Seller told us there was a phone line

firsttimeforeverything_2

if the property is only 8 years old surely a phone line was put in at the time? Apparently not
Why would the vendors claim they had a phone line if they didn't? They also said the gas and electricity was supplied by the wrong people (turns out the gas wasn't supplied by anyone and so they mustn't have paid anything)
Would anyone actually live for 8 years without a phone line? Apparently- they worked for the guy who built the property, no idea what the arrangement was
If your neighbours have VM then fibro optic cable is already on place and can be connected to provide you with services? Again, apparently not
I don't know how many homes or businesses are in your vicinty but i'm certain the majority if not all would have phone lines in place for which you too can share or already share the same cables etc for your phone line (or however it works).

Answered above. It looks like I need to interrogate both BT and VM more and hope something they've told me isn't right.

theartfullodger

Just go mobile... 'phone & BB

bazzyb

Ask a different neighbour!

Who built the house? Some builders have arrangements with companies other than BT to provide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) so the telecoms services on the development could be provided by somebody else. Seethelight often provide it in situations such as that but it is rather unusual to not use standard copper BT lines.

poppysarah

I assisted a block full of tenants to tell BT to "go away" when they wanted a zillion sets of £130 for connecting them up. It should have been a free switch on - or tops £30 as everything had been put in place prior to them all moving in.
BT were very nice about it once they were told. And told again. And again. But no one paid the £130.

Millerdog

We had a similar problem several years ago. BT insisted there was no line. We spoke to the previous occupiers and asked them what the phone number had been, went back to BT and hey presto the line magically appeared!
Perhaps you could try this ... maybe the Estate agent? solicitor had a note of the number if you are unable to contact vendors.

ConfusedofYorkshire

Millerdog wrote: »

We had a similar problem several years ago. BT insisted there was no line. We spoke to the previous occupiers and asked them what the phone number had been, went back to BT and hey presto the line magically appeared!
Perhaps you could try this ... maybe the Estate agent? solicitor had a note of the number if you are unable to contact vendors.

In fact if you Google their names and address it might com's up on an online phonebook type thing

pramclub

MY VM cable was cut through by gas sub-contractor. VM connected us to neighbours cable - not an ideal solution as we were paying full bill and so was my neighbour. But gas board said "Their cable, they've got to fix", VM said "They broke it, they've got to fix" so it was easier to share.

Engineer told us that the cables will support several properties or dwellings - so a small block of flats will use same cable as one house, and it's split to each individual user.

We're a terrace, but I would have thought a reasonably near neighbour would work. Main problem is that VM don't seem to be equipped for digging up roads or concrete - that was our problem, broken cable had been concreted in by gas board. VM usually cable entire towns or neighbourhoods at a go, then start leafletting to tell how much better you'd be with them.

Our entire town was cabled some years ago, and although my dad didn't have VM there was cable to his house which could have been connected if he wanted it.

firsttimeforeverything_2

Hi all,

Small update on this one:
I've contacted Virgin a few times, trying my luck with different operators, and they've pretty much just said 'computer says no'. I've explained about our neighbour, and they're just having none of it. Helpful, as ever.

I've also spoken to Talk Talk, who are adamant that there will be no connection charge at all 'no matter how much extra cable we have to install'- direct quote.

So, they're coming round on 17th. I shall let you know...

Soleil_lune

Good luck!

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I've lived without a phone line for 7 years. Lovely and peaceful.

If TalkTalk give you a sensible quote, be sure to forward it to BT.