopoly) customer service tends to go down hill.

Unfortunately, PF's friend's mum now has a war of attrition on her hands.


UK Bob

Thing is - what makes it all so horrible is that the lady in question is nearly 70 - and this is really getting to her....
For all Virgin Media's 'inadequacies' - she was with them for years and was happy with them; they always treated her well....

She's just so fed up to the back teeth with BT - they've been truly horrible and disrespectful to her...
Not to mention extremely patronising - telling her to get a friend to 'keep' any bookmarks or downloads she may want....
Yeah whatever

Obviously, my friend has been/is fighting her corner - but all they keep doing is bringing 'clauses' out of the woodwork....
Erm, HELLO! WHAT clauses exactly?? She's a new customer who simply wants an internet connection....

The latest - they're now telling her she can't have any kind of broadband connection unless she takes her tv and phone with them too!
Well unless I've been living on another planet for the last goodness knows how long - I don't remember seeing anything (with ANY supplier) that stipulates you must have *all* services with one individual company....

If this wasn't happening to someone I know, I really wouldn't believe it....


Will keep you updated....