Empty phone socket

[t_rex]

So for the last 3 weeks I've been waiting for my internet to get turned on at my new place... It got activated last week, but I still had no dialtone. Anyway...

I had someone from Telstra come and (I assume from the runaround I've been getting from TPG) activate my line. He told my friend who was staying waiting there for him that my "line is working now" so my friend made him come inside to check for sure, then Telstra guy said there seems to be a fault a few meters from the socket after he plugged something in to check... He didn't notice no wires in there either lol - not sure how he determined a fault a few meters away with no wires...


I get home and I finally unscrew the actual phone socket because it's all sounding more and more like a joke and find this:

http://imgur.com/cN88F

I suspect the builders must have ripped out the cable when they put the carpet in after the previous tenant moved out.

I never noticed this whole fucking time. FML.
Turns out someone else upstairs has the exact same problem too I just found out.

[Pugs]

if renting call the agent and ask if the landlord can get this replced or at least you reimbursed for the cost of getting it fixed.. or if you own have a look at the CF installers lis ton Whinge pool for someone in your area..

[Madengineer]

Originally Posted by Pugs

if renting call the agent and ask if the landlord can get this replced or at least you reimbursed for the cost of getting it fixed.. or if you own have a look at the CF installers lis ton Whinge pool for someone in your area..

Landlords aren't required to fix this (Unless on medical grounds). I've already barked up that tree. Atleast, in NSW.

[TERRA Operative]

If you're in Brisbane, PM me.

[Pugs]

Originally Posted by Madengineer

Landlords aren't required to fix this (Unless on medical grounds). I've already barked up that tree. Atleast, in NSW.

didn't say they did.. said they might reimburse the OP.. FFS read

[Madengineer]

Originally Posted by Pugs

didn't say they did.. said they might reimburse the OP.. FFS read

Dude....you said to see if the landlord would re-imburse him the costs of doing it.....How the fuck is that any different to asking them to pay for it to begin with?
Not gonna happen.

[mareke]

The landlord is responsible for fixing it as it was a problem that existed when you moved in and most likely created by the carpet installers that the landlord paid to install new carpet. You could try using the end of a vacuum cleaner hose to try and suck the end of the cable to where it is visible. Is it a house on piers? If it is get underneath to see if the cable is there and if you can push it through. If it's not coming from underneath then it's coming from the roof cavity down the wall cavity. Get the real estate to get a handy man out to fix it at the landlord's expense. I have an investment property and I'd pay to fix a problem like this because the tenant didn’t cause it. A tenant I had complained that one of the phone sockets didn’t work in my place and I had the real estate get their handyman to fix it.

[Auriga]

To me, as a Telstra tech, that socket looks to have been out of action for a looong time. Where’s the cable? let alone the corrosion on the pins. I doubt the carpet guy would be to blame, the cable would still be dangling out or below if they had just given it a wack.

Do you live at a house? If you do, the Telstra tech should have checked to the first socket and showed you which one or where it is. It's not installed until it works to the first socket! You should get TPG to raise a fault.

If you're in an apartment block with an Main distribution frame (MDF) I'm surprised the Telstra tech went to your unit at all. The Network boundary point (NBP) is the MDF. All internal cabling is up to the building owner/strata etc. In this case the line is tagged, ready for TPG to arrange wiring to the unit.

[seowebdesignmel]

oh wow.
call up Telstra asap tell them the problem.

i use to work as a contractor for Telstra in this industry and, that right there is a bad look for the company that was there.

if want some help on doing it yourself, post back here, ill see if i can help you if you already have the cable running around the property.

[t_rex]

Yeah I'm renting.
I went in into the real estate told them about it, they mentioned the upstairs place had a similar "issue". I told them I already knew since I spoke to that person myself.. Anyway I'm going back tomorrow with photos since no one other than secretary's were available and all I could do at the time was fill in their maintenance forms, so I did that and left it with them to pass it on...

To me, as a Telstra tech, that socket looks to have been out of action for a looong time. Where’s the cable? let alone the corrosion on the pins. I doubt the carpet guy would be to blame, the cable would still be dangling out or below if they had just given it a wack.

Actually you're probably right. I forgot I was on the phone to Telstra last Wednesday and they told me my line hasn't been active for four years. Busy week... How did I forget that.

Anyway, I'm not paying a cent for this to get fixed. I don't care what she says tomorrow. It's in my lease if the line is damaged, the landlord will pay for it to be repaired.

I'm going to phone Telstra myself tomorrow also to check whether or not they actually activated the line.

If you're in an apartment block with an Main distribution frame (MDF) I'm surprised the Telstra tech went to your unit at all. The Network boundary point (NBP) is the MDF. All internal cabling is up to the building owner/strata etc. In this case the line is tagged, ready for TPG to arrange wiring to the unit.

This is why I'm going to phone Telstra tomorrow. I don't even know who turned up today. TPG emailed me back last week saying they aren't sending ANYONE. I phoned them right after and they said they ARE sending someone. TPG seem to have no communication within. I still have no emails confirming anyone coming to the place today. The girl on the phone made sure "you have to be home between 8am - 12pm or we charge you a re-call out fee"

From the vague description I got from my friend about the 'Telstra guy',
"The bloke said he wasn't allowed to come inside, but he did anyway to make sure he connected the right unit"

Much confusion.

[kombiman]

Originally Posted by Madengineer

Dude....you said to see if the landlord would re-imburse him the costs of doing it.....How the fuck is that any different to asking them to pay for it to begin with?
Not gonna happen.

Does happen, I paid for my tenants TV aerial to be replaced and an extra power socket to be put in. They asked nice and have been good tenants while not whining loudly about their rights and demanding I fix cracks in the wall and other nonsense. Your singular experience of renting is not the be all and end all.

[Madengineer]

Originally Posted by kombiman

Does happen, I paid for my tenants TV aerial to be replaced and an extra power socket to be put in. They asked nice and have been good tenants while not whining loudly about their rights and demanding I fix cracks in the wall and other nonsense. Your singular experience of renting is not the be all and end all.

I said the landlords aren't required to, not that they won't if you're lucky.

[mareke]

Originally Posted by Madengineer

I said the landlords aren't required to, not that they won't if you're lucky.

If the tenant wasn't informed before signing the lease that the phone line was faulty and told that if he wanted a working phone he'd have to pay to fix it himself and the tenant complained the tribunal would almost certainly side with the tenant. A working phone line is considered a basic essential service these days almost like water and electricity.

[Madengineer]

Originally Posted by mareke

A working phone line is considered a basic essential service these days almost like water and electricity.

Incorrect. As I said earlier, It is only considered an essential when required for medical purposes, IE Frail/Disabled (Quick response alarms etc)

In the tennants rights manual.

In NSW the landlord is not required to pay for, nor have a working connection on the property. It is the responsibility of the tennant to organise. However some landlords may see the benefit of it and go 50/50 with the tennant, or pay for it all.

[mareke]

Originally Posted by Madengineer

Incorrect. As I said earlier, It is only considered an essential when required for medical purposes, IE Frail/Disabled (Quick response alarms etc)

In the tennants rights manual.

In NSW the landlord is not required to pay for, nor have a working connection on the property. It is the responsibility of the tennant to organise. However some landlords may see the benefit of it and go 50/50 with the tennant, or pay for it all.

I could find nothing in the link supporting your statement. I did however find that it says that landlords should keep the property in a reasonable state of repair. If you can show me where it says that landlords are entitled to hide faults so they can con a tenant into signing up and then expect the tenant to repair the undisclosed fault I'll acknowledge this. Your statement depends on what the definition of a working connection is. If a working connection means a line already activated with a phone that has a dial tone then obviously the landlord is not required to pay for this. Having a dummy phone socket installed so prospective renters are conned into believing that the place has phone facilities and all the tenant has to do is sign up with a telecom company and have the line activated in his name and not disclosing that this is not the case before the tenant signs a lease is deceptive and I believe the tribunal would probably side with the tenant if he complained.