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Cable problems. Cut off.....Literally!!!!
impecunious
Posts: 208 Forumite
in Phones & TV
Apologies if I have put this in the wrong place but nowhere else seemed to be right either!
I have Virgin Media for TV, Broadband and telephone and was clearing our front garden when I discovered, too late, that I had cut the cable:eek:. I was shocked and surprised to discover that the cable is LESS THAN ONE INCH under the soil in our front garden. In fact, it connects to the box in the road at street level! I rang Virgin Media and the earliest date I was given is this Thursday, a full week away from when I did it. I explained that I needed it sorted out ASAP as I have bare wires in our garden, my wife needs the phone as she works from home, the kids are playing merry hell because Disney Channel is off and it was downright dangerous. Also I told them I pay them nearly a grand a year in fees. Did I get any joy? NO! I was promised a call (to my mobile) from engineers direct that day, but I'm still waiting.....!
Was told that it would take a special engineer to sort it out, but because of the delay, my wife and kids giving me daggers, me and a mate spliced them back in a couple of minutes!:j Everything works fine, but still have bare cable in garden.
Don't know the law, but I am assuming that cables have to buried at a certain depth. Is this correct? I really want to cover myself in case they try to charge me for the damage.
I have Virgin Media for TV, Broadband and telephone and was clearing our front garden when I discovered, too late, that I had cut the cable:eek:. I was shocked and surprised to discover that the cable is LESS THAN ONE INCH under the soil in our front garden. In fact, it connects to the box in the road at street level! I rang Virgin Media and the earliest date I was given is this Thursday, a full week away from when I did it. I explained that I needed it sorted out ASAP as I have bare wires in our garden, my wife needs the phone as she works from home, the kids are playing merry hell because Disney Channel is off and it was downright dangerous. Also I told them I pay them nearly a grand a year in fees. Did I get any joy? NO! I was promised a call (to my mobile) from engineers direct that day, but I'm still waiting.....!
Was told that it would take a special engineer to sort it out, but because of the delay, my wife and kids giving me daggers, me and a mate spliced them back in a couple of minutes!:j Everything works fine, but still have bare cable in garden.
Don't know the law, but I am assuming that cables have to buried at a certain depth. Is this correct? I really want to cover myself in case they try to charge me for the damage.
If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend 6 hours sharpening my axe
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Comments
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Thanks for that cledor. And, yes, it really does seem vague, but it was very interesting to hear from an ex-employee that NTL's own SOP was for 10" in soft soil and 6" in hard ground. But there must be some sort of Government, HSE etc regulations for this type of work.....If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend 6 hours sharpening my axe0
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I live in a first floor flat and my neighbours downstairs did the same thing two years ago, it was Telewest at the time.
I called them out and complained that the cable was only buried just below the surface of the grass, there was no charge.
The guy that repaired the cable applied a connector and then some waterproof casing / resin.
I've had no problems since.0
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