Saturday, October 29, 2005

My agony started between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Thursday, October 27th, when our phone line and DSL internet had been totally dead.

My son spotted downstairs that Bayantel contractor, plate no. WAV 991, was working on installation of a Bayantel phone line in Unit G of the building. Paul Denise went downstairs to notify them that we didn't have phone line and they might accidentally loosened our connection, just like what happened on June 29th this year! But, as soon as they completed their job, they ran away without fixing our disrupted phone line and DSL internet services.

Friday morning, past 7:00 a.m., I called Tel. no. 4121212 (trunk line of Bayantel) from the unit of Mr. Fernandez, who is a Bayantel subscriber. I spoke with Vangie Oliero. I informed her the inconvenience their contractor have caused us yet, she insisted that it should be PLDT, my phone line company, who to address my complaints. Disgusted, I told her it wasn't the first time it happened with us and I won't tolerate that inconvenience over and over again whenever their contractor is installing a phone line in the building. She asked for plate number of their contractor but I told my sister, who is a pioneer Bayantel subscriber, to call Vangie and tell her my complete name, address, and the plate number of their contractor.

Friday afternoon, I went to PLDT office in Cyberzone, SM North, and informed their Customer Service clerk about my discovery that PLDT phone box assigned to me was unlocked and tampered: It's name, PLDT property (plus my bldg unit) were erased! It took me about an hour telling her my blah blah experience and I requested that I will be given a new phone box which I can put a lock on it and a new phone cable to make sure my phone line wouldn't be tapped. She told me that since all linemen were out in the field already, she will make sure I will be attended to early morning of the next day. And so, Tintin and I left the office but with unexpected expenses I made bothered me. I already bought two PHP300 Smart Buddy load and spent so much calls in my mobile, paid internet access in cyber cafe, and we're forced to go out of the house just to let them know about our phone line technical problem, not to mention I talked with a lot of people asking them to do things for me and call the attention of 173 PLDT repair service and 172375 for DSL.

And finally, this morning, PLDT lineman came and we found out my phone box had been stolen/used, and my line was hanging in the air! HUH? I couldn't believe what I saw. The lineman had to repeat five times explaining to me what actually happened with my phone line. Grrrr... a Bayantel line was installed in my phone box! He then took a ladder and made a new connection using a black box which is secured with a screw. Someone has to use a ladder to tamper my phone line again! We then removed the existing Bayantel cable installed in PLDT box before detaching it off the wall. I need it as evidence and took it with me upstairs and showed it to all people who were aware that we didn't have phone line due to the recent Bayantel installation in the building.

PLDT lineman: Main phone line had been cut-off. The line connected to the box isn't yours!

I then called Vangie Oliero (Bayantel operator), and informed her about my stolen phone box! I advised her, for Bayantel's sake, to change their contractor who was stealing PLDT boxes. If they want a box, they should have told me and I will donate one, no need to cut off my phone line and DSL.

Whoever is this Bayantel subscriber who will complain of dead phone line either today or tomorrow remains to be seen but, I will be closely watching anyone who will come near our building a vehicle with adjustable ladder.

How we found out the line installed in the stolen PLDT phone box wasn't mine? PLDT lineman clipped his handy phone into the installed wires (in the box), dialed my phone number, and he told me my line was ringing!