New line wanted, but not from BT

topherxp

Darronaldo wrote: »

YES!! ARGH, BT make me SOOOO angry. I want to follow Martin's advice and get Talk Talk with Broadband, but BT seem to have a monopoly setting up lines! And they want to lock me into a contract!

I've just moved into a new home (finally on the ladder!) and the line was 'Ceased' having not been used for years.

I called BT - waited 25 minutes fro them to answer - then the said it would cost £125 to connect the line again! When I asked why, she said she could connect me to complaints if I liked. She kept on quoting that price, when I question ed her about what could have ceased the line. What a joke! It's probably their fault its disconnected, if BT used my line for another house.

I called back - waited another 25-30 minutes in a que ("I'm sorry, but we're extremely busy at the moment" is the message regardless of when you call during the day!) and after being put through to the wrong person (and waiting again in a que) they said they'd only charge me if the wiring in my house was the issue. Argh, same issue, 2 answers.

They missed the appointment, and failed to call. When I called them they said the person had told me the wrong day. No real apology that my wife had taken the day off.

The bottom line is - I want Talk Talk - but I have to use the monopolising, smug and ineffiencient BT to get one. BT also said there was NO cooling off period - once I was connected I would be locked into a 12 month contract! That can't be right?

All I want to do is use a different provider to BT - but they seem to hold all the aces! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

Can anyone help?

I think you should do your research properly first, then you would realise you don't need to use BT to connect your line and that BT aren't a monopoly.

BritBrat

BT Openreach are the only ones who can install/reconnect a BT phone line.

Monoploy?

Oh yes that are, oh no there not.

And the pantomine goes on.

Ypaymore

stiffnuts69 wrote: »

does anyone know whether you can use sky broadband (llu) on a madasafish line rental service.

Skys site says you need an active BT line to get the service.

nmm

Ypaymore wrote: »

Skys site says you need an active BT line to get the service.

I thought when it says an active BT line it just means one that isnt cable, as all non-cable phone lines are on the BT network regardless of who you pay the bill to

Heinz

nmm wrote: »

I thought when it says an active BT line it just means one that isnt cable, as all non-cable phone lines are on the BT network regardless of who you pay the bill to

Only BT is required by its licence to allow subscribers to use a CPS provider for their calls.

No other provider (LLU and WLR re-sellers) has to do so and, surprise, none does so.

olly300

Darronaldo wrote: »

YES!! ARGH, BT make me SOOOO angry. I want to follow Martin's advice and get Talk Talk with Broadband, but BT seem to have a monopoly setting up lines! And they want to lock me into a contract!

I've just moved into a new home (finally on the ladder!) and the line was 'Ceased' having not been used for years.

I called BT - waited 25 minutes fro them to answer - then the said it would cost £125 to connect the line again! When I asked why, she said she could connect me to complaints if I liked. She kept on quoting that price, when I question ed her about what could have ceased the line. What a joke! It's probably their fault its disconnected, if BT used my line for another house.

This happened to me. However when the Openreach guy came into my flat he saw the old BT line and disappeared off to flick the switch somewhere.

I took his badge number down and phoned BT immediately. I asked for the customer service operator's name and asked again if I would be charged £125. The customer service operator was scared that I was going to make a complaint about him.

I also emailed them as I know the customer service operators are not always with it and I got a letter a few days later saying I wouldn't be charged for it.

I called back - waited another 25-30 minutes in a que ("I'm sorry, but we're extremely busy at the moment" is the message regardless of when you call during the day!) and after being put through to the wrong person (and waiting again in a que) they said they'd only charge me if the wiring in my house was the issue. Argh, same issue, 2 answers.

This actually correct as I pointed out above you need to make sure they cannot charge you i.e. be proactive.

They missed the appointment, and failed to call. When I called them they said the person had told me the wrong day. No real apology that my wife had taken the day off.

The Openreach guy came at 9.30 am in the morning rather than after 2pm in the afternoon. It seems they just get a list of names from BT, a separate company, and go and do them in order.

The bottom line is - I want Talk Talk - but I have to use the monopolising, smug and ineffiencient BT to get one. BT also said there was NO cooling off period - once I was connected I would be locked into a 12 month contract! That can't be right?

I hate Talk Talk. I had to contact OFCOM over them. I also don't want anyone touching my phone line as previous posters have made it clear that if your line goes wrong that company will just contact Openreach for you.

Maybe you should make a formal complaint to OFCOM i.e. no one else will put in domestic phone lines except Openreach.

From the Openreach website FAQ (http://www.openreach.co.uk)
Q1 What is Openreach?
We work on behalf of around 300 Communications Providers such as Fujitsu, Carphone Warehouse, BT Retail and AOL.......

Q3 Do you have competitors?
We are in competition with alternative access technologies such as Cable and Wireless.

inretro

Just to follow up, I went with Madasafish for the line rental, and Namesco for a 2meg broadband service.

Neither have minimum contract and I've been happy with the service provided by both.

Thanks for the contributions

Moffatt

olly300 wrote: »

I hate Talk Talk. I had to contact OFCOM over them. I also don't want anyone touching my phone line as previous posters have made it clear that if your line goes wrong that company will just contact Openreach for you.

Maybe you should make a formal complaint to OFCOM i.e. no one else will put in domestic phone lines except Openreach.

From the Openreach website FAQ (http://www.openreach.co.uk)
Q1 What is Openreach?
We work on behalf of around 300 Communications Providers such as Fujitsu, Carphone Warehouse, BT Retail and AOL.......

Q3 Do you have competitors?
We are in competition with alternative access technologies such as Cable and Wireless.

There's a very simple reason why only Openreach install 'BT' lines and that is because only they are allowed to touch the access network. The creation of Openreach was ordered by OFCOM and having any old contractors installing lines on to the network would be a nightmare.

normanmark

Actually the creation of Openreach wasnt ordered by Ofcom at all, it was an voluntary move from the BT Group to seperate themselves into 3 companies.

BT no longer have a monopoly (for the poster who seems to think), the Openreach company treat all communication providers (CP's) on an equal level & charge the flat fee to all providers.

Any company can set up lines in an exchange now (theres the bit that makes BT no longer a monopoly, as other CP's now have access to telephone exchanges). However due to the cost & basic set up of a solid infrastructure means that most CP's wont want to trial setups of installing & maintaining their own service, this is mainly due to cost issues.

So its not a case of they cant, its a case they wont. More pressure i think needs to be placed on these providers to get themselves installing more of their own services then maybe this will send the message to the general member of the public that BT no longer have a 'monopoly'.

hammy_the_hammer

and of course there's nothing to stop any provider opening up it's own exchanges and putting in duct and cable to customers . they don't ....i wonder why !