Post Office Line Rental

Queries

I have been with the PO for years now - no problems what-so-ever. I decided that I wanted internet access again, so I took out their broadband package (for which I will receive a £50 discount over the next two bills). You can keep your 'phone number and if you need to 'phone them for any reason as a PO customer their 0845 number is free. Note that this £50 offer ends at the end of March 2012. Something to bear in mind for the future is if you recommend a friend and they take-up the offer, you both get £10 of your following bill. Plus, if you 'phone other PO ' users, the call is free.

Rochdale_Guy

Thanks Queries.

Rochdale_Guy

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:


Eek! Another spanner in the works of me trying to save money.

I just spoke with an advisor at BE Broadband re: switching to The Post Office line rental service from BT.

He said BT will basically clear the line, and my service with BE will have to be re-provisioned at the exchange from a BT engineer, and this will result in some loss to my service with BE Broadband (anything up to 5 days), and the bigger blow is I will get charged £25 for this to happen.

So much for getting 2x £25 credited to my Post Office landline account when I’m already gonna be £25 out of pocket just for switching to them from BT.

And knowing my luck, I will incur £25 from BT for leaving them to go to the Post Office.

Oh yes, there’s money to be saved for some savvy people out there, it’s just NEVER me L

N.B. I see there is nothing in the Post Office’s T&Cs that say you might incur a re-provisioning fee for switching to them, is that illegal?

Rochdale_Guy

Well, I've signed up anyway (yesterday, Friday 30th).

Said I should be switched over by April 16th, subject to a credit check - which I am bound to fail on now I'm on a DMP

Will phone them later to check they've received my application ok & check I will get the 2x £25 credits, if accepted..., as I did it before March 31st.

:beer:

Phones4Chris

As far as I'm aware, there is NO reason why you should loose your BB for 5 days & have to have it reprovisioned. Ring up P.O Customer services and ask them to put a note on the order that there is an existing BB service from BE on your line which is not to be disconnected. The name on the P.O. phone account should be identical to the name that was on the BT account.
I'd also ring BE customer services and ask them to notify BT Wholesale/Openreach that the Phone service is being transfered from BT Retail to the P.O. and not to disconnect the BB service.
An engineer doesn't have to visit the exchange, the phone transfer is a remote software job as the P.O. use BT WLR.. IF however the BB is disconnected that is an exchange visit!

Now, I'm no expert in this area and only have had experience of transfering the phone service from BT to my current BB supplier who also uses BT WLR. I had no loss of BB.

Perhaps someone more expert could comment. However in my view disconnection should not happen if you follow what I said above. If the transfer was to LLU equipment, that would be a different matter.
If you follow what I've said and still get disconnected, I'd complain to OFCOM, as there is clearly a rip-off going on.

Rochdale_Guy

Many thanks Phones4Chris, that was very helpful! :beer:

Will keep you informed as to what is happening.

Just spoke to nice lady at Post Office Customer Services who confirmed my order has gone through & been accepted (subject to dreaded credit check), and if that's okay, I will be in line to receive the 2x £25 credits down the line (not literally!)

I asked her to make a note that I have an existing broadband service on the line and can they make I note I don't want to lose that, she went off and checked with her manager and came back saying the only problem that might arise if BT are being awkward and won't release my current phone number to them, she couldn't explain further or go into more details, bless!

Why is she on Customer Services then?! :rotfl:

Anyway, will try and contact BE Broadband now.

Wish me luck! :T

P.S. What's LLU equipment?

macman

Local Loop Unbundled
BE is an LLU only supplier.

Rochdale_Guy

macman wrote: »

Local Loop Unbundled
BE is an LLU only supplier.

So I am going to have problems then? :wall:

OldGreyFox

Looks like your Broadband is unbundled (LLU) hence break in service, and your phone line is not.

http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/ask-our-expert/llu-broadband.html

Quentin

Rochdale_Guy wrote: »

So I am going to have problems then? :wall:

No.

All this is scaremongering!

You won't have any problem at all. (Unless the credit check says NO), and don't need to worry (or waste time phoning PO/BE)

See this from the link OldGreyFox has posted:

In most cases it is just the broadband element of your connection that will be unbundled, which means you can receive broadband from one ISP whilst retaining a
BT line for making telephone calls