[katandbob]

Hi guys, did anyone have a problem getting through to the UK last night???

We couldnt get through on either the landline using the cheap rate number or even just normally, and Mobile to mobile was useless too?

We tried to ring between 9pm and 10.30pm, we could get Msn to webcam and type, but that was it.

And the funny thing was that in the morning the MSN worked great - voice as well :confused:

I am assuming that that was because everyone else was opening pressies (we didnt have many so it was over in 5mins)

And that everyone and his dog was ringing everyone in the evening??

Any way I would be interested to see if anyone else had problems, as it was very frustrating, and doesnt bode well for New Years Eve or future christmases to come :(

[Marie P]

Hi Kat .........I spent ages trying to ring my 2 best buddies ,eventually after nothing ,various beeps and a voive telling me there was a system overload I managed to talk with one friend .[it was 9am in UK ]

Everyone else we Msn and Skype chatted.

Marie x

[katandbob]

well if I get charged at all for that period they will be getting a sting in their ear for sure...They are not my favorite company to start with - due to their two tier service for rural/CBD customers, and I have told them that much too.
They want ME to canvas the neighbourhood, to see if there are any others interested in broadband - and if there is get them to register their interest. and then they will see if there is enough interest to put another exchange in at the corner of Omaui road (nearest junction to our house) as the nearest exchange is currently in Bluff which is too far away for us!

hope your mum is enjoying NZ btw.....have a great New Year (I am looking forward to mine)

Love Kat

[Ana&Steve]

We had a very poor line when talking to our Auckland friends last night, who were down visiting in Foxton. That was at 5:30pm NZ time(8:30pm the day before in US) She mentioned that she had trouble connecting to Spain from there, as well. Not the UK I know, but it did seem as if the NZ lines were a little overworked.
BTW, we were using web call direct, a pretty good one for saving $$. :)
Ana

[jubjub]

We managed to get through on the third attempt but that was xmas morning here, xmas eve in UK. guess there are just soo many people wanting to say Hi at xmas....

[Smiler]

I had appalling problems between 10pm yesterday and 1.am today, just got the engaged signal or system overload. We tried for over an hour to connect on Skype, webcalldirect and Telecom landline.

Finally managed with Telecom and was cut off after 15 minutes, managed to redial after another 10 mins or so. :mad:

We only managed to speak to our parents yesterday and then made some more calls this morning at 5.30am :confused: to the US and UK again.

I'd also spoken to my sis on xmas morning here on Skype and we had to give up after a few mins as the quality was very poor, with a good 20 second delay. Grrr

[wiki]

We managed to get through on the third attempt but that was xmas morning here, xmas eve in UK. guess there are just soo many people wanting to say Hi at xmas....

My Dad got through to me about 10am Christmas day NZ time and didn't have a problem - by the time I'd spoken to three of my brothers and sisters as well we were on for more than two hours. Perhaps it was us clogging the line? :D

[K&CS]

Managed to get through - it just took a few attempts. Kat, I remember from when we were here on holiday 3 years ago, that we couldn't even send texts at midnight at new year. I also tried at 1pm on New Year's Day because that was when new year struck in the UK, and couldn't get through then either. Don't want to worry you unduly, but I guess it's best to be prepared for that eventuality!

[Brijan]

We had problems trying to get through to our son in the Uk, we gave up and sent him a text saying that we would try in the morning NZ time still Xmas day in the UK, he got the text and replied with no prob. I just assume that all the ex pats over here were trying at the same time.
Last year on new years day we were in Rotorua and rang the uk at 1pm on my cell phone and got through straight away with no probs so hopefully it will be ok at new year
Brian and Jan :D

[marcia]

We had no problem getting the web cam going on Christmas morning here, (but it was 7.00am.) My family watched the boys opening their pressies no problems!

Folks from the uk had been trying us throughout christmas day (but we were out anyway) they said it was very hit and miss that sometimes it connected and other times it didn't. Kev rang a friend and his mum but it was going up to Midnight here on Christmas day, tried the 0161 but no way could he get through using it, got through dialing normally after a couple of attempts!

Guess the system just goes into overload and you have to be patient and just keep trying! :o

[StevieD]

Fraid it is just that the telephone exchanges cannot cope with the demand on busy periods such as this.