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Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Old Jul 28th 2010, 2:32 am
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Default Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Has anyone else has problems with Etisalat (wait.... I know we ALL have problems with Etisalat in general) with upgrading to Elife?

I enquired a couple of months ago as to when Elife would be available in The Gardens. "Sometime in 2010" was the only response I could get.

Eventually engineers started turning up unannounced. Five visits so far:

1 Cabling upgraded
2 Another team wanting to do the same cabling
3 Installing the router
4 Another team wanting to install the router
5 Visit to find out what package I want

On the last visit I was told to expect to be contacted within a week then heard nothing. After 3 weeks I contacted Etisalat - "someone will contact you within the next two working days" then nothing.

Contacted then again 3to be told that a technician needs to visit AGAIN before I can be upgraded. Complaint number given and told I will be contacted in two days. Again nothing.

Came home last night to find that the Al Shamil cable connection has been disconnected. So I called Etisalat yet again to be told Elife is now activated and to check the router. Advised them that as the router and cables were not connected (and I could not pull the cables far enough out of the cable tray) no lights would come and that I was still waiting for a technician.

After some contortion (me - not the cables) I managed to connect the cables and hey presto a green light for power and a red light for optic!

Oh wait - red light is not good. This means it is not working.

I then asked Etisalat to reinstate the cable connection to be told this is not possible and that I can expect a technician to visit to fix the fibre optic problem within 2 working days. Their answer is that migration from Al Shamil to Elife has been completed since 1 July. Despite an outstanding complaint on 22 July to say that the technician has not been yet they did not recognise that migration to Elife is NOT complete.

So I can expect a technician to turn up whilst I am at work and not get the problem solved before next week.

Dont you just love Customer Careless Centres and the fact that a telecommunications company doesnt seem capable of contacting their customers or understanding what 'successful migration' is.
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Old Jul 29th 2010, 5:18 am
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

We're in AD Al Raha Gardens and were sold eLife as an upgrade to eVision, which we found was crap due to the useless set-top box.

Had the same stunningly incompetent runaround by Etishite. When the technician arrived, we thought it was to install the upgrade (inc new box), but he thought he was there to connect us to eVision, which we already had. When I asked about the new box he said it didn't exist.Turns out he's correct.

Etisalat have been selling eLife based on features it cannot deliver, so they've recently suspended it due to 'technical problems'. Apparently there's around 15,000 other subscribers also very pissed off!

DB
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Old Jul 29th 2010, 11:19 am
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

I'm always interested to read other people's comments about Evision and Etisalat as it amazes me of the total incompetence at all levels - they are quite literally a bunch of clowns.

If there were some viable competition they would have serious issues, but I think that's part of the problem.

Before coming to the UAE just over 4 years ago I had Sky TV, and what Evision offer now doesn't even come close to what Sky were providing then, let alone what they can provide now.

And broadband internet - the dial-up I had in the UK was about on a par with what I get here.

And both TV and internet are far from cheap.

\\End rant
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Old Jul 29th 2010, 12:06 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

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Old Jul 29th 2010, 12:37 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

We're about to move into a new place - internet connection is going to be vital. Is the general opinion that E-Life should be avoided and just go for Al Shamil?
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Old Jul 29th 2010, 1:11 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

We had the switch to fiber optics but wouldn't let them do elife. Husband told them to piss off
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Old Jul 29th 2010, 2:51 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Originally Posted by seraphnina
We had the switch to fiber optics but wouldn't let them do elife. Husband told them to piss off
I have elife. (no TV services though as we don't watch it). works for us - the internet is about as stable as the Al Shami but lots faster and cheaper.
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Old Jul 31st 2010, 10:22 am
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

I will let you know which I think is better once I get to experience it.

Since my first post, I have not had a technician 'within 2 working days' as originally promised. No surprise there.

Called them on Thursday evening and got nowhere.

Visited Etisalat office in Jebel Ali this morning. Once I got to see someone I was a 'challenging customer' to say the least. After informing the guy that I had not received a satisfactory explanation as to why the service was disconnected without successful migration or a clear answer as to when it would be resolved, I then told him to call his manager.

The manager assured me that a technician would visit today, and that he (the manager) would call me tomorrow to check if the complaint was resolved.

Technician has visited and determined that there is a problem with the cabling and that has to be handled by a different team. So once again I will be playing the waiting/follow up phone calls game with Etisalat.

From talking to a few other people I believe the sales team are giving the impression that you HAVE to switch to Elife. My understanding was that the connections are being upgraded everywhere by the end of next year - whether you are better or worse off may depend on what you already to subscribe to for phone/internet.

EDIT: Now discovered that the landline doesnt work anymore either - so dialup is not an option (at the speed you get on dialup it wasnt really an option in the first place). Only option at the moment is internet tethering from my iPhone.

Last edited by jebelaligardener; Jul 31st 2010 at 11:12 am.
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Old Jul 31st 2010, 11:41 am
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

We upgraded to eLife since the sales guy said it would provide all the TV things that eVision with it's crappy set-top box didnt.....only to find that there was no difference (and same box!) apart from faster internet.

My wife went to the Abu Dhabi city HQ office and raised a fuss with the Emirati manager on duty. When she explained that they were selling a service that didnt exist he treated her like an idiot. She stood her ground until he made a phone call and found she was absolutely right. She unsubscribed from eLife.

Utter, utter incompetence.
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Old Jul 31st 2010, 3:06 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Since my first post, I have not had a technician 'within 2 working days' as originally promised. No surprise there.

you were told within "2 working days" huh? I was told 48 hours. Of course, when I called on the 3rd day, the bloke told me that the 48 hours clocked from the day after the complaint was made.

Day 4: some other excuse

Day 5: Sir, we are doing our best and have escalated your case

Day 6: a technician will visit you today or tomorrow

Day 7 to Day 15: nobody called you? Ok, sir, a technician will call you today

Day 16: visit to EtiSlut office. Bunch of useless Egyptians at the front desk told me system is out of order and so we cannot do anything

Day 17: I gave up. Found the number of the contractor doing the cabling, pleaded with him to come and sort the thing out.

Day 18: more pleading

Day 19: someone came over and said. Ooops, this needs a box, not my job, I will put in a request to the other section. I managed to wrangle a number for someone in the other section.

Day 22: Since I did not hear from the other section, I called the number and finally managed to get the bloke to come over and sort the box out

Day 23: Got the first dude to come and hook the cable to the box

Day 24: line now works intermittently.

By the way, if your line or internet does not work before calling the Etislut people, switch off the box (fibre optic converter), wait a minute or so and check again. Most likely it'll start working.

Millsyisland, yes, dialup in Europe is faster or same as Al Shamil broadband here.

Etislut service is "zeg"

Until it get's its act together do not venture into eLifeā€¦ it is eSuicide!

Do not expect much from monopoly telecom!
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Old Aug 2nd 2010, 2:53 am
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Forsu - I should have kept a detailed log as you have done. Not that it really will help being able to throw facts at Etisalat!

Some progress yesterday - cabling team were here for 2 hours replacing the cables, after which they told me another team needs to come for activation. They didnt clean up after themselves, they unplugged an extension without checking first - so I lost power to my laptop. The cheeky beggars then asked 'can you help us' as in 'will I give them some money for a job that Etisalat is paying them for and I have yet to see the internet connection'. They got a bottle of water each and their marching orders.

The manager from the business centre did call me back yesterday as promised and having updated him he has said he will call again today to check the progress.
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Old Aug 5th 2010, 2:09 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

The latest in this sorry saga:

Technician visited yesterday to activate and asked for my Al Shamil password. I dont know what it is since the tech who installed the last modem 5 years ago did not tell me what it was and had not needed to enter it again. Until now. At least the tech yesterday installed the modem and confirmed the line works, and that once I get the password I can call him and he should be able to talk me through the activation/migration so I dont have to rearrange a visit from him.

Requested the password to be reset yesterday morning and was advised it could take up to 24 hours, but typically took less than 2 hours.

A day and a half later, and two more calls to follow up, the status of my request is 'in process' when I check online and 'in progress' when I call up. We seem to have a difference of opinion as to the definition of 'progress'.

So, the weekend is here and the internet isnt. Still, on the upside I am not in work on Saturday so I have the day free to sit in the Etisalat Business Centre harassing them again and this time I am taking the netbook since they have free wifi in there.

End of rant (for today anyway)
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Old Aug 6th 2010, 5:44 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Originally Posted by jebelaligardener
The latest in this sorry saga:

Technician visited yesterday to activate and asked for my Al Shamil password. I dont know what it is since the tech who installed the last modem 5 years ago did not tell me what it was and had not needed to enter it again. Until now. At least the tech yesterday installed the modem and confirmed the line works, and that once I get the password I can call him and he should be able to talk me through the activation/migration so I dont have to rearrange a visit from him.

Requested the password to be reset yesterday morning and was advised it could take up to 24 hours, but typically took less than 2 hours.

A day and a half later, and two more calls to follow up, the status of my request is 'in process' when I check online and 'in progress' when I call up. We seem to have a difference of opinion as to the definition of 'progress'.

So, the weekend is here and the internet isnt. Still, on the upside I am not in work on Saturday so I have the day free to sit in the Etisalat Business Centre harassing them again and this time I am taking the netbook since they have free wifi in there.

End of rant (for today anyway)
Our building has just been wired for eLife.
I wonder if there is an option to just keep Shamil?

I don't want a landline, and don't need the hassle as above.
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Old Sep 9th 2010, 9:17 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Sounds like upgrading is a nightmare.

As newbies to Abu Dhabi we need a complete new setup (phone/internet) and were considering Evision for the Premier Plus package, as opposted to going with OSN directly.

Should I assume that we'll not be online or have TV for quite some time?

Will let you know how we get on.

H
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Old Sep 9th 2010, 9:34 pm
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Default Re: Upgrading to fibre optic - Elife

Originally Posted by hayrah
Sounds like upgrading is a nightmare.

As newbies to Abu Dhabi we need a complete new setup (phone/internet) and were considering Evision for the Premier Plus package, as opposted to going with OSN directly.

Should I assume that we'll not be online or have TV for quite some time?

Will let you know how we get on.

H
You should have stayed at home, cheaper and better TV.
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