Broadband engineer disappeared!

[PurplePetalPip]

Engineer arrives to switch over our broadband. Says he'll do all his bits outside then knock when he needs me. Hour later, I look outside and him and his van are nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile I'm meant to be working from home and am left with no broadband as BT was turned off at midnight.

How long should I leave it before calling? I actually have his mobile number as he rang before he arrived to say he would be early. Is there a legitimate reason he'd have left?!

When did he arrive (ie, how long ago was it you looked outside?)

I’d call him if you have his number

Gone to pick up a part he needed maybe?

@HotToddyColdSauvignon he arrived about 12:35. Was still here at least 40 minutes later as I looked outside. He's definitely done something but left without saying anything.

@scrantonelectriccity this is what I'm hoping! I would have thought he'd say something though!

He might have had to go to a main switch to fiddle with fiddly bits?

Must be the guy who came to install my broadband 15 years ago. "I just need to go into the cellar". Haven't seen him since. Yes, I did look. Got a different company.

Lunch Break

Yep lunch or gone to the exchange/ green box/ local connection/ to get a part. Give it a few hours, these things take time unfortunately.

This happened to me about 8 years ago.

2 or 3 engineers came and each time just disappeared. It transpired that the engineers would only get paid when they complete a job Unfortunately there was something complicated about our set up, not sure what - we'd just moved in. So an engineer would come and have a look, realise that he would not be able to finish the job in one afternoon and then make an excuse that he had to go and get some kind of supplies but then just disappear to an easier job. It took us ages to get it sorted.

So I ended up calling someone else from the company, who got hold of the engineer. Turns out he'd had problems with something in the main box or whatever and couldn't do it so had left.

I asked did he not think to tell me this before he left? Apparently he'd rang the Ring doorbell but didn't get an answer so left. He didn't get an answer because Ring doorbells don't work with no Wi-Fi! Why didn't he just try knocking?!?

Anyway now we are without broadband even longer while the issue is reported and resolved which they can't seem to tell me how long it will take.

@PurplePetalPip what a donut he is!

Could you pop to currys/pc world and get a 5g dongle thing? I think they call it "myfi" - it's a pay monthly sim and a little portable hotspot. You can cancel whenever.

We had one when we were without internet for about a month last December. It's useful for taking out and about too without worrying about data roaming so we just keep the monthly payment going.

Might do you for the interim :)

Do you have 4g or 5g? If so, can you use your mobile as a hotspot in the meantime?

Thanks @Stephisaur and @hedgehoglurker - yes, worked out how to use my mobile data but it's eating up my battery and the connection keeps dropping in and out. Although I get 4G we are quite rural so it's not brilliant.

Have given the new provider until Monday to sort it or we will have to go crawling back to BT.