Complicated Situation

MsDelightful

Hi everyone,

This is a bit of a complicated situation, wonder if there's anyway to resolve it. Baiscally I recently moved into this rented room. The previous occupant had left a telephone line in there, and the landlord gave me the number for that line. I then find out that they used to use Bulldog.

So I call Bulldog, and after much searching they told me the line was ceased and they've leased the line back to BT. So I then call BT to start a new phone contract, but they want to charge me £120 to transfer from Bulldog as apparently it was still active. It was very frustrating talking to BT, no one seemed to know what was happening. I think what they were trying to say is that if you've ceased using another provider then to restart the line is free, but if it's still active with them then there's a connection charge. But obviously I've called Bulldog and they've told me clearly that it's been ceased. Also both companies seem to have trouble finding this number on their system. Only after a lot of searching do they eventually find it, and if I meet some irresponsible employee then they just tell me it's not on the system, and that's that.

OK, that's bad enough. The final piece of complication is that I'm not sure how long I'll be in England, and would like internet for a few months rather than a year. However I find that though you can get broadband 'pay as you go' a phone line has to be 12 month contract.

Should I just give up and use internet cafe's? I hate those places, and need to use internet quick regularly to look/apply for jobs. Also I need a landline to call those damn 0870 numbers, or even 0800 numbers to sort out anything to do with utility companies or banks or anything.

So frustrated, can anyone help?

hammy_the_hammer

"So I call Bulldog, and after much searching they told me the line was ceased and they've leased the line back to BT"
i don't understand the leased back to BT scenario ...i'd be sceptical.

I can only guess that if the physical pair of wires is still being rented by Bulldog that you are being advised of a new line provide to your house ergo BT can't touch that pair of wires ,so all they can do is provide a whole new line from the exchange up to and including a new socket.
some of the regular posters who work in BT sales will probably advise you better on here

MsDelightful

Thanks for the reply.

I'm not sure what's happening myself. All I know is there is a physical wire in my room, yet both BT and Bulldog want to charge me around £100 connection fee. As I understand it for that money I could get get a completely new wire installed, regardless of the one already there! How can I use the one existing and not pay this connection charge?

Please somebody help?

A_Nice_Englishman

If you plug a phone in do you get a dial tone?

If you call the number does it ring?