No dial tone but broadband is OK

ioscorpio

I had a similar conversation with CS, she agreed that I had done all the tests, but that their line test was still saying the fault was my end. They force you to agree that it could be your fault before they send out an engineer, mine is coming out on Wed. I am also with Orange for my broadband, which is still working, but has been cutting out a lot.

macman

No, what they do is read you a standard script saying that if the fault is on your equipment or extensions, then the call out will be chargeable. Every single telcom or ISP does this, including BT Retail.

withabix

If you are in Ilkeston or that area, there is apparently a major cable fault which is going to take at least a week to fix.

BT will be compensating affected customers for costs of alternative provision (mobile, 3G card etc), but only if you contact them.

Guys_Dad

ioscorpio wrote: »

I had a similar conversation with CS, she agreed that I had done all the tests, but that their line test was still saying the fault was my end. They force you to agree that it could be your fault before they send out an engineer, mine is coming out on Wed. I am also with Orange for my broadband, which is still working, but has been cutting out a lot.

If you do a speed test, you will see that the speed is vastly reduced as your line is running at a low power level which seems to allow intermittent broadband access.

Given that the debacle at RBS/Nat West is also being pointed at the Off-shore control room, how much longer is it going to be before major companies accept that off-shore control/help centres do not work and, despite the low wage economies there, we need these major services repatriated.

BT engineer expected today between 8.00 - 13.00. We shall see what he comes up with.

Guys_Dad

Well, thank you BT.

Thank you for wasting my morning.

Thank you for the £10 compensation you are going to have to give me for not turning up.

Thank you for not ringing me to tell me that you were not turning up.

Thank you for not telling me that you didn't need to turn up because, surprise, surprise, you have sussed out that the fault on my line is not as a result of any equipment in my house causing my 5 neighbours and me to have no service - as I tried telling the off-shore call centre.

Thank you for the UK call centre that I managed to get through to who established the above.

Above all, thank you to the Board members of BT who decided that the current system of dealing with calls is the most effective way of keeping customers best served.

Roll on fibre connections from alternative suppliers, as I was used to in London.

ioscorpio

I keep checking my phone to see if they have fixed it without having to come out tomorrow.

TERMIN8TOR

I tried escalating and specifically told call centre not to call today (or call me to arrange visit). Guess what? They turned up at my place without warning and then called to say no-one at home!!

ioscorpio

My appt was for 1-6pm today, the guy turned up at 11am, which was ok. He said the fault was 9 metres away, so would be a fault in the footpath box. He said he would have to pass the fault to the underground team.

Another guy turned up at 1.30pm, he looked in a different footpath box to the one the first guy showed me. He said that that cable was faulty and needed replacing, from the box to my house so they would need to put a new cable across my garden, dig up the path next to the house and put a new box on the outside wall. Just after he left the phone rung, so the line was working again perfectly. I phoned 151 to see if they still need to put a new cable in, unfortunately I got the Indian call centre, spent about half an hour on the phone with him, he kept rambling on about them getting permission from the council. He said he needed to test the line again and would phone me back in half an hour. Since then the line has a really bad crackle on it, when he phoned back he said they still had to change the cable.

I think they are coming tomorrow, but I'll be at work, though the second guy said they did not need to come in, but he would have to come back, as they would have to put a cable from the outside box along the wall into the garage and through the lounge wall, where the master socket is.

ioscorpio

Well I still have not got my phone line fixed. They came out Friday to dig up the contrete path next to my house and the pavement. The under ground BT guy came back yesterday and said he could not get the cable through, so the ground workers would have to come back out and he would get them out yest pm. They turned up but filled in the hole in the pavement, as that is what their job sheet stated. They said they would have to come out again and dig the hole again, as the council only allows them to leave a hole open for 3 days. What a farce.

Guys_Dad

Update to post #26

Well, BT agreed to my £10 compensation (big deal). However, when my bill came this month, no sign of it. Rang 150 and got on to Billing. Call went to India. I asked about the £10 and the guy looked on the account and then had to go to his supervisor.

"Yes sir, we can make £10 refund but we have to listen to the telephone call"

"What call are you going to listen to? There were several"

"The one on the 22nd June"

"But the engineer didn't miss the appointment till the 26th!"

"Yes sir"

"Bit pointless, then. What call will you be listening to?"

"There was the last call on the 25th and we sent you a text advising you that the engineers had fixed the fault "

"When?"

"The 22nd"

"But it wasn't fixed then"

"No sir, but we sent you a text making an appointment foir the 25th between 8 and 1300 hours"

"And when was that sent according to your records?"

"At 1800 hours on the 25th"

"But that was at least 10 hours after the time the engineer was supposed to come"

"Yes sir"

"But I got a text confirming the 26th and he didn't show up"

"We will listen to your call"

"Which one, again. I rang at 1400 on the 26th when he had failed to come"

"We have no record of a call on the 26th but I will listen to the call on the 25th and all the others"

"I want to speak to a supervisor. You are clearly not understanding and saying anything to get me off the line and I want to make a complaint"

Click.


I waited till 11.30, rang again and got through to a UK call centre. 2 minutes and the guy put the credit on my account.

When will the big wigs at UK companies - and BT in particular - get the message that Offshore call centres may be cheap, but THEY DON'T WORK and that is why some switched on UK companies adtually advertise "UK call centres" as part of their sales blurb.