Help with BT fault

swlabr1982

Hi,

First post but regularly read for advice.

I'm also in the very same position. Last week I spotted a deal on the Nectar website for o2 broadband. I was out of contract with BT (not that I knew at the time) So, because it was a cheaper monthly charge, a few nectar points in the bag and I'd also heard alot of positive things about o2's broadband service, I thought I'd change ISP's. So, I aquired my code from BT and gave it to o2. The router came 3 days later (Tuesday just gone) and I recieved an email and SMS to say my line would be active around the 19/03 (Friday). Well I waited and no confirmation sms on friday but it did come through, as did an email to confirm I could now use my o2 router for o2 broadband yesterday. Here is where the fun started:

I returned home on yesterday evening after work and opened my o2 box and followed the installation instructions on the cd. I used all of my old wires I had from my BT home hub as they worked perfectly for two years and on Thursday until the net went off to switch over to o2 i presume. All I done was simply unplug the BT homehub and plugged in the o2 router. Ran set up check and it couldnt connect to the phone line after several attempts. I went through some diagnostics and then the instructions where to call o2. It was at this point I picked up my landline phone and dial their number. Silence from the handset. So I hung up and then picked up again. NO DIAL TONE!! So, I found BT's number from the internet (via iPhone) and rang them.

I have had the same explaination of 'the line is fine and the test show no problem.' I was then asked to test my phone in the master socket's test socket. I did this and still no dial tone. (I have also tried another handset) The only other solution was to send an engineer out. I was told that if it was a problem with the line to the house and master socket or the master socket itself, I won't be charged but if it is something else, I will be. I can't understand how I could be charged because nothing internal is connected. The charge was quoted at £127.90 plus VAT!! This seems very coincidental and suspicious to me!!

So, I am waiting for an engineer who is coming this wednesday between 8am and 1pm. So, I'll keep you posted and if I'm somehow responsible for the fault, I'll be needing some help

macman

Clearly. if you have plugged a working phone into the BT test socket and there is no dial tone, then this is a BT problem and not an internal problem with your own wiring. You can ignore the £127.99 mantra, which they are obliged to read you anyway.
It appears that in transferring your broadband connection to O2, Openreach have disconnected the voice telephony side of your connection.

Batfink

I wish, at this stage, I could offer some advice - sadly, all I can say is good luck as I'm barely any further on. Last I heard, was being forced to sign a new 12 month contract, and that my line would be connected again and my old number active by the 18th. It's now the 21st and I'm still waiting. Amusingly, they've already managed to send the bill - but not provide the service. Provides some indication of where their priorities lie.

If I ever manage to get any service back I'll let you know.

DVardysShadow

Batfink wrote: »

I wish, at this stage, I could offer some advice - sadly, all I can say is good luck as I'm barely any further on. Last I heard, was being forced to sign a new 12 month contract, and that my line would be connected again and my old number active by the 18th. It's now the 21st and I'm still waiting. Amusingly, they've already managed to send the bill - but not provide the service. Provides some indication of where their priorities lie.

If I ever manage to get any service back I'll let you know.

Good grief, the BT forum reps are on your case and still you get bounced into a new contract. BT must be an organisation which is completely out of control.

Premier_2

swlabr1982 wrote: »

... I was told that if it was a problem with the line to the house and master socket or the master socket itself, I won't be charged but if it is something else, I will be. I can't understand how I could be charged because nothing internal is connected. ...

As you were informed, if the fault lies with BT lines (including master socket)then you will not be charged.

All they are saying is that if they send an engineer and it is discovered the fault is not with the BT lines (e.g. both your telephone handsets are faulty - unlikely, but not impossible), then you will be charged the amount stated.

swlabr1982

Premier wrote: »

As you were informed, if the fault lies with BT lines (including master socket)then you will not be charged.

All they are saying is that if they send an engineer and it is discovered the fault is not with the BT lines (e.g. both your telephone handsets are faulty - unlikely, but not impossible), then you will be charged the amount stated.

Very true. Just to prove a point, I'm going to get a hold of a friends home telephone and have that ready too. My feeling is he will check the CAB before coming to the house and see a wire wasnt connected and it'll all be swept under the carpet. I just find it suspiciously strange and such a coincidence how my phone and broadband are perfectly uninterupted with BT for 3 years until the day I swap ISP to O2 and a faul appears.

Nice signature btw lol

Batfink

Just psyched myself up to ringing again, to ask why the line had not been connected as promised, and, would you believe, they said the line is fine so there must be a problem with my wiring. After much arguing they agreed to actually pick up a phone and try dialing my number, and received the 'this number has not been recognised' message - and then finally acknowledged that the problem cannot be with my wiring. Remains to be seen if they'll actually fix it or not

One thing is for sure, they've managed to send out my bill - by paper of course, rather than the paper free method I've had for the last few years - so they could add on the paper surcharge.

Is there actually anything I can do when BT fail to accept they have a fault - all they care about is keep sending bills?

iniltous

If you you changed ISP and it created a 'no dialtone' fault on the line and you checked for dialtone in the test socket ( and there was none) then why did you not tell them to deal with the fault, as already stated the £100+ charge is only if the engineer comes out and locates a problem on the consumer (your)side of the master socket, its not a fee to fix the line, by telling them to cease the line, they presumably did what you asked and ceased your phone service.
As you have re ordered a line (and thus started a new contract) then the fault that existed on your original service probably still exists now, thats why your 'new' service doesnt work, hence the need to report your 'new' line faulty..does your 'new' contract info state you are getting the number you had previously because a recorded message ' the number you have dialed has not been recognised, check and try again' suggests the number hasnt been 'provided' in the exchange data, regardless of if there is a 'line' fault or not, it could be they are going to give you any new number and them re-number it to your original number, so check the number on your contract is the number you are expecting

Batfink

Perhaps I should clarify - I was told that the fault was definitely at my property, and that there would be a charge of £127 to fix this, once it was confirmed. Upon trying to challenge this diagnosis the operator got quite nasty and suggested that unless I could fix the problem myself I would either have to pay the fee or cancel the line.

I am quite happy to admit that canceling was hasty - but I didn't feel like I had any choice. As a full time student, supporting myself by working part time, I don't have £127 to spare - additionally, to avoid getting into any more debt, I have been working every hour I could, meaning that I also didn't have a day spare to sit at home waiting for the engineer to arrive, especially given that it was obvious that the fault wasn't in my house.

iniltous

It probably doesnt make much difference now, but if you have a modern nte5 master socket and you remove the detachable panel and plug a known working phone into the test socket and get no dialtone, then it doesnt matter what the BT CS rep says, the problem must be on the Openreach side of the socket and you wont be charged, this only changes if the damage has been caused by you or someone working for you, say a window fitter damages the BT cable while fitting new windows for you that would be chargable, even though its on BT's side of the master socket, as it is I would be concerned why when you call your tele number you dont get either a ringing tone ( even if it doesnt ring a phone in your property) or a busy tone, as that suggests your re-provide order has not progressed correctly, or you are not calling the correct number