Help: Broadband provider but pay line rental to Unicom even though its a BT line

papermoney

We have a BT line (as in BT installed it) but we do not pay BT anything at all. We pay unicom line rental and phone calls.

We recently instructed 02 to be our internet provider. After ringing today they say that BT have rejected it (not sure what 'it' is though) they say they only deal with BT and as BT are not the provider we can not have the internet through them.

ANyone know if this is going to be a problem withh all internet providers? When we first rang 02 they said it wouldnt be a problem but obviously someone got it wrong.
I've been without the net at home since the beginning of August now as Virgin really messed up too.

Donniedodo

Yep someone has definatly got it wrong. We don't pay BT for our line rental (we did up until about 2 years ago, but now we're with Toucan a.k.a Tiscali for that) and had no problems switching our broadband from Toucan to O2 about 2 months or so ago. Our broadband and phone line have been fine since (well apart from our O2 box deciding to reboot it self about 10 mins ago resulting in me loosing my internet connection for a whole 2 minutes while it sorted itself out).

So it definatly is possible. I'd phone them up and ask why you were told one thing and then another.

papermoney

I rang again and was told the order had been rejected by BT. I have no idea why. O2 couldnt say either.

billsavings

Unicom :eek: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1033643&highlight=unicom

If you have moved your line rental to Unicom you dont have a proper BT line any longer as such , some Isp,s will insist you have a BT proper line as you have discovered. Some will accept any home phone line (excluding Kingston Communications and cable) .

Are we talking about a residential or business line here?

Ms-Money-Penny

I've got the same problem been paying VOdafone line rental and broadband for 18 months want to switch but got to pay BT line rental for 12 months first

Bufflowbill

Ms-Money-Penny wrote: »

I've got the same problem been paying VOdafone line rental and broadband for 18 months want to switch but got to pay BT line rental for 12 months first

You havent got to move your line rental back to BT some landline providers will give you service.

papermoney

Mozkowitz wrote: »

The issue lies in that some providers, including O2 wont consider it a certified phone line unless BT have been on it, as BT only offer 12 month contracts you either have start with BT, pay the cancelation fee, THEN change to your inclusive broadband package with the other provider, who then takes over the telephone line.

I have phoned Tiscali and they say they can do it - will wait and see. We are with Unicom but only on a years contract. It's so cheap compared to BT though.

Bufflowbill

papermoney wrote: »

We are with Unicom but only on a years contract. It's so cheap compared to BT though.

Are you sure you on a 1 year contract?

BT plus www.18185.co.uk is probaly cheaper.

papermoney

Have just checked the contract and it definitely says 1 year. We've had no problems with them so far. Will check out the link - thanks.
We mainly use it for the cheap diverts.

papermoney

Just had a quick look at the link. We don't use the homephone to make calls really, just receive them. All calls are diverted to a mobile straight away. It was the diverts that cost a bomb with BT - unicom are cheaper by far.

utilitybroker

papermoney wrote: »

Just had a quick look at the link. We don't use the homephone to make calls really, just receive them. All calls are diverted to a mobile straight away. It was the diverts that cost a bomb with BT - unicom are cheaper by far.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1115511