BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

Wyccant

Seems this country is in a shocking mess where internet/telecoms is concerned, still!
I've been trying to get a landline connection, need internet and would like a phone line for fax.

As we seem to have a BT rep's attention...

Firstly I'd like to ask why connection is £122.50. -the guy you'll send out earns, what, £50 a day? petrol, I can't believe even as much as £10. It doesn't take 2 days to plug a wire in at a junction box and in the 21st century if you haven't automated the process that's your fault. So I'd really like to see the numbers here.

Next I phoned 2 hours after our neighbour went through the process, so you already had someone coming, yet the request to split the cost was refused. Why?

Why are you making physical disconnections anyway? Everyone needs a phone and BT still have a monoploy on phone lines and seem to me to be abusing it severely. -To expand on "monopoly" every provider I spoke to from Tiscali to Virgin require a BT line for this area.

Still we have free connection right?
well, "free" subject to being in an area where there is competition.

But we get good service from BT?
per month (basic) - £15.65
per month (line) - £11 + £122.50 connection fee (= extra £10 a month)
Minimum term - 18 months (our tenancy agreement is 6 months, most are 6 or 12)
Speed - "Up to 8mb" well a friend of mine has "up to 8mb" and I've seen his download speeds. Shockingly slow at 1mb peak, constantly crashing homehub, constantly crashing BT vision box with timer less reliable than a sun dial.
Usage - 10gb a month limit

Tiscali
per month (basic) - £14.99
per month (line) - normally free with free connection but for whatever reason everyone wants us to get BT line
Minimum term - 12 months
Speed - 8mb
Usage - Unlimited
Oh, and for good measure they'll give a fixed IP address for free (BT charge £6 a month)

3, 3G dongle (leaving aside my experiences as a 3 customer for mobile)
per month (basic) - £10
per month (line) - £0
Minimum term - 1 month
Speed - 3mb
Usage - 5GB
Also, available over the counter, instead of in 2 weeks+
*caveat that it has frustrating number of aborted connections and does leave me wanting a more reliable line.

I'd really like to hear from BT, have I missed something? maybe I'm being grossly unfair? Perhaps there's a REALLY good reason and it's not just local loops all over again.
Certainly I'd like to know why I have 0 choice and MUST go with BT at some point... I wouldn't mind if charges were fair and service comparable.

but in response to your earlier post.

BT_company_representative wrote: »

The disconnection of your line "due to inactivity" does not sound right. Can you PM me your details and I will look into this for you?

I can help here, earlier in this thread there is a link to
Notices 2009 - 06/09 Calling Plans - Line Connection Special Offer
(on BT website but I can't post a direct link)
It mentions it there (terms #1), also could try phoning up for a connection, the lady I spoke to did warn me about this.

DonnyDave

Wyccant wrote: »

Why are you making physical disconnections anyway? Everyone needs a phone and BT still have a monoploy on phone lines and seem to me to be abusing it severely. -To expand on "monopoly" every provider I spoke to from Tiscali to Virgin require a BT line for this area.

I think you've answered you're own question here. Where a line has been in service before, and unless it's a new build, that will be almost certainly nearly every house, there should be no reason for reconnection, unless there's damage to the wiring as it enters the house.

It's a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Disconnect one 'dead' line to reconnect another where service is required. Seems obvious to me, that's why we have to put up with (more often than not) the eyesore of multiple wires running from one pole to another rather than simply feeding outwards to the premises they serve.

This is as a result of the privatisation which means that each individual job must be done with the lowest cost with no forward thinking that the line that has been disconnected will require reconnection at some point in the future.

syko29793

Wyccant wrote: »

Seems this country is in a shocking mess where internet/telecoms is concerned, still!
I've been trying to get a landline connection, need internet and would like a phone line for fax.

As we seem to have a BT rep's attention...

Firstly I'd like to ask why connection is £122.50. -the guy you'll send out earns, what, £50 a day? petrol, I can't believe even as much as £10. It doesn't take 2 days to plug a wire in at a junction box and in the 21st century if you haven't automated the process that's your fault. So I'd really like to see the numbers here.

Next I phoned 2 hours after our neighbour went through the process, so you already had someone coming, yet the request to split the cost was refused. Why?

Why are you making physical disconnections anyway? Everyone needs a phone and BT still have a monoploy on phone lines and seem to me to be abusing it severely. -To expand on "monopoly" every provider I spoke to from Tiscali to Virgin require a BT line for this area.

Still we have free connection right?
well, "free" subject to being in an area where there is competition.

But we get good service from BT?
per month (basic) - £15.65
per month (line) - £11 + £122.50 connection fee (= extra £10 a month)
Minimum term - 18 months (our tenancy agreement is 6 months, most are 6 or 12)
Speed - "Up to 8mb" well a friend of mine has "up to 8mb" and I've seen his download speeds. Shockingly slow at 1mb peak, constantly crashing homehub, constantly crashing BT vision box with timer less reliable than a sun dial.
Usage - 10gb a month limit

Tiscali
per month (basic) - £14.99
per month (line) - normally free with free connection but for whatever reason everyone wants us to get BT line
Minimum term - 12 months
Speed - 8mb
Usage - Unlimited
Oh, and for good measure they'll give a fixed IP address for free (BT charge £6 a month)

3, 3G dongle (leaving aside my experiences as a 3 customer for mobile)
per month (basic) - £10
per month (line) - £0
Minimum term - 1 month
Speed - 3mb
Usage - 5GB
Also, available over the counter, instead of in 2 weeks+
*caveat that it has frustrating number of aborted connections and does leave me wanting a more reliable line.

I'd really like to hear from BT, have I missed something? maybe I'm being grossly unfair? Perhaps there's a REALLY good reason and it's not just local loops all over again.
Certainly I'd like to know why I have 0 choice and MUST go with BT at some point... I wouldn't mind if charges were fair and service comparable.

but in response to your earlier post.

I can help here, earlier in this thread there is a link to
Notices 2009 - 06/09 Calling Plans - Line Connection Special Offer
(on BT website but I can't post a direct link)
It mentions it there (terms #1), also could try phoning up for a connection, the lady I spoke to did warn me about this.

BT connected lines for free until the creation of Openreach which was done to make a fair market for other providers to compete with BT retail.
It used to be get BT to do the work for free and then you go to another provider for calls and /or line.
Paying connection charges are the downside to having more choice in the market. Why should BT connect you for free just so you can go to another provider for services.
This is like saying get a free Iphone from O2 but pay Orange for your line rental and calls.

DonnyDave

syko29793 wrote: »

BT connected lines for free until the creation of Openreach which was done to make a fair market for other providers to compete with BT retail.
It used to be get BT to do the work for free and then you go to another provider for calls and /or line.
Paying connection charges are the downside to having more choice in the market.

As I said, the whole idea of having competition in telecommunications service is a recipe for disaster and this is the sort of nonsense it creates! :mad:

BT_company_representative

Hey Blaz

Argh! sounds like a confusing one alright. Well I can do the chasing up for you if you want and see whats up?

Could you drop me a PM with your BT account details when you get a chance and I'll have a look.

Cheers

Craig
BT Support

jessica-jane

I hate bt to .They are a rip off. I joined bt last september and had 12 month bt calls and line package. I moved in July and they have ripped me off starting me on another 12 month contract and saying it automatically starts off another 12 month contract. Why when I only had 2 months left on the 12 month contract I had at my flat. I was living in a rented flat before . There was already a line in my new property so I didn't have to have 1 connected.

joyce341

Post Office do landline connections cheaper than BT,no minimum contract for phone lines,free connection if you already have a landline and 12 months contract for Broadband,none for phone,my package is just over £20 per month plus vat of course,with free calls to other post office phone users,plus free evening and weekend calls to ,landlines,mobiles,0840/0870 etc numbers and top ten countries,tried and tested service as my son/daughter and friend have the service some time now,friendly to talk to when phoneing about the service no problems to date.
if someone recommends you,you get £10 each also.
Joyce

OldGreyFox

joyce341 wrote: »

Post Office do landline connections cheaper than BT

BT offer FREE Connection.

Post Office charge £107.66 where appropriate.

ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/po/LineFeatureRentalsV5.6_VAT.pdf

FannyHill

If I ever get another landline I'm tempted by the PO deal.

And I like the different methods of payment instead of the dreaded DD.

I'd rather not go thru the horrors of phoning BT................. "customer service". :eek:

Minimum contracts and rollings contracts no thanks.

Wyccant

OldGreyFox wrote: »

BT offer FREE Connection.

Post Office charge £107.66 where appropriate.

[FONT=&quot]Only in properties that "qualify" no real explanation here but it seems to mean "properties where you can choose another company"
The trick with the PO is to sign up as it's a one month contract then once you've got the line move to a cheaper service.
Which doesn't get round the connection fee you shouldn't have to pay but does give you access to the open market in some of BT's monopoly areas.

Still no answer to some very direct questions put the BT rep, seems the only information available is that acquired in PMs where no one can see.
We're still waiting with baited breath for answers. [/FONT]