Vandalised BT line...costly crime

Legacy_user

Hi, I'm sending a message on behalf of my mother, who is a pensioner, for some advice and also to warn others of the possibility of this crime.

My mum has recently been targeted by some naughty person who cut her telephone and Sky TV wires outside her house. According to the local police, the unknown vandal(s) cut between 60-70 lines at various houses around her area in one night, for some unknown reason (possibly copper theives according to SKY repair man???).

BT came to mend the phone line and they have charged her over £120 for fixing it. BT say that even though the damage was malicious she has to pay for the line to be reconnected as it is on her property. If all the homes that were targeted had BT lines, that is about £7000 BT has made from that vandals nights work - is this fair?

Is anyone aware of anything that can be done to protect the cables running outside her home from being cut again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Heinz

Enclosing such cables within metal conduit is about the only way - but that's ugly and expensive to install.

MrsE_2

Alval wrote: »

BT came to mend the phone line and they have charged her over £120 for fixing it. BT say that even though the damage was malicious she has to pay for the line to be reconnected as it is on her property. If all the homes that were targeted had BT lines, that is about £7000 BT has made from that vandals nights work - is this fair?

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I thought BT were responsible for the line up to the first junction box in the house?

macman

Interesting one this-it's BT responsibility up to the master socket, but the damage was done on the OP's private property, not in the street. If it had been wear and tear, they would not have charged?
OP, can your mother not claim on her home insurance for this (though it may be below the excess)?

spike7451

Unfortunatly,the work is done by Openreach,not BT so BT get billed by them.I know it's a crock but they've had it their own way too long.

BT_company_representative

Hello Alval, I have now sent you a PM regarding your post. Regards Anne Louise

DS-2

Alval wrote: »

My mum has recently been targeted by some naughty person who cut her telephone and Sky TV wires outside her house. According to the local police, the unknown vandal(s) cut between 60-70 lines at various houses around her area in one night, for some unknown reason (possibly copper theives according to SKY repair man???).

BT came to mend the phone line and they have charged her over £120 for fixing it. BT say that even though the damage was malicious she has to pay for the line to be reconnected as it is on her property.

It sounds dubious to me

BT are essentially trying to restrict their liability for damage done to their property by a third party, by charging the customer.

The customer did not cause the loss and therefore is not liable for it. An action in tort lies against the vandal if BT want to get their money back.

If it turns out BTs T&Cs give the customer this liability I'd suggest having a look at the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and seeing if it would pass the "reasonableness test" - I ask you, how reasonable is it to expect your average householder, let alone a pensioner, protect "wires" against vandalism to the extent that if they fail, they have to foot the bill?

I'd suggest it isn't reasonable and hope that the BT rep sorts this out for you.

spike7451

DS-2 wrote: »

It sounds dubious to me

BT are essentially trying to restrict their liability for damage done to their property by a third party, by charging the customer.

The customer did not cause the loss and therefore is not liable for it. An action in tort lies against the vandal if BT want to get their money back.

If it turns out BTs T&Cs give the customer this liability I'd suggest having a look at the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and seeing if it would pass the "reasonableness test" - I ask you, how reasonable is it to expect your average householder, let alone a pensioner, protect "wires" against vandalism to the extent that if they fail, they have to foot the bill?

I'd suggest it isn't reasonable and hope that the BT rep sorts this out for you.

The same thing happened up the Falls Rd when I was with NTL.NTL repaired the lines with no charge to the customers,same happened when vandals tourched a street cab,over 50 customers cut off (TV,BBand & Phone off),again,no charge to the punter.