BT..Act of God?

Icewytch

I am so angry at BT. :mad:
The past fortnight here on the isle of Sanday we`ve had horrendous gales, resulting in the past three days with lightning and thunderstorms. Last night we had storm force 11 winds.
The lightning took out my phone line....I was actually online at the time...thank the gods for anti surge protection!...and saw the wee box the phone line comes into the house and goes into, explode..it flashed bright and gave out sparks, and basically melted.
So I used the mobile to call BT and they said as it was lightning damage I would be charged almost £200 for repairing it, as under the `small print` of my contract, acts of god aren`t covered.
I tried arguing to no avail. I got it repaired, by chance, as there were BT engineers on isle who were repairing something else, but were stranded due to the boats not running because of the winds.
But I don`t even have enough money to buy a ruddy postage stamp at the moment. I`m appalled that BT won`t provide what was a literally five minute repair for free, under the terms of their contract.
Lightning is hardly my fault.:rolleyes:
They refuse, also, to provide any kind of anti surge protection for their home phone lines.
Surely this is unfair? Has anyone else had this?
I have no choice but to find the money to pay when the bill arrives though god knows how, and have advertised in our island shops for anyone wanting a cleaner.
But frankly, I`m spitting nails at BT.
Sanday is a flat island some twelve miles by six, we get a fair bit of thunderstorms and usually lightning strikes somewhere on the isle.

Am I allowed to say how much I currently hate and despise BT?
A friend told me to refuse to pay, but I know what would happen...BT would cut off my phone line, and I can`t do without it as I run a business from home and online so need it.

Heinz

Your household insurance will cover the damage.

notbritishgas

You should be able to claim this back off your household insurance.
You have got insurance haven't you.......?

Heinz, you are too quick for your own good!

McKneff

just a thought

if no body can prove that God exists, how can they blame it on him?

Icewytch

I don`t have household insurance.....:o
(I really am dirt poor, guys...*sheepish grin*...:o )
I realise I`ve got no choice but to pay it, but it just seems so wrong, given that they refuse to provide some sort of anti surge protection. Maybe they can`t, to the outside line, but that box that went, was indoors and could surely have been protected somehow?

Icewytch

P.S anniehanlon, I think that`s the definition of `blind faith`...:rotfl:

Kavanne

Sue god, Obviously. Billy Connelly did it.

Belnahua

We have the same problem, I have already gone through 3 dial up modems, and have no wish to lose a broadband modem; So everytime there's a hint of a storm I come off line and disconnect the broadband box.

Last time we got struck, it took out the entire phone line from my master socket all the way back to the exchange - 2 weeks without a phone line, whilst the whole cable was replaced by BT, quite a job it was for them too, being so remote myself!

The Master Socket was a charcoaled mess (which is a surge protector in itself), my surge protector was a melted mass of blackened plastic and the modem in the computer was covered in black soot. Luckily I'd just got the computer powered off, and by fortune the computer survived!

However, BT explained that they were only responsible for the Master Socket and anything previous, but nothing after - that is my problem to sort.

Which you can see their point.

So lesson learned and disconnect anything of value during a storm and don't try and blame everyone else but yourself for sensible precautions. (edit, sorry that sounded a bit harsh, but it was a statement aimed at myself for last time we got struck by lightning!)

Heinz

anniehanlon wrote: »

just a thought
if no body can prove that God exists, how can they blame it on him?

Her.............

Kavanne

Heinz wrote: »

Her.............

It.

Done. k

McKneff

anniehanlon wrote: »

just a thought

if no body can prove that God exists, how can they blame it on him?

If nobody except billy connolly can prove that god exists how can they blame it on it/her/him.