BT Complaints & Escalation

pmacd63

So having posted previously, my order issues started on 13th March, where the order was processed to the wrong exchange and then cancelled by BT.

Guess what BT make me place a second order and exactly the same thing happens.

So we get to May the 1st, they make me complete a 3rd order and when I get the details via email it looks suspiciously like the same thing is going to happen.

Talk to BT for the umpteenth time (many hours wasted), they insist that it is correct but completely refuse to tell me to which exchange the order is placed.

I have an outstanding complaint - No.91188773532.

I am told someone will call me back, but then they said that 3 days ago when I raised the complaint.

Why oh why is it so hard to install a line and broadband, by the time you visit on the 13th of May that will be 2 months gone and I strongly suspect the same issue will arise.

I cannot seem to get anyone to be accountable, can't talk to anyone who actually knows what they are doing.

In rural areas there is little choice for consumers, BT this is dreadful incompetence against something that should be your core competency.

Oh did I forget to mention that you actually had the cheek to bill me too!

Topaz63

I had a line to my house and my phone and Broadband with BT. Back in November I requested that the line should be temporarily tied back while the house was reroofed. Open Reach came and did this at a cost of £140. BT told me that in order to keep my number (which I have had for 28 years) I must keep paying my line rental. They also said that I needed to call when I needed the line re linking from the pole. In early March I did so. At first they said it was still connected and working; I pointed out that it couldn't be as the wire between my house and the pole had been taken down. They then said that in order to reconnect they'd have to put it through as a change of address, even though I have not moved. An appointment was made and i reminded them that they had needed a cherrypicker to do the work as that had been necessary when the line was tied off. In spite of this, when the engineer arrived he said he couldn't climb the pole as it was not safe. I was told I couldn't have a line, even though here was an existing one for me for which I've continued to pay. At this point my case was transferred to the trouble shooting team and I was given a single person to manage my case. She is very pleasant but has been unable to do more than relay to me the changing situation. At first they just said nothing could be done. Then they said they had no cherry picker (there were two working just round the corner clearly marked OpenReach). Then they said the pole would need to be replaced, which was done. Then an engineer was supposed to come to set up the line, but when he came he didn't have a ladder for the multi-use pole, or to fix the line to my house, so he said he would return but so far has not. No one from Open Reach or BT has contacted me to explain why the engineer didn't return. So I still have no line.
On my troubleshooter's advice, I went and bought an EE multiple computer 3/4G router but have got through the 3gig allowance in a week and had to buy more. It also isn't very good as reception is rather poor. I not only do all my banking and bookings etc online but have power of attorney for my elderly mother, which also entails frequent need for the internet. Meanwhile BT is still taking my money and has not provided a service since early November. Obviously I'm going well over my monthly allowances on my mobile too. My BT troubleshooter appears to be able to do very little to push things on, just keeps me linked in to her as someone who knows the case. She has assured me I'll get my money back but that I need to keep paying in order to prevent the number being reassigned. So the saga continues and I'm finding it all massively stressful. For a while I was using a BT Hotspot but that started to reject my sign on, at which point I broke down, I felt so upset, stressed and frustrated.
Something really has to be done about this appalling level of service.

gygjt

I have just recently received a bill including the dreaded £129.99 charge. It all started with one day the broadband not working and no dial tone on the phone. The whole lot, including TV, was set up by a BT engineer. I went through all the help guides etc and eventually logged a problem. BT got back to me and old me via the online reporting portal that I needed to book an engineer visit. I did so without knowing there was any potential for a charge, particularly as they had told me that I needed to book a visit. The engineer arrived and was in the house all of two minutes, he didn't tell me what the problem was as merely said it is a common problem and off he went with everything working.


Suddenly my most recent bill has had the charge put on so I have had to call up. Apparently everything had not been connected up properly and despite the engineer setting everything up I am not entitled to have the money back.


My advice think seriously before booking an engineer even if you are told you need to!

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Aaaarghhhh! After a hard sales pitch from BT to upgrade to their latest home hub 5, I agreed on the basis that there would be no additional cost.

New service was due to start 4 days ago but isn't working and I've been given contradictory excuses by every BT person I've spoken to since and they are now suggesting it is my wiring that is the problem and want to send an engineer at £129.99

As my previous broadband was BT and worked fine up to the point of upgrade, how can my wiring be the problem unless the upgrade requires different wiring of course, in which case surely I should have been warned of this at the point of sale?

Williams1

Older But Not Wiser. They did not tell you because this is how BT make their money! We had an engineer come in and tape up some wiring when we had the BT Fibre Optic Broadband installed, then our phone stopped working. When another engineer came out he couldn't believe the wiring had been taped up by the previous engineer and said this was the problem. BT then charged us for the engineer call out and were very rude and agressive when challenged with this.

They ended up saying you are being charged and that was final, when I said I wanted to take this further within BT thay said that no one else would talk to me or take my calls as that is the final decision.

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Williams1 wrote: »

Older But Not Wiser. They did not tell you because this is how BT make their money! We had an engineer come in and tape up some wiring when we had the BT Fibre Optic Broadband installed, then our phone stopped working. When another engineer came out he couldn't believe the wiring had been taped up by the previous engineer and said this was the problem. BT then charged us for the engineer call out and were very rude and agressive when challenged with this.

They ended up saying you are being charged and that was final, when I said I wanted to take this further within BT thay said that no one else would talk to me or take my calls as that is the final decision.

Hi Williams1,

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble too. I had much the same response from a BT customer services assistant so, using the information on this board, I emailed the BT CEO and got responses from senior people relatively quickly and the problem did get resolved today without any engineer call out charge. The BT people I dealt with following my email to the CEO were considerably more helpful (and dare I say it, intelligent) than the customer services assistant I spoke to initially, who had refused to refer me to someone more senior.

So, provided they do actually reimburse me for my out of pocket expenses and compensate me for being without a broadband service/having to chase them up repeatedly, then they will have done an OK job of converting me back to being a loyal customer. Big 'if' though.

Perhaps it is worth you escalating the complaint too? I used the Patterson email address that is given earlier in this thread.

JRDub

I am posting this in the hope someone can advise me who to contact within BT to sort out the following issue.

I have placed an order for BT Infinity at a house I purchased at the start of this month (May). I work from home, and therefore cannot move into my new house until the broadband is enabled.

The broadband was ordered several weeks ago. The activation date was set for Monday 19th May. The phone line was activated earlier this week (and is working). However, there is now a problem with installing Infinity. I am not sure what the problem is. So far I have been told:

- Problem with the cabinet
- The line doesn't exist
- The line cannot be prepared for Infinity (whatever that means)
- Problem with some sort of metal plate inside my house
- Order failed / error with a 'back-office' order processing system

An engineer has been booked, cancelled (by BT, with no clear explanation why), re-booked, cancelled again. This has happened three times now.

Each time, when I phone them they tell me an engineer will call on Monday 19th to 'install' Infinity. Soon afterwards they send me an email and text message saying:

"Hello - This is a message from BT. This is to confirm we will contact you on 19/05/14 by 20:00 to discuss the delay in activation of your services (Order Reference XXXXX-XXXXXXXXXXX). There is no need to contact us as we will not be able to provide you with any more information." Thank you."

Frankly; contacting me on the planned install date to advise me of a delay is not good enough. If they know there will be a delay, why can't they contact me sooner (today / tomorrow) to explain?

I'd be a little more sympathetic if they'd just tell me what the problem is. But the call-centre people I have spoken to either don't know or don't understand why the order is not being progressed, which is very frustrating!

I have cancelled a business trip to Paris to be at home on Monday 19th. It is now looking like I may have to cancel moving house this weekend as I can't move in (because I can't do my job) until the broadband is enabled.

I just want to talk to someone at BT who knows what they are doing and can give me some definitive advice on what the problem is and how / when it will be resolved. Does such a person exist?

Help!?!

Older_But_Not_Wiser

^ ^ ^

Hi,

I would suggest an email to the CEO's office (email address for him is given earlier in this thread). It seems to get you past the front line customer services and to people who actually can help resolve things.

Hope that helps

BT_company_representative

Hi Williams1 and JRDub

I can have these cases investigated for you. You can find my contact information in my public profile.

Thanks

Stuart

tubbee2

I changed to BT broadband and homehub in January via Topcashback, and the Sainsburys voucher offered via the BT site. I cannot begin to list the problems this has caused, including losing my phone number, bouncing my order because it was an unusual combination (!) of broadband, home phone and TV the website couldnt cope my order. Apparently BT dont understand the law of contract and continue to argue that despite not supplying the goods offered and accepted, I must continue to maintain my contract 'because it is a contract' I suspect this will continue for some time to come so just wanted to warn anyone reading. TB