Phone line problem

Heavenly

Hoping someone will be able to help me with this!

Planning on buying a new house but I work from home so require internet access. The owner took her phone number with her when she moved and the current tenant has not been able to get BT to re-activate the line and has lost out on 6 weeks worth of work herself because she can't get internet.

BT seem to be clueless as to why the line won't work and my boyfriend has had exactly the problem at his previous flat.

The tenant is attempting to go through Virgin Media but they apparently rely on BT for a line too so I can't see how they'll get it to work.

If we were to buy it, is it just a case of having to pay for a new phone line to be put in?

Thanks!

Heinz

Virgin Media is a cable provider (although they also re-sell BT lines in areas they have not cabled) so, from their response, it appears your new place is in a non-cabled area.

Just order a line from whichever provider you want. BT may reconnect the line f.o.c. but, if not, they charge £130. Other providers won't connect f.o.c. but their connection charges are lower.

Heavenly

Thanks Heinz - I checked and you're right, there's no cable in the area.

Keeping fingers crossed the tenant manages to get something sorted but BT got her so irate she gave up on them (wondering why they didn't suggest putting in a new phone line?).

macman

The cost is exactly the same for a new line provision or a reconnection.
BT is by far the most expensive option for either.

brewerdave

Heavenly wrote: »

Hoping someone will be able to help me with this!

Planning on buying a new house but I work from home so require internet access. The owner took her phone number with her when she moved and the current tenant has not been able to get BT to re-activate the line and has lost out on 6 weeks worth of work herself because she can't get internet.

Something to bear in mind WHEN you get a phone line sorted - if it is essential that you have internet access for work don't be tempted to go with a standard residential broadband account - get a proper business b/band connection with some form of service level agreement. Too many tales on these forums of people who are running home businesses on a residential connection,losing internet access for days or weeks, and having no comeback!!:eek:

Heavenly

The tenant eventually got things sorted but doesn't look like we'll be going for house any more. It was business broadband we'd have been going for - most residentials state they're not for business use but I'd still only have been able to get 1.5MBs for around £40 a month with no guarantee there would be an increase in speed any time soon.

I just couldn't make a decent living at that speed!

Thank you for all the advice though - this is the second place we've had this issue with so it's all very handy for the future!