Robin

May 19, 2025

Internet Incompetence

I ordered Squirrel on 8th Feb. It's now the middle of May and they still haven't got it done, and now they've even cancelled the order. On their first visit, they failed because someone was parked over one of the BT pits. Fair enough. But then they 'forgot', and I had to chase them multiple times to get them to visit again. On their second visit, they found that the BT ducting was blocked. Again, fair enough, not their fault that the builders damaged the ducting. Until the engineers started blaming the first team for not checking the property ducting was clear on day 1, which was A BIT RICH since two of the engineers were from the SAME TEAM that failed to rod it on day 1. Gaslighting at its finest. They then turned up for a third visit unannounced. Attempted to rod the ducting again. WHY? We know it's blocked. And a fourth visit, again unannounced. Attempted to rod the ducting again. Seriously? And a fifth unannounced visit with the rods. This time they actually dug up some of the path and found why the ducting was blocked, and realized they would need to dig up the road - something they really could have discovered weeks and weeks ago. They promised me the road dig had been 'booked in for May 1st/2nd'. Then a service agent called me to confirm that engineers would be visiting on the 2nd May, and said "because the ducting works have been completed". Ummm NO they haven't. The ducting works have NOT been completed. I told her that someone has been telling her porkies, because the ducting works still need to be done. The road still needs to be dug. She told me she would find out, and ring me back. She ... didn't ... ring ... back. They've posted out my router with instruction to plug it in - IN TO WHAT? There's no fibre to my property yet. Then May 1st came and went, and nobody turned up to dig the road on the day they promised. Then at close to midnight, an email "there is a car parked over the pit we need access to ... this order has been delayed until this can be resolved". WHAT? You're meant to be digging up the road, but you're emailing me about a parked car that happened two months ago, and that it is blocking you installing the fibre through the duct that you HAVEN'T LAID YET under the road you HAVEN'T DUG YET! I emailed asking for explanation, giving a breakdown of all the events, and asked when the road would be dug. They sent NO RESPONSE to my mail. And then, UNANNOUNCED as always, they turned up again on May 15th, two weeks after agreed. They dug up the road, and laid new ducting. I thought finally, things are moving... And then the same night after they laid the new ducting, Squirrel emailed me "YOUR ORDER HAS BEEN CANCELLED". What the actual DUCT is going on here? I contacted them again on Monday to find out WHY they are cancelling my order. First they try to tell me it's because of the parked car - the parked car that happened MONTHS AGO. Then they tell me it's because I didn't respond to their message telling me about the parked car - WHICH I RESPONDED TO THE NEXT DAY by sending them an email asking what the heck they are doing and why they are emailing me about a parked car that happened months ago. At NO POINT does the service agent ever admit this is any kind of mistake. Never does he say anything like "Sorry, this install should not have taken three months." "Sorry, we should not have cancelled your order." "Sorry, our communication was not up to par." They're telling me the only way forward is if I put in a NEW order, but I'm thinking WHY should I even go with this company now? They've demonstrated they are COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT at organizing the installation, and probably could not organize a drinking event in a brewery. They've failed to turn up on days they promised, turning up unannounced on other days. They've sent me messages showing they have no idea what is going on. They've failed to respond to email. Then they have cancelled my order telling me it's because *I* have failed to respond, even when I when I had responded and was still waiting for a response FROM THEM. And then to top it off, not even a 'sorry' when I contact them about it.