Phone line down due to snow....who to call??

jillyjacks

I wonder if anyone can help me please, my phone line and internet are with talktalk and I pay them line rental too....last night the snow on the roof fell and brought the phone line down and it snapped...whos responsibility is it to fix it please?? I have tried ringing talktalk but just get an automated message about adverse weather conditions!! does anyone know a number to call and if I will be charged for the repair? Thanks

Inactive

Talk Talk are responsible, best of luck getting any help from them.

Mr_Oink

OK, it works like this - you call TalkTalk as they are your provider. They will call Openreach and get them out to fix the overhead. TalkTalk (aka Opal Telecom) are experts at dealing with BT and an important customer to BT, so don't get drawn into the cack some people here spout about them.

There are two trains of thought on this. The first this is just a 'weather' issue and nobody is to blame. On the other hand if you tell the truth the view could be "your roof, your snow - charge you, let you try and claim it back on your insurance". I don't advocate dishonesty, but you may be wiser to suggest that the dropwire was low and caught by a tall snow blower/tractor with bucket elevated passing by. This tends to put them on the backfoot - particularly if you appear to have some knowledge on low dropwires and how dangerous they can be.

Good luck.

jillyjacks

thanks very much for your reply...unfortunatley the wire runs from the pole straight accross my garden onto the wall and therefore couldnt have been caught by anything on the road...although it was quite low...just above head hight......will give talktalk a ring.,...just need a number now that puts me through to a real person instead of an automated voice!! Thanks again

Mr_Oink

jillyjacks wrote: »

thanks very much for your reply...unfortunatley the wire runs from the pole straight accross my garden onto the wall and therefore couldnt have been caught by anything on the road...although it was quite low...just above head hight......will give talktalk a ring.,...just need a number now that puts me through to a real person instead of an automated voice!! Thanks again

That's a pity. If it's across private land (non agricultural) and not over a track there is no limit as such. What a pig. You may get lucky and not get charged for it, but the Openreach crusade is to charge for anything they can get away with.

On the plus side - at least a line test will show up a clear 'dis' on the line - meaning they should kick the job straight out to the field.

Good luck :-)

Inactive

Mr_Oink wrote: »

OK, it works like this - you call TalkTalk as they are your provider. They will call Openreach and get them out to fix the overhead. TalkTalk (aka Opal Telecom) are experts at dealing with BT and an important customer to BT, so don't get drawn into the cack some people here spout about them.

That would explain the non-answering phone support then?

Mr_Oink

Inactive wrote: »

That would explain the non-answering phone support then?

Would it? Good, I'm glad you've cleared that up for yourself. :rotfl:

Let's see how this poster gets on sorting this out, rather than trusting you crazy rantings. Seems like a much better plan, but do feel free to carry on ranting......

jillyjacks

thanks again...my bf has managed to reconnect the snapped wires back together ...he used to work for BT...it is a temporary repair...the line is sagging badly at below head height and not fixed back to the wall so before i ring them i need to disconnect or they will not see a fault on the line

Mr_Oink

jillyjacks wrote: »

thanks again...my bf has managed to reconnect the snapped wires back together ...he used to work for BT...it is a temporary repair...the line is sagging badly at below head height and not fixed back to the wall so before i ring them i need to disconnect or they will not see a fault on the line

BT's DT team (Diagnostic Testing) have a nasty habit of comping off jobs that test OK. This would then mean you need to re-report it as a damage fault, meaning you almost certainly would be charged.

Catch 22 - if you 'dis' it off, you have no service but a measurable fault, if you connect it the line tests OK but the fix is not permanent. Personally I'd dis it off in the morning and raise the fault, then leave it until Openreach turn up to fix it.

jillyjacks

thanks will do that ...cheers for the help x

Inactive

Mr_Oink wrote: »

Let's see how this poster gets on sorting this out, rather than trusting you crazy rantings. Seems like a much better plan, but do feel free to carry on ranting......

Thanks, but I hardly need your permission.

Talk Talk are the pits when it comes to customer service, nobody could realistically argue with that.

To the OP, good luck with getting it sorted, I fear it will not be easy, or straightforward.