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BT Engineer dept number?

sdfuk
Posts: 6 Forumite
in Phones & TV
Hi
Not sure if this is in the right place but does anyone know any telephone numbers where I can contact the BT engineer department directly. I keep getting fobbed off by the (Indian?) call centre guys.
The problem is that I had BT Infinity installed (which is great), but as my speed only increased from 6mb/s to 9mb/s the engineer recommended disconnecting another line coming into the house as it may be causing interference. This increased my broadband speed from 9mb/s to 20mb/s but unknown to me, the engineer cut the line used for our house alarm!
No alarm, no house insurance! So until the line is reconnected we're uninsured, which is not the best. Will BT pay the bill if we're burgled?
If I get an ex BT engineer to fix the problem (a guy lives locally says he can do it) can I invoice BT? Moreover, would BT pay? I doubt it.
The call centre guys say it will take up to 7 days to contact me - this is really poor given the mistake made by the engineer.
Cheers
S
Not sure if this is in the right place but does anyone know any telephone numbers where I can contact the BT engineer department directly. I keep getting fobbed off by the (Indian?) call centre guys.
The problem is that I had BT Infinity installed (which is great), but as my speed only increased from 6mb/s to 9mb/s the engineer recommended disconnecting another line coming into the house as it may be causing interference. This increased my broadband speed from 9mb/s to 20mb/s but unknown to me, the engineer cut the line used for our house alarm!
No alarm, no house insurance! So until the line is reconnected we're uninsured, which is not the best. Will BT pay the bill if we're burgled?
If I get an ex BT engineer to fix the problem (a guy lives locally says he can do it) can I invoice BT? Moreover, would BT pay? I doubt it.
The call centre guys say it will take up to 7 days to contact me - this is really poor given the mistake made by the engineer.
Cheers
S
0
Comments
-
No, you can't contact BT OR direct, you must go through your line rental provider (BT Retail). They are separate companies.
Did you not know which line your alarm was linked to (since you are paying two lots of line rental)?
No, the line up to and including the NTE5 master socket is the property of BT OR and no-one else can touch it. if they do, it'll be BT billing you, not vice versa.
Your alarm should still function, it just won't register at the control centre.No free lunch, and no free laptop0 -
Hi
Thanks for reply
We only pay for one line rental (unless the wife is hiding the bill).
I assumed that an engineer would not cut an operational live wire and that he would test whether or not it was still in use. The Openreach guys are doing hundreds of these installs each week and must be aware of houses connected with alarms.
The alarm doesn't work at all. It was set off by a relative before someone could deactivate it and now there is an alert message which will not go away. The alarm company says the line must be reinstated. Luckily I work from home.
I wouldn't mind so much if BT got back with a date for repair, that's all I need, but there's no communication at all.
Cheers
S0 -
So by 'another line' you really meant an extension to the alarm control box from your existing 'main' master socket?
Your first post implied that the alarm line was an additional one, as you used the phrase 'another line coming into the building'. Which is it?
If it's just one line, and he's merely cut the extension cable to the alarm, then you or anyone can repair that, it's no concern of BT's as it's your property. If BT were to attend to fix that, they would (under normal circumstances) charge you a minimum £130 call out. So before they attend, I'd ensure that they accept responsibility and will repair at no charge.
The normal average repair time for OR is about 5 working days, in bad weather that is certain to be extended. So if time is a priority, I'd DIY or get your mate to fix it-but don't expect BT to pay. It's a quick and easy job, 30 minutes at most.No free lunch, and no free laptop0 -
Since the alarm was an extension, they would argue they cut the interference to increase your line speed - if you did not advise the engineer that your alarm system accessed your line he would have no way of knowing (as it won't ring, and until triggered, not make a call). My alarm warns when the line is disconnected (saying LINE FAULT) and we find this useful as it also warns us if the line goes down.
If fixed, then your BB speed drops again, so you'll be back to square one. Just a thought though - did you ensure the alarm got its own filter? If not, that would probably have caused the issue.0
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