BT line active or connected?

garybryan

I've been doing some searching and reading but I can't find a conclusive answer. I've just moved into a new flat and I want to set up broadband (ADSL since cable's not an option), and I think we're going to go with BeThere. However I'm unsure of the state of the current landline. In every other flat I've been in, the landline was "connected" but not "active" (not sure if this is correct terminology; I mean the physical line and socket were there but the phone didn't work) and having BT actually "activate" it was free of charge since all the necessary infrastructure was already there.

I connected a phone to the phone socket, and it started making horrible buzzing noises, kinda like a dial-up modem or "something from a horror movie" as my flatmate described it . These noises were coming from not only the receiver but also from the speakerphone, which I was unable to turn off. So maybe the phone itself is broken and I should try using another phone?

I tried registering with Be for calls and landline, and they say they'll charge £86 for setting up the line. I went through BT's site and they say it will cost £30 to do the same (£130 for an engineer visit minus £100 for "connection charge credit", which is... not needing an engineer visit since I specified that we already have a BT socket??). I don't know whether this cost has been based on an accurate check of the line, or just my information that we don't have a phone number but we do have a BT line (guesswork on my part seeing as the socket is there but the phone doesn't work).

If it is the case that we need to pay to get the line activated, Be's £86 charge might actually work out cheaper because their monthly line rental is a few quid less and I could get £40 cashback from topcashback.

Any ideas? This broadband business is starting to look quite expensive, especially for my minimum-wage-earning flatmate, and I'm considering just going without and getting a 3G dongle for light use and doing any necessary heavy downloading at work; however there's a possibility of me working from home in the future so good broadband would be important for that, and since it's a 12 month contract we might as well set it up now so as not to lose money if I move in a year...

cbrpaul

Interesting subject this , something I feel OFCOM should get involved in ,

It always used to be, if there is evidence of an existing line , ie a BT line and BT box in a property then its a free re-connection by Bt !!

I am looking to change providers myself from talktalk , and even though my line is fully operational and in good state from house to Bt exchange , and was fitted by BT originally , all other coms companies want a £130 connection charge !! and they tell me that this charge is placed on them by BT

Bt were the only ones to quote me a free connection !!! Unfair marketing holding by bt ??


So Bethere will charge £85 connection fee, , - £40 Quidco makes £45 connection charge ,and £24.80pm for evening and weekends free calls and broadband , hmmmm worth considering that i guess !!

Mark_In_Hampshire

There seem to be two types of supplier. One which always charges the connection fee regardless, in which case they will sometimes make money if Openreach don't charge them as the customer always pays, and others which seem to look on some database to see what the status of the line is and then decide whether a charge will apply.

Then separately there's the issue of being told no charge would apply and then finding one on your bill. But that's something separate.

Whether or not there is a connection charge and how much it is appears to be loosely related to the contract term. If you sign up for 18 months, say, the fee is discounted to zero (so the supplier loses out initially if they get charged to connect it) but for month to month terms (is BE month to month?) then the connection fee pretty well always applies.

Now there's LLU and the line can be with one of several suppliers: just because the line is plugged into the exchange at one end and the phone at the other doesn't necessarily mean there's a workable line depending on which supplier you go with. It may need to be changed. Hence the connection fee. Which your supplier may or may not charge you.

cbrpaul

Be is 12 month contract is what im looking at , and connection charge applies ,

The line from house to Exchange will never need to be changed ( unless faulty of course and then it would be part changed at the fault location) no matter who is your supplier .
Only work that will need doing is a new 2core twisted pair laid from one providers equipment in the exchange to the new providers equipment in the same exchange , usually this equipment is sat side by side or a few feet apart , 2 mins work really

garybryan

I was just reading the latest money tips newsletter and apparently Primus are doing £6.79/month line rental. And also, copy and paste from their site:

Installing a phone line with Primus Saver - £69
If your house doesn’t have a phone line then you will need to have one installed. Primus will install a new line in your property for the amazing price of just £69. We can book a line installation appointment and an engineer will visit your home on a date that is convenient to you.


Connecting a phone line with Primus Saver is FREE*
If you have recently moved house and found that the phone line in your new home isn’t working then you can call Primus to have it reconnected. If the wiring, socket and routing from the exchange to your property are intact then we may be able to reactivate your line for free, providing that you sign up to one of our award winning home phone packages.

So I could get line rental with Primus for cheaper than BT or Be, and either pay no connection fee or at worst pay less than Be are asking for? Sounds good to me! Although I've seen some bad reviews of Primus and I'm not completely sure if it's compatible with Be (although I don't see why it wouldn't be).

cbrpaul

its this " new line installation" fee i cant understand ,

A: I have a line originally installed by BT line
B: Its in perfect working order
C: I have changed providers 4 times and never had to ahve a "new line" installed
the only work that needs doing is a pair of wires ran a few feet inthe exchange !!

Yet still the quotes of £60 - £80 , £130 for new line istallations come !!!

:mad:

macman

You have to understand that BT charge exactly the same whether they just have to do a reconnection at the exchange or run a completely new line to the property. There's no distinction.
The only thing that matters is whether there's a dial tone or not. If not, it incurs the same charge as a new provision.

Mark_In_Hampshire

It's the misnomer "new line". In BT terms, what the customer here needs is a "new line".

What the customer thinks that service is called is "reconnection", because nobody is coming out to lay a new physical line, but that doesn't really seem to exist. It just looks like it does because that's how it's advertised sometimes, and it sounds like common sense.

If the line were a Talk Talk full LLU line it would need converting back to a BT Wholesale line for a BE broadband connection. It might not be the case that needs doing, but the charges seem to apply anyway.

In other words, whether or not the charge applies and how much it is, is not really related to the amount of work required (could be in Openreach's or the customer's favour either way). I wonder if many of the providers think that whether a line is a "new line" is a bit hit and miss and so to prevent them being charged by Openreach for a line that "should have been free", they just all charge for it anyway in case.

garybryan

Interesting. So I guess I really just need to check for a dial tone with a phone that I know works. I'll try to do that in the next few days.

Broadband and line rental with Be seems like the best option overall if I get the cashback. I was reading the "Primus saver rip-off" thread and it's put me off that particular option.

macman

I'd assumed that checking for a dial tone was the first thing you'd done, how else would you find out the number and provider (if the line were still active)?

garybryan

macman wrote: »

I'd assumed that checking for a dial tone was the first thing you'd done, how else would you find out the number and provider (if the line were still active)?

I did and it was making all sorts of weird noises, as I described in my first post. Not sure if the problem's with the line or the phone; the phone seemed dodgy as I couldn't turn speakerphone off, and half the items in the flat were broken when we moved in (hoover, mattresses, etc.) so it wouldn't surprise me. I'm going to try and get a hold of a known-working phone and test it soon.