BT systems down

laffer

Just telephoned BT to get a check on an address to see whether it needed a new line and was advised that there systems were down and to call back tomorrow. In the meantime the call centre advised just to check the line myself with a phone and listen for a dialtone.

I really want to avoid BT and there crappy broadband and telephone charges but looks like to get a new line you must be wedded to them for 12 months. But I suppose I can take my calls package elsewhere.

BT_company_representative

Hi Laffer! Our systems have been down today, sorry we couldn't help you this morning but if you send me over the address I can check for you when the systems are back up. I can confirm that if you want a BT line activated you will be starting a minimum twelve month term for your line rental but there is no obligation on you to have Broadband with BT.

Let me know if I can do anything else to help,

Look forward to hearing from you

Anne

BT Support

iniltous

You want to avoid BT and their crappy service but you call them ??
If you want to use another Telco why not call the one of your choice ??, When you call BT you are calling BT Retail and they have no more access into other parts of BT(Openreach) than any other Telco so if you want to use Talk Talk for example, call them and ask them

iscrimger

I wouldn't be so sure that if it has a dial tone you won't need a line or incur a connection charge. I was told this and they charged me £124.

laffer

iniltous wrote: »

You want to avoid BT and their crappy service but you call them ??
If you want to use another Telco why not call the one of your choice ??, When you call BT you are calling BT Retail and they have no more access into other parts of BT(Openreach) than any other Telco so if you want to use Talk Talk for example, call them and ask them

Yes. Because as I understand, in order to secure ADSL, you need an active phone line. In order to get an active phone line most companies say you need to contact BT and make this arrangement as the phone line into the rental property I am moving is non existent apparently. If it was possible to get naked DSL then of course I would do this but alas it is not just yet.

laffer

iscrimger wrote: »

I wouldn't be so sure that if it has a dial tone you won't need a line or incur a connection charge. I was told this and they charged me £124.

I rather suspect that they impose this charge as a general rule and the notion about it not being levied is but a myth which applies in all but the rarest of situations.

iniltous

laffer wrote: »

Yes. Because as I understand, in order to secure ADSL, you need an active phone line. In order to get an active phone line most companies say you need to contact BT and make this arrangement as the phone line into the rental property I am moving is non existent apparently. If it was possible to get naked DSL then of course I would do this but alas it is not just yet.

My point is that all servce provider can offer to install a line as well as
take one over, its just a lot of them chose not to offer this , if you want
to use an ISP who offer broadband only ( O2 for example ) then BT or
the Post Office allow connection to other companys broadband, some
companys though only want your telephony buisness if you take their
broadband (Talk Talk for example )
You never said who your prefered ISP is , but if there is no line in the
property then Openreach will charge whatever SP you use for the install
but at the moment some SP's are absorbing this charge themselves

clickclash

iniltous wrote: »

My point is that all servce provider can offer to install a line as well as
take one over, its just a lot of them chose not to offer this , if you want
to use an ISP who offer mobile broadband only ( O2 for example ) then BT or
the Post Office allow connection to other companys broadband, some
companys though only want your telephony buisness if you take their
broadband (Talk Talk for example )
You never said who your prefered ISP is , but if there is no line in the
property then Openreach will charge whatever SP you use for the install
but at the moment some SP's are absorbing this charge themselves

Do we know for sure what providers will reactivate a dead line, I know BT and Postoffice are the big two who can do that, any others?

ecoelle

Why not go with virgin and avoid BT altogether? We were with BT and they were awful, as new customers we were on a new system, which aparently only a few people had access to, after spending about 9 hours on the phone to them they eventually sorted out the problem, by which point i'd had enough and told them to discconnect me and i would go to vigin. I would also double check the charges with BT as we were told when we went to them that it would be free connection, only to then get a bill for £125.

Heinz

Even assuming the OP is in a cabled area, isn't Virgin (cable) the most expensive voice telephony provider in the country though?

laffer

I am in a cabled area. I think I am going to go with virgin. I hardly use the phone anyway and it would just use an over-ride provider when I did (which is mainly to call O/S). With Virgin I avoid the £100 odd charge and so in the long term I will be saving money even if my phone charges are slightly higher -these days it takes alot of phone calls to make up £100 and I simply do not use the phone that much. The insane BT line installation charges have lost a potential customer.