BT phone line reactivation

SGE1

Hello all,

Would appreciate your advice. Moved into a new property about a month ago. Prior to the move, rang up to make sure the phone line would be connected, and to end the phone line at my old address. Was told there was no phone line installed in the property I was moving to, and that an engineer would need to install one, for which there would be a 'connection fee' of £122.50. I said fair enough, and arranged the engineer visit.

When the engineer visited, he told me that actually there was already a line installed, that simply needed re-activating, and that he would make a note of this so that we wouldn't get charged the 'connection fee'.

Today I receive the bill - which surprise surprise, includes this connection fee. I ring up and explain that there was no installation of a new line, and that the engineer said I wouldn't need to pay the connection fee, and asked them to remove it. They replied that the engineer was not from BT but from a third party company (as if that was relevant somehow), and that their records stated a new line had been installed. They refused to remove the charge from my bill.

Now I don't mind paying for a service I've received - but I am most definitely not going to pay for one I didn't receive. The engineer told me in plain english that there was already an existing line that just needed to be re-activated, and specifically said I wouldn't need to pay the connection fee, as, well, there was no new connection installed.

I've been a BT customer for over 3 years now, and frankly I'm gutted that they can just deny a fact that was provided to me by the engineer, reiterating the same old script line that 'their records show...'. But I'm not letting this happen without a fight. I'm thinking of emailing their complaints department, copying in their CEO. Any advice?

BT_company_representative

Hi SGE1

Sorry to read of the problems you've had. Looking at this I would like to have this investigated for you. Please can you send an e-mail to btcare@bt.com with your MSE username in the subject field. Please include your account details in this e-mail as we will require them to help with this complaint.

Stuart

rippedoffbyspark

Roughly the same thing happened with me i phoned up bt in july august and september i have a bt box in my flat but the lady said id need to pay 130 pounds for a new line in my house. im disabled so was to expensive so i went with virgin they sent a bt openreach guy who didnt need to fit a new line just connect the wires back together in the box took him 5 mins. it cost me 50 pounds with virgin to do that i only wanted to go with bt for bt vision broadband and phone, virgin didnt work out. so im with bt a month later lol on your phone service if id have known that i didnt need a new line after being told i did i wouldnt have my internet now with be broadband id be with you guys

OldGreyFox

rippedoffbyspark wrote: »

Roughly the same thing happened with me i phoned up bt in july august and september i have a bt box in my flat but the lady said id need to pay 130 pounds for a new line in my house. im disabled so was to expensive so i went with virgin they sent a bt openreach guy who didnt need to fit a new line just connect the wires back together in the box took him 5 mins. it cost me 50 pounds with virgin to do that i only wanted to go with bt for bt vision broadband and phone, virgin didnt work out. so im with bt a month later lol on your phone service if id have known that i didnt need a new line after being told i did i wouldnt have my internet now with be broadband id be with you guys

Too late now, but you could have got free connection with BT in the first place.

See: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1640845

Ypaymore

SGE1 wrote: »

Hello all,

Would appreciate your advice. Moved into a new property about a month ago. Prior to the move, rang up to make sure the phone line would be connected, and to end the phone line at my old address. Was told there was no phone line installed in the property I was moving to, and that an engineer would need to install one, for which there would be a 'connection fee' of £122.50. I said fair enough, and arranged the engineer visit.

When the engineer visited, he told me that actually there was already a line installed, that simply needed re-activating, and that he would make a note of this so that we wouldn't get charged the 'connection fee'.

The engineer has no control over what you are charged.Even though your home had a telephone service from BT in the past, unless when you moved in your phone still had dial tone,the standard connection charge would still normally apply,unless you took the free connection offer up.


https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerOrders/control/termsandconditions?docId=25017&pageTitle=%20New%20line%20connection%20charge

SGE1

Ypaymore wrote: »

The engineer has no control over what you are charged.Even though your home had a telephone service from BT in the past, unless when you moved in your phone still had dial tone,the standard connection charge would still normally apply,unless you took the free connection offer up.


https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerOrders/control/termsandconditions?docId=25017&pageTitle=%20New%20line%20connection%20charge

Clearly you're right, the engineer doesn't control whether or what I'm charged, that's a matter for BT - but he can determine what service I've received, and whether this service usually involves a charge. He stated the nature of the job he had done, and clearly told me that that job was not what he had originally planned to have to undertake, and that it shouldn't warrant a connection fee.

When I originally called up BT, they claimed that there was no connection at the property. When the engineer arrived, he was around for all of 5mins, and categorically said (with some surprise) that there was, in fact, already a connection, with a dial tone, and that he simply had to "re-activate" it. I have looked at the website already in detail, and according to the information available, if there is a line (that isn't damaged etc) with a tone, there shouldn't be a connection fee. This may simply be a case of miscommunication between the engineer and BT, but as I've said before, while I'm not trying to get out of paying for a service I've received, I'm not willing to pay for one that I haven't!

I will take up the BT representative's offer.

syko29793

SGE1 wrote: »

Clearly you're right, the engineer doesn't control whether or what I'm charged, that's a matter for BT - but he can determine what service I've received, and whether this service usually involves a charge. He stated the nature of the job he had done, and clearly told me that that job was not what he had originally planned to have to undertake, and that it shouldn't warrant a connection fee.

When I originally called up BT, they claimed that there was no connection at the property. When the engineer arrived, he was around for all of 5mins, and categorically said (with some surprise) that there was, in fact, already a connection, with a dial tone, and that he simply had to "re-activate" it. I have looked at the website already in detail, and according to the information available, if there is a line (that isn't damaged etc) with a tone, there shouldn't be a connection fee. This may simply be a case of miscommunication between the engineer and BT, but as I've said before, while I'm not trying to get out of paying for a service I've received, I'm not willing to pay for one that I haven't!

I will take up the BT representative's offer.

At point of sale you agreed to pay the charge to connect the line so Bt connect the line and now you dont agree with the charge?

Its a little late to be disputing charges you agreed to in the first place.

Regardless of what work is needed you agreed to pay when you agreed to the sale and the engineer shouldnt be quoting you any charges as he or she works for Openreach so has no say on what a service provider charges.

DrScotsman

The OP agreed to the charge subject to BT being correct about there not already being a phone line in the property. They were wrong.

Imagine if your PC broke and you phoned up the manufacturer, they said "Sorry, out of warranty, but we'll fix it for £x". You reluctantly agree, but when you get a call from the person fixing it, it turns out you actually had a 2 year warranty. Do you really think you should be charged? Of course not, they told you false info to get you to pay up. Exactly what BT have done here.

Ypaymore: I'm not entirely sure you're right. The BT Free Connection deal is that you have to sign up for an 18 month contract, any other contract and you have to pay the fee, correct? Well in August 2008 when I moved into my flat which had a BT line and NO dial tone, they signed me up for a 12 month contract, no reconnection fee. Unless the deal was less restrictive back then, this makes me think it is different if you already have a physically connected BT line

EDIT: Linky. Click "More about connection charge"

If your home has had a telephone service from BT in the recent past, and the wiring and socket is undamaged and the line still has a dial tone, it's likely you won't need to pay this charge. But where there's no suitable BT line available in your property, no dial tone on the line, or if you have been disconnected for non-payment in the past, the standard connection charge will apply.

(I had a feeling they made a mistake with me. My line didn't work on activation day, a guy had to come around and reconnect it at the telephone pole. Didn't cost me anything.)

syko29793

DrScotsman wrote: »

The OP agreed to the charge subject to BT being correct about there not already being a phone line in the property. They were wrong.

Imagine if your PC broke and you phoned up the manufacturer, they said "Sorry, out of warranty, but we'll fix it for £x". You reluctantly agree, but when you get a call from the person fixing it, it turns out you actually had a 2 year warranty. Do you really think you should be charged? Of course not, they told you false info to get you to pay up. Exactly what BT have done here.

Ypaymore: I'm not entirely sure you're right. The BT Free Connection deal is that you have to sign up for an 18 month contract, any other contract and you have to pay the fee, correct? Well in August 2008 when I moved into my flat which had a BT line and NO dial tone, they signed me up for a 12 month contract, no reconnection fee. Unless the deal was less restrictive back then, this makes me think it is different if you already have a physically connected BT line

EDIT: Linky. Click "More about connection charge"



(I had a feeling they made a mistake with me. My line didn't work on activation day, a guy had to come around and reconnect it at the telephone pole. Didn't cost me anything.)

It does not matter what work is done to connect a line
When you place an order with a service provider (be it BT or any other ) the costs are told to you at point of sale.
You agree to these costs when you agree to the order/sale
If you dont want to pay then dont agree to the sale.

A dial tone does not mean you will get free connection

stopped LLU lines have a dial tone but BT will still charge a recon fee also stopped lines with faults will also be charged to reconnect.

DrScotsman

syko29793 wrote: »

It does not matter what work is done to connect a line
When you place an order with a service provider (be it BT or any other ) the costs are told to you at point of sale.
You agree to these costs when you agree to the order/sale
If you dont want to pay then dont agree to the sale.

When the OP agreed to the sale an implied term of the contract between him and BT was that BT hadn't told him any false information and hadn't withheld information that can not be reasonably withheld. They did both of these, and since we cannot assume that the OP would have agreed to the connection fee if he did receive the correct information, BT have broken this implied term of the contract and hence the OP did not agree to the sale as such.

Personally if I had a phone line with a dial tone and the previous provider was BT, and the guy told me I'd have to pay a connection fee, I would definitely not agree on the spot as a dial tone means there's a chance it can be connected for free, and that chance is high enough for me not to trust the unreliable BT's first diagnosis (because let's face it, different departments do say different things).

A dial tone does not mean you will get free connection

Well if BT's page is anything to go by, it means it is "likely" that you will get a free connection.

SGE1

Thank you DrScotsman - you've hit the nail on the head.

syko29793 wrote: »

It does not matter what work is done to connect a line
When you place an order with a service provider (be it BT or any other ) the costs are told to you at point of sale.
You agree to these costs when you agree to the order/sale
If you dont want to pay then dont agree to the sale.

A dial tone does not mean you will get free connection

stopped LLU lines have a dial tone but BT will still charge a recon fee also stopped lines with faults will also be charged to reconnect.

When I rang BT, before I moved into my new property, they told me they would need to connect a new line up, as there was no line. I took her word for it - I hadn't moved into the property yet, so there was no way for me to check. On that basis, I agreed to pay the fee - for the connection of a new line. Had they actually had to connect a new line up, I would be happy to pay the fee. At the point of sale, I agreed to a charge, if a certain service was to be provided. And it wasn't provided, because it didn't need to be provided.

They did NOT connect a new line - the engineer simply reactivated an existing line. So why should I pay for a service that was never provided?

syko29793, you obviously work for BT (your lists of posts speaks volumes) and are here to try to dissuade me to take this further. Frankly, I know my rights, and am very irritated that you imply that I should have to pay for something I did not receive. If you post here again with misleading information, I will report you.

I will say it once again: I didn't agree to pay £122.50 for no reason - I agreed to pay £122.50 for connecting a new line in the property, as I was told there was no existing line. This was incorrect - there was an existing line, which fits all the requirements set out by BT on their website. I should not therefore have to pay £122.50 for a service (connection of a new line) that I didn't get.