Magnet Entertaiment - exclusive provider in estate - is this legal?

Hi All
Im living in a new estate where magnet have an "exclusivity deal" with the developers the problem is that there service mainly TV is useless.

Ive had both Sky and Ntl out to connect me up to their services but neither were able to as magnets phonelines are incompatible !! among other problems .This is really annoying me as it seems our right to choose a service provider has been taken away , surely this isnt right !!
Any one help ??
L

Re: Magnet Entertaiment !! cant be legal ??

messedaround said:

Hi All
im living in a new estate where magnet have an "exclusivity deal" with the developers , the prob is that there service mainly TV is useless
Ive had both Sky and Ntl out to connect me up to their services but neither were able to as magnets phonelines are incompatible !! among other problems .This is really annoying me as it seems our right to choose a service provider has been taken away , surely this isnt right !!
Any one help ??
L

Click to expand...

can't you get sky set up without using the magnet phone line? I don't have a phone line and I was able to have sky installed.

Re: Magnet Entertaiment !! cant be legal ??

Unfortunantly it is not illegal. It is becoming common practice for developers to enter contracts with telecom providers to wire up new developments as it saves the developer money and they get to advertise it as having "modern telecommunications". I agree that I think it is unfair in that it limits consumer choice and competition but no laws are being broken or so consumer affairs have told me. I am in the same boat with magnet in another development. On the plus side, they have recently announced major expenditure on infrastructure so hopefully things will improve.

Owners in the development I used to live in contacted the Competition Authority but I don't think they got anywhere.

When the estate is handed over to the owners, you may have the option of getting someone else in. NTL were more than willing to serve our site but were precluded from doing so while the developer still had control.

sky could install only One box for me , and said thats all i could ever have because of the phonelines , so this was a non runner as i needed 3
Ntl offered me there mmds service ,but when he checked for the signal he said there were too many apartment blocks blocking in the houses , id never get a signal so that was that , I suppose im getting used to magnet but there missing so many channels that are a must have for kids and my sanity !!

You can get BBC 123&4 ITV123&4 BBC24 CNN SKY News etc by putting up your own satellite dish from €100- , then you need ears or an aerial for RTE . Google " lidl satellite " as so many beginners used this one. Extra rooms need a sat box starting at €40- .
pjq

CCOVICH said:

Owners in the development I used to live in contacted the Competition Authority but I don't think they got anywhere.

When the estate is handed over to the owners, you may have the option of getting someone else in. NTL were more than willing to serve our site but were precluded from doing so while the developer still had control.

Click to expand...

When the estate is handed over, it may transpire that the ducting infrastructure is not adequate for alternative / multiple providers. For example, I know of a situation where eircom are not allowed into an estate. When this estate is "handed over" in , say, 5 years time, eircom will not be interested in digging up the footpaths etc. for 70 - 80 customers.

Any info or complaints about this issue should be forwarded to the National Consumer Agency, 4 Harcourt Road, Dublin or ask@consumerconnect.ie they maybe able to advise.