Moving House with BT
We’re moving house shortly, and one of the many things we need to take care of is the phone line.
We are currently with ntl for both telephone and broadband, but the new address, despite being in an ntl area with all surrounding streets having cable service, was never cabled up. That means switching to BT.
Even if the street did have ntl service, we were still going to go back to BT for the phone line, as we cannot get free itemised billing on ntl, and the phone line goes dead during a local power cut (in contravention of OFCOM regulations). We would however have preferred to stay with ntl for broadband.
No problem sir… or is it?
A few weeks ago, I called BT to see whether we could take our existing phone number with us (originally a BT number before being ported over to ntl). I was told that this would not be a problem as the new address was still within the same exchange area. “Just give us a week’s notice when you know you are moving”.
Having a firm moving date, I called yesterday to place the order, only to be told that the BT line at the new address had been ceased for a long time and that an engineer* would have to call to check the wiring was intact. Strange that, since the current owners have a fully functioning BT phone line. The CSA claimed that it must be another non-BT line. How, if there is no cable? She got very shirty:“There are lots of other companies, sir”. Yes, but it’s called wholesale line leasing – the line is still a BT line at the end of the day! “No sir, the BT line has been ceased for a long time”.
Not wanting to cause further damage to my head or the wall, I hung up and called back later.
It seems, however, after talking to someone who did understand wholesale line leasing, that the current owners have chosen to pay their line rental to a third party provider, and although the line still belongs to BT who have leased it to the third party, BT have no details about the line. I find that very hard to believe, as BT must have a record of the leasing arrangement and that they are receiving an income from the third party for the line. BT would also be responsible for maintenance on the line, so are they saying they have no records for that either?
Need more staff
It gets worse: the earliest appointment for an engineer is 23rd January! That’s almost a month away, to perform a task which will take a few minutes (and may even be done without a visit). Pathetic! This means that despite giving BT two weeks notice (one week more than requested), we will be without a phone line at the new address for almost two weeks at the very least. It also means that we will not be able to take our number with us, unless we left the ntl line live after we move out (allowing the new owners use of a free line for two weeks) Not bloody likely!
It also extends the period without broadband, as I cannot order broadband until the line is working. Now because of this debarcle, for the first two weeks, I won’t even have dial-up access.
I would not be surprised if it is BT policy to deliberately ‘forget’ about wholesale leased lines just to put a spanner in the works, as sour grapes for being forced to lease lines to third parties.
I have posted a complaint to:
Jillian G Lewis – Customer Service Director
BT plc
Correspondence Centre
DURHAM
DH98 1BT
I’ll see if I get any response.
Update: 3rd March
Over 9 weeks later and no response.
Update: 17th March
Over 11 weeks later, and I’ve just had a message on the answering machine saying “this is a courtesy call regarding your letter” and “you will be contacted within 10 days”
Question: why not just contact me? Sounds like an NHS style fudge, so they can say they responded within 12 weeks.
Update: 17th May
Well, it’s now two months since I got the message saying that someone would contact me within 10 days and almost five months since I originally wrote to BT. I’m still waiting.
*This use of the word engineer is very annoying and the reason that real engineers have lost their status in this country. The man who comes to fix your phone or television is not an engineer, he is a repairman, or a technician. He may be highly skilled in his job but he does not actually engineer anything. The person who actually designs the telephone systems or television is an engineer. You would not refer to a nurse as a doctor. In other European countries, you are not even allowed to call yourself an engineer without proper credentials.
Hi Ian,
I haven’t actually started the process of setting up the new BT line in my new place. After reading this though I think I’ll be calling them tomorrow to check how long I’m going to be without a line, and by extension internet access.
Your problems with them sound extremely annoying, and pretty much the standard BT installation nonsense that I’ve recently had to deal with during a new work installation. I’m hoping my new apartment currently use BT and not a third party provider, which “should” help me avoid most of the issues you’ve had.
Good luck with the rest of your move.
Chris
BT are without a doubt the most incompetent company i’ve ever come across. In the past 3 or 4 years (or for as long as i care to remember) i must have crossed paths with BT in excess of 30 times. Within all of those meetings, BT have failed to carry out a single action without needed to correct a mistake soon after. In the majority of cases, they have to correct mistakes numerous times before the job is done properly and in some cases, it never gets done properly. They never compensate and they rarely apologise sufficiently.
If a company is so consistent in failing to provide a service, then surely it shouldn’t be allowed to advertise the fact that it can provide that service!?
Oh, and your comment about the use of the word ‘Engineer’ is spot on.
Rob
Well, tomorrow’s the 23rd, so we’ll see whether we actually get a working line tomorrow.
Yesterday was the 23rd and we now have a working line. Shame it couldn’t have been two weeks ago when there was nothing wrong with the line.
indian call centres ars discraceful the laughed at me becouse they could not understand my problem, and for jillian lewis well i live close to where i live so i will be going to durham to shove my home hub back at them. and yes i am f**king angry by the way i did not spell my name wrong sADAM
Like you sADAM REITH I have had more than my share of BT and I have only been with them since 21/03/07. First problem was a faulty hub almost days wait for replacement? Now it is very slow speeds & capping? very low user. I spent 1 hour & 5 minutes on the phone to someone techo uk dept??? yet again hot air & false promises & pure lies saying we will get it sorted well tonight my speed dropped so low dailup would have been faster. As for Mrs J.G Lewis she is a waste of space on her letters & booket it states her contact address as london hence I sent a recorded sign for leter which has not ben delivered as yet? BT are a complete sham and don’t a sh*t for its customers!!!!!
I am having big problems with bt, they promised to have a line ready for our 83 year old friend on the 6th june 07, guess what still no line, ther was already a connection for a bt line, but after numerous call to them still more damn lies, i have never know anything so disgraceful in all my life. I had foreign people talking to me and what they were saying is beyond me.
Ello,
Just been trying for 2 weeks to get a line.
Guess what they all route to BT Broadband and round and round you go. Over 2 hours now. Have sent email via shareholders website.
OFCOM contacted over 0808 1007722 as stated on the website as the NUMBER TO CALL and 0800 800 150 which also routes you to Broadband only services.
Small claims action to recover my losses after a MANAGER called Johnathan stated ask a neighbour or use a call box. So someone I dont know in their house for several hours potentially giving out credit card and other information or standing in the elements to attain a service.
Worst still is the automated voice that says use the NET. YOU CAN’T not when a BT box si still in the house.
Think I’ll sell my shares there avain a laugh
I have exactly the same problem as ‘Moving House’ – Bt say I have a ceased line, it needs rewiring and they want to charge me about £124.00. Strange though, there was a dialling tone at the beginning of the week!
What really annoys me is the fact that Bt never answer the phone…I have literally spent in excess of 4 hours in the past couple of days waiting and waiting and waiting, and I’m still no nearer sorting the problems out and I’m having to foot the cost of using the mobile all the time.
I can’t get internet because the phones not connected…we’re not in a cabled area… even NTL weren’t this bad!!!
I am glad to see that it isnt just me who has experienced absolutley apalling service from BT!!! Not only am I on hold for a min of 60 min per call but once my call is answered I get passed around to incompetant people who have no idea what is going on! Also while trying to get a BT line installed the day they were supposed to show up they didnt and didnt bother to call! after 2.5 hours of calls we got hung up on!! and now I have recieved my bill for the connection fee! I have refused to pay it as I am now out of pocket 2 days work due the their mess up. I wrote to this Gillian it has been 2 months and still no reply. I am on hold as I write this and if i head “we are very busy your call is very important to us we will be with you as soon as possible” I am going to through my phone through the window! your so busy GET MORE STAFF there is no was a business should be allowed to keep customers on hold for that amount of time AND charge them a premium call! Anyone knows anyhting I can do about this please email me I have had enough… Ps have been on hold 35min and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!