Home move - sellers given BT a different move date, Grrr

BigAunty

More a moan to get it off my chest than a request for advice as I know there's not much I can do.

I put in a home transfer request with BT to port over the telephone and broadband services next week at the new property, the day after I move house.

The sellers have rejected it, telling BT they aren't moving out for a another week after our scheduled completion date. BT say there's nothing they can do if current owners say they want services beyond the planned date of the move.

So I expect that I have to go without broadband/telecoms for a week (which is a pain as I work from home) unless I can merrily help myself to their broadband/telephone line if this isn't illegal.

Mrs_Arcanum

I would be more worried about the sellers apparently not moving for a week after the completion date.

BigAunty

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

I would be more worried about the sellers apparently not moving for a week after the completion date.

I don't think this indicates that the sellers are intending to move a week later - all parties have settled on the completion date.

I think they've simply decided not to relinquish their services in a timely manner, for whatever reason - perhaps fear that BT will grab the line too early? Perhaps they've not given their current provider enough notice? Perhaps they've given themselves contingency in the expecation that on the date of the move itself, they can bring the cessation of the phone line and broadband services forward a week?

But all the comms back from BT is that the account holders and/or their service providers say the services at the new property will stay in place a week after the agreed move date and that BT can't do anything when a new order from incoming occupants is rejected by the current ones.

latecomer

tell the outgoing people that they should terminate their line by the moving date and if they dont you will be forced to make alternative arrangements and you will send them the bill.

Mrs_Arcanum

BigAunty wrote: »

I don't think this indicates that the sellers are intending to move a week later - all parties have settled on the completion date.

I think they've simply decided not to relinquish their services in a timely manner, for whatever reason - perhaps fear that BT will grab the line too early? Perhaps they've not given their current provider enough notice? Perhaps they've given themselves contingency in the expecation that on the date of the move itself, they can bring the cessation of the phone line and broadband services forward a week?

But all the comms back from BT is that the account holders and/or their service providers say the services at the new property will stay in place a week after the agreed move date and that BT can't do anything when a new order from incoming occupants is rejected by the current ones.

In which case I would advise them that any use of the line after they have moved out will be billed to them until they close down their account at this address. Make sure you have a forwarding address.

BigAunty

I asked my solicitor for advice on the position, expecting her to tell me to suck it up like BT has or viewing it as a trivial matter. Instead, she's very angry and is challenging it, (so I hope BT or the owner's supplier hasn't just spun me a line about the reason why I can't get the correct dates for activation).

findingnemo^^

If the outgoing vendor cancels your homemove order by rejecting the takeover request.

As they are still the owners of the house they are legally allowed to do this. The reason the date has jumped is because BT will now have to give the outgoing tenant and the Service Provider 11 working days notice as per OFCOM regulations.

When I [hopefully] move into our house I'm going to have a chat with the vendor to let him know about the above. Maybe the vendor is a little confused by the process?

BigAunty

Thanks for the advice. Transpires to be a problem with a supplier who has decided that as the seller's new package is not available at their next property for awhile, they've interpreted it as they won't relinquish their line until then. Seller is trying to sort this out.

macman

But why are they refusing to move out out until a week after completion, unless you have agreed this-which you certainly should not without further legal advice and appropriate compensation?

BigAunty

macman wrote: »

But why are they refusing to move out out until a week after completion, unless you have agreed this-which you certainly should not without further legal advice and appropriate compensation?

I probably worded it poorly - they are moving out on the date agreed by all parties. No issue with the completion date.

The telecoms company disputed the de-activation date I requested, saying the current owner still wants to line there for a further week.

Well, they don't - apparently BT can't provide the service to their new property for a further week (which is fine with them) but they did actually request the line is ceased on the agreed date move date, just that BT have assumed they still want their current line in this period.

I also found that BT ignored my cease date for my line, too, bumping it out by a day from the one I requested via their online home moving request service so I had to call them about this. When they raised a new order for me, they also ignored the new packages I ordered and put me back on my current ones. So I had to call them about this, too.

So now I've formed the opinion that BT are just atrocious at managing the move of services.