New build with no phone line!!!

Caz_Devo

Hi

We moved into a Redrow new build on 21/11/14 and have yet to get a phone line installed.. Reason being there aren't any free lines closest to our house and BT need to lay ducting from another to the estate we are living on!
Bad enough but it took us to find this information out as Redrow were 'unaware' of any issue, we've been chasing this since we moved in and have today been told it will be at least the end of Feb before the issue is likely to be resolved!
We do however have provision for a Virgin line as Redrow ensured they laid their lines, our deeds state that the builders will ensure that all mains infrastructure, including telecommunications/media would be provided to the house, surely there is some completion law to say they can't make us sign with Virgin, we have 2 years free broadband with Sky!
What is the legal implications for the builders? I have exchanged several emails with the construction director to no avail, so I have today emailed the CEO and the NHBC..

Any ideas anyone getting very very angry now!!

Owain_Moneysaver

I think it depends on exactly what Redrow have done. It's possible that Redrow have laid local cabling that can be used by Openreach, but Openreach will need to join that onto their existing network at some point and in your case that involves new ducting to be provided. If this is the case then the delay is not down to Redrow and would have happened whoever/whenever a new line was ordered, and it may be that Redrow have fulfilled the condition in the deeds.

SplanK

They are not forcing you to sign up with anybody. It is your choice if you want to enable the Virgin service in your property or not.
Redrow have met their contract by providing at least 1 phone service to the property, but its not as though there wont be any BT service, its just that the service will be installed at a later date which is about a month away.

ethank

I've seen developments where they are BT free zones, and they only have access to Virgin. It depends on the deal that is done.

I now live in a place, where no one can get Virgin at all!! We have two choices for Broadband - a really awful 1mb service with any provider you like, or BT Infinity (Fibre to the Premises) at up to 330mb. There are currently no other Fibre products which do Fibre to the Premises!

I had Sky Unlimited Broadband in my last house at 20mb for 7.50 a month. I'd love to have that here, but cannot cope with 1mb, so am stuck with what's available.

Openreach often will not put Fibre in on new developments until the road is completed - there are some people here who have been waiting a year for Fibre.

NHBC are not going to do anything, Redrow cannot do anything, Openreach are responsible for the phone network, and they will do the work when they do the work - getting angry will not make things happen any quicker.

Quit whilst you are ahead...

jaylee3

Every single day on here, there is someone with a gripe about a newbuild property, and I know personally 4 people who have bought a new property this past 12 months, who have done nothing but complain about one problem after another. A couple of them from the minute they moved in!

It appears that the negatives of buying newbuild appear to outweigh the positives, but are there actually any positives to buying newbuild?!

OP, if there is no ducting or whatever, (for BT,) you can't do a lot really can you, until it's put in? (except sign with Virgin! Rather you than me!)

What about the other owner/occupiers/tenants? What are they doing? Can you get together and have a moan at the builder? (So it's not just you complaining.)

pinkshoes

jaylee3 wrote: »

Every single day on here, there is someone with a gripe about a newbuild property, and I know personally 4 people who have bought a new property this past 12 months, who have done nothing but complain about one problem after another. A couple of them from the minute they moved in!

It appears that the negatives of buying newbuild appear to outweigh the positives, but are there actually any positives to buying newbuild?!

What a daft statement.

This is a FORUM where people come for help with PROBLEMS.

I loved my newbuild flat and really miss it. My parents love their newbuild house.

I don't see the problem above, as it is personal preference. If the OP desperately wanted BT, then they needed to check availability before buying. We personally prefer Virgin cable, but the property we are buying isn't serviced by Virgin, so will just have to go with BT.

Running_Horse

I wonder if in a few years we will wonder why we held onto the notion of fixed landlines for so long?

Vampgirl

jaylee3 wrote: »

Every single day on here, there is someone with a gripe about a newbuild property, and I know personally 4 people who have bought a new property this past 12 months, who have done nothing but complain about one problem after another. A couple of them from the minute they moved in!

It appears that the negatives of buying newbuild appear to outweigh the positives, but are there actually any positives to buying newbuild?!

I love our new build and yes there are plenty of positives.

jaylee3 wrote: »

OP, if there is no ducting or whatever, (for BT,) you can't do a lot really can you, until it's put in? (except sign with Virgin! Rather you than me!)

What about the other owner/occupiers/tenants? What are they doing? Can you get together and have a moan at the builder? (So it's not just you complaining.)

I don't think moaning at the builder is going to help at all - there is nothing they can do its all down to BT/Openreach. The OP needs to decide to either sign up with Virgin now, or wait for Openreach to connect them up to BT's network at some point (though with the speed Openreach work at, I really wouldn't hold my breath!).

The OP really should have checked this out beforehand - it was one of the first things I asked the sales office before we considered buying our house. In our case we cannot get Virgin or BT - only a small FTTP provider I've never heard of, but we decided that in the greater scheme of things, the house was more important than who we got our TV and internet from.

I also used to lived on a newish build estate (approx 15 years old now) and when we first moved there it was Virgin or nothing. BT eventually started providing services about 4 years ago.

chanz4

fibre cant be put in on our new estate until its finished end of feb/march, like others have said only 1 provider is on the estate at first. nhbc wont do zippy, hard enough to get them to ask the builders todo what they should be

chanz4

jaylee3 wrote: »

Every single day on here, there is someone with a gripe about a newbuild property, and I know personally 4 people who have bought a new property this past 12 months, who have done nothing but complain about one problem after another. A couple of them from the minute they moved in!

It appears that the negatives of buying newbuild appear to outweigh the positives, but are there actually any positives to buying newbuild?!

OP, if there is no ducting or whatever, (for BT,) you can't do a lot really can you, until it's put in? (except sign with Virgin! Rather you than me!)

What about the other owner/occupiers/tenants? What are they doing? Can you get together and have a moan at the builder? (So it's not just you complaining.)

3 bed semi, £8 gas, £35 electric!

davidmcn

Caz_Devo wrote: »

our deeds state that the builders will ensure that all mains infrastructure, including telecommunications/media would be provided to the house

If that's literally what it says, then they appear to have complied with it, because you've got a line.

surely there is some completion law to say they can't make us sign with Virgin

If you mean competition law, then no, I don't see why that would be relevant.