Trying and failing to get BT Infinity installed

Gazpablo

Has anyone succeeded in actually getting BT Infinity2 installed? We ordered online 5 September (after checking location availability); engineer date of 26 September given; hub equipment delivered two days before and took a day off work on the scheduled day, 26 September came and went, and no engineer arrived and no call from BT to explain. Now for the past 9 days we have got absolutely nowhere, and no new installation date.

Each day a BT person has phoned to say that they are trying to resolve the problem, which appears to be some kind of system fault with our order and they will cancel the order, and presumably we can start again ... and that's it. I was even given the phone number of a responsible BT manager but it is constantly engaged and believe it or not, I can't use ringback on the number.

We have no new date for installation and we appear to be in an endless loop. I am beginning to think that it is all a monumental waste of time dealing with a company that doesn't know the meaning of good customer service. So, any bright ideas of how we can actually get Infinity installed sometime over the next year? Anyone I can complain to? All ideas gratefully received.

macman

Cancel the order and try with a decent provider instead? Plusnet Fibre will give you exactly the same service, over the same equipment, but at a lower price.
However since the physical install will be down to OR, you are still at the mercy of BT regardless of provider.

Gazpablo

It is astounding that BT treats its customers like this - I've also posted on the Praise, Vents and Warnings section of the moneysavingexpert.com forum - one person found it took BT nearly 12 weeks to repair a telephone line - this is astonishing. If you google "BT Infinity installation" you will find a host of people complaining bitterly about BT cancelling appointments without letting people know and giving people a right royal runaround (and yes, we tend to hear about these things from people with grievances, and no doubt there are thousands of satisfied customers but there is a definite pattern to the grievances).

Part of the problem is that we are dealing with a group of BT companies - Open Reach install the equipment but BT Retail are dealing with the customer, and Open Reach are a law unto themselves. Add to this unholy mix a call centre based outside the UK and you have a recipe for cockups and confusion - noone takes ownership of a problem and sees it through to a solution. Normally you would expect a company to care about customers, customer retentions and loyalty but not BT - for them the customer is a nuisance and irritation. The problem probably won't get any better until BT faces really serious competition and is forced by government to relinquish their monopoly ownership of telephone exchanges but expecting politicians to think long-term is fruitless - hell will freeze over first.

The question I put to everyone is how can we mobilise online to make BT and other money grabbing corporations sit up and listen to their customers? The internet gives power to consumers and we need to use it.

BT_company_representative

Hi Gazpablo,

I am sorry to hear that your order for BT Infinity had been delayed. I can look into this for you. Please could you send me in your details using the link found in my profile?

Thanks

Paddy

oldagetraveller

macman wrote: »

Cancel the order and try with a decent provider instead? Plusnet Fibre will give you exactly the same service, over the same equipment, but at a lower price.
However since the physical install will be down to OR, you are still at the mercy of BT regardless of provider.

Exactly, but there are lots of instances on the Plusnet forum complaining about Openretch no shows to install/connect the fibre.
As you say, even Plusnet, owned by BT, are still at their mercy with this. :mad:

Gazpablo

Forums like moneysavingexpert.com are useful because we can air our experiences and views but we need to go further than this - it is no longer enough to moan and groan online because generally speaking nothing happens and the abuse goes on. People are tired of companies ripping them off and treating them very badly - the list is long and includes banks, insurance companies, oil, gas and electricity, water, railway, buses, newspapers, television and telecoms. To add insult to injury the senior executives of these companies are paying themselves massive salaries and often huge bonuses even when the performance of their companies are poor, and with very little shareholder control or accountability. Politicians are fond of telling us that free markets will deliver safely and equitably what is needed in an economy but we have seen over the past four years that free markets, if left unregulated, just do not deliver fair solutions for most of the population. The economic system we have lived under for the past thirty years has spectacularly failed and no-one has any idea what to do, least of all our politicians. The question I pose is - if we have had enough of this shabby treatment we need to organise ourselves as consumers via the one big weapon at our disposal - the internet. By the way, in case you are wondering I'm not a communist but I'm sick and tired of what is happening to our country, and I want to do something for the sake of our children and the generations to follow.

caveat_emptor

Infinity 2 mmmmmm. I can't get Infinity 1 yet, promised end September now put back to end December. Do I believe it? The only thing infinite about it is the time it takes to install. Presumably the optimistic installation dates are to draw more punters into BTs normal(?) service (6 months free and all that) with a view to upgrading when Infinity comes along.

enjaybee

I could have written that first post myself!

Ordered Infinity 2 about 2 weeks ago, On Monday my router arrived as expected - my installation was set for 8am - 1pm Wednesday and, I too, took the day off work. By 6pm no engineer and no call from BT. Managed to go on line and "track" my order which had been cancelled!
At 4pm the next day I received a text message asking me to call and discuss my order!
Phoned complaints line and was told that an engineer had called at my house at 12:28 and received no answer at the door - this was a BLATANT LIE. In my opinion the engineer was running late so gave that as an excuse to make sure his numbers looked good. I am absolutely disgusted.

I to have now looked at Plusnet. Reviews don't look too bad and a similar package comes in £5 cheaper per month. I know BT are the parent company but just feels good to stick it to them!

macman

BT owned, but still run independently.

oldagetraveller

I've been with PN now for just over 2 months, after a fortunate change of mind about signing up with TalkTalk:(:) , and can't fault them. I'm on ADSL2+ and due to location might get fibre only after Hell has frozen over!
The reps on their forum must be really frustrated trying to placate customers who have ordered fibre and no show by OR to set up. In many instances taken time off work too. It would appear that all PN are able to do is re-book and submit a complaint to BT OR which seems to get them nowhere.

macman

BT have hopelessly underestimated the demand for FTTC. They are neither able to upgrade the cabs on schedule (mine has now gone back 3 times, by a total of 9 months), nor provide enough engineers to do the modem installs...yet they continue to promote the product heavily.