BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

kunekune

My gripe isn't so much the £125 connection fee for a new build, as -

1. If you're the first tenant in the property, you have to pay this, subsequent tenants won't - so we are effectively paying extra to be the first. (And no, there is no way the LL will pay the difference, this is the person we had to negotiate with to get curtain rails - not curtains, curtain rails!).
2. BT now insist on a 12 month minimum contract. If we were choosing to do line rental with BT then that would be fair. But we're not - we have no choice as the property has no phone line connected yet. So, basically, we'll end up paying extra for our line rental, and probably also for internet. Add into that the letting agency's rule that we can't change our utilities providers, and we are locked into the most expensive for the time we are there.

Drunkstar

1) These days there is avery good chance they will still have to pay the £125.

2) Other companies can do the line install, not just BT Retail.

kunekune

Well, I'm afraid that I have ditched BT. The only thing we use the landline for is dial up internet, so I've gone mobile. It'll cost less all up, and I have a swish new phone to boot.

designfinger

Can anyone help?

I have a new biuld flat from 2004. I paid the connection charge when the flat was completed. Since then i have had various tenants living at the address.
The latest tenant has informed me that BT wants £125 off me to reconnect as there hasn't been a phone connected for a while - how long they can't tell me.
Despite all tenants having connected phones since 2004.

Basically, a wall has been thrown in my where i can either pay or not. However, my tenant needs a working phone.

The BT advisor said it had something to do with "OPENREACH" the wholesaler who provides the numbers.

I feel another fee of £125 for a service i paid for in 2004 is robbery.

Does anyone know of an ombudsman i can seek further advice from?

Regards,
Mark

kunekune

Well, as a tenant I hate to point this out because I'd love to have a landlord like you, but - is this responsibility yours? It is a pain for a tenant but getting utilities connected is usually a tenant's responsibility. From what I've been reading on this thread, it seems as though BT charge this almost every time. It is just one of the "costs of moving". I would also suggest that your tenant looks at alternatives. I just signed up with T-mobile today: the deal for a modem that fits into my laptop, allowing me to have internet without a landline, is just £20 a month ... Given the combined cost of internet and line rental, that's a pretty good deal.

Vegeta

I called BT to have my cable phone service transferred over to them and they told me if I had a BT line. I told them I did and also the phone socket.

The CS fellow then said that if there is no dial tone on the line then I would have to pay £124.99 :mad:

Is this the norm from BT to charge £124.99 reconnection charge if your line doesn't have a dial tone?

kunekune

Vegeta, it looks like it ....

espresso

See post #508 above and ask them to explain their charges.

Skint_Catt

Engineer came out to connect us last week - phoned us from the exchange to say there was already a line in and we shouldn't be charged £125 by BT. Waited on the phone over an hour last night before it was answered to be told the charge still stands even though the engineer said it didn't. Also still no reply to two complaints I have submitted to them two weeks ago.

Who do they think they are?

BritBrat

They are just trying it on as far as I can see.

About time someone called the police as to me this is fraud taking money on a false pretence.