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Neuf not working and useless support


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Hi,
Ive signed up for a Neuf ADSL and telephone package for our holiday home in Aisne. The telephone line is "degroupage" so it only works through the ADSL line, we dont have a France Telecom line. The Neuf box arrived and I set it up (I'm a computer programmer so I'm used to doing this) and it didnt work. The error says it cant synchronise with the telephone exchange.

So I tried to contact Neuf support. The only way to contact them is by phone but our phone isnt working so we went to the local phone box and tried to ring form there. Didnt work. 0892 numbers cant be called from a phone box. I tried then calling the number from the UK but it never gets through (Ive read that it only responds to French calls). They have a page on their site that you can email them but they responded saying they couldnt offer technical help and giving us no other means of contact.

I now dont know what to do. Theyve been billing our account for the last 2 months and we've had no service and no way to let them know. Im considering writing a letter and then unsubscribing. Has anyone else had this problem?

Ian

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Hello Ian L

I cannot give any advice concerning the technical problems.The description of your problem has brought back the frustration I felt dealing with another ISP... until I changed to Neuf!

If you want them to act:

  1. send them a "lettre de mise en demeure" (sample here) explaining what the problem is. This is a demand that says "sort it out it by such date or I'll leave'. Explain that  you have tried to reach them from abroad because you do not live permanently in France and give them a contact number where they can reach you should they need to.

  2. the letter has to be sent by registered post with proof of receipt (LR+AC). Do check the address you need to send it to.

  3. if

    the period notice shown in your letter expires without any improvement

    of the problem and
    assuming you are locked into a 12 month contract,  you can then get out of the contract without penalty

    charges.
  4. to do that, send the "lettre de résiliation de contrat" (sample here)
  5. the letter has to be sent by registered post with proof of receipt (LR+AC). Do check the address you need to send it to.
  6. keep a copy of all correspondence and a list of your attempts to reach them.
EDIT: links now edited

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Sounds like a pain..

Have you tried using just an ordinary modem instead or is this a box which handles the phone as well etc? It should be able to detect if ADSL is enabled..

I can only say that I signed up with NEUF 2 years ago (FT line kept) and all went very smoothly. I pay 11€ month for the ADSL and FT get their €13. I wanted to keep the FT line as they are the only ones who can repair it if it goes down! (Much like the UK)

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Thank you for the replies both of you. Clair your suggested letters look like just what I need but unfortunately the links dont seem to work. Would you mind reposting please?

joidevie, Im afraid the line is doing nothing at all because we didnt keep the France Telecom subscription, trying to reduce costs on a line we wont use much, so we cant use an ordinary modem.

Im really surprised Neuf doent have a variety of ways of getting help. Im not sure how anyone is meant to get help with their telephone line if all they offer is a telephone number you cant call from a public telephone box.

Thanks again.

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Ian L

Apologies for the links. Your situation is is a recurring problem and I have posted this many times before. The consumers' association have updated their website and the links became obsolete. I have now restored them and the samples letters will open in a word processor form.

Joiedevie

The current tariff for a FT line is €16 a month. See this page under "Caractéristiques détaillées"

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[quote user="Ian L"]

Hi,
Ive signed up for a Neuf ADSL and telephone package for our holiday home in Aisne. The telephone line is "degroupage" so it only works through the ADSL line, we dont have a France Telecom line. The Neuf box arrived and I set it up (I'm a computer programmer so I'm used to doing this) and it didnt work. The error says it cant synchronise with the telephone exchange.

So I tried to contact Neuf support. The only way to contact them is by phone but our phone isnt working so we went to the local phone box and tried to ring form there. Didnt work. 0892 numbers cant be called from a phone box. I tried then calling the number from the UK but it never gets through (Ive read that it only responds to French calls). They have a page on their site that you can email them but they responded saying they couldnt offer technical help and giving us no other means of contact.

[/quote]

Hi Ian.  Like you, I am with neuf, but have had no problems with the changeover from FT to neuf.  There are a few observations I would like to make, please ignore any that don't apply, but I hope they may be of help[:D].

When we bought our house, we started with FT and a livebox.  There were a few problems initially with the line, that FT sorted out fairly promptly, and after that we had no line problems.  It was after more than a year with FT and no further problems, we investigated the possibility of transfering to a much cheaper service. 

We opted for neuf degroupage, just like you.  Neuf sorted out the changeover from FT, there was a twenty odd day delay between requesting the service and receipt of the box with full activation of the neuf service (including about 24 hrs without either service).  We were able to follow the setup of the service online, by entering our phone number on the neuf site at the appropriate page.  It wasn't until this told us that all our service was set up that we were able to do the full install, broadband and phone, which coincided with the arrival of the neuf box.

As you say yours is a holiday home, a few questions arise.

Are you sure the FT line worked prior to the changeover to neuf?

How long from receipt of the neuf box until you (presumably) had to leave your holiday home, did you have, and have you been back since?

If you have your phone number, have you checked on the neuf site that your sysytem is fully set up?

Not sure if i can put this on here, but the telephone number that I used for neuf was

0800 73 74 66

this is a general number as I then had to ask for an extension.

I can only add that I have been very happy with neuf, much cheaper, no broadband drop outs, and no telephone problems (though I probably will have now[Www].

Hope this helps, and good luck[:D]

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Hi Ian,

Just another long shot. We found that our security package (Macafee) was incompatible when we had a Livebox fitted. We had months of problems until we switched to Norton - could it be that there is something on your computer blocking Neuf?

Don't know much about computers - so please ignore if this is irrelevant.

Good luck

LL

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Ian, you may have already done this but I tried entering "pas de synchronisation telephone" in "Chloe" on Neuf Assistance page and this is what came up http://assistance.neuf.fr/neuf/internet/neufbox/fichetech.do?id=11542&type=RichDataSheet. Any good?

This http://www.freetranslation.com/tools/google-toolbar/web.asp?language=French/English the slightly inaccurate (but slightly funny!) translation from SDL if you need it.

Link shortened by a Mod

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Ian,

I signed up with Neuf 9 months ago.  It took 6 months and threats of legal action to get the system to work.  They allowed us to sign up for a system that even their own technical support people admitted would not work. Basically an upload speed of  164kbs was insufficient for the internet and the telephone line to work at the same time. To use the phone we had to disconnect the internet. Even then the transmission was broken up. However, I did not sign up on line, but went into a local shop (SFR) who offered the service.  At least then, I could go back to the shop and deal with someone face to face.  The rep was responsible for testing the line, assuring me it would work and so I had no compunction in badgering him to badger NEUF.

Even our next door neighbour, who is French, has had the same problems, so its not just the language barrier.  NEUF themselves advised us to use the unofficial NEUF forum to find out what's going on.  If you read the articles in the French equivalent of WHICH, you will see that the small claims courts are full of people taking ALICE, FREE, NEUF, FT etc to court over all their services.

Have to say now, after much effort, NEUF is great.  Second SIM card for 10 mins free calls per month, on line storeage, free music download, PC and Numeric TV etc.

Would advise anyone to sign up in a shop rather than on line.

 

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