BT Retail & Openreach Nightmare

Echinacea

When BT (Openreach) installed the Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) modem etc. in my house, they did not do the job properly. There is a pipe coming out of the floor, which is where the Fibre line runs underneath my house, leading to the outside where the fibre lines run under the ground in the same cavities as the gas pipes.

When this was installed, this pipe in my house was not properly sealed to make it airtight. One day I received a phone call from my building developer informing me there was a major gas leak in the road (about 20 metres from my house) and they needed to check my property as they suspected it was also leaking into people's houses. I immediately left work, came home and National Grid confirmed that I did indeed have Gas leaking into my property, through this unsealed pipe mentioned above.

I spent the next 5 hours sat in my house with back door and front door open, freezing cold, with National Grid checking the levels of gas every hour to ensure it was not building up to dangerous levels - as this pipe is in a small coat cupboard next to my front door, with a boiler, it could easily fill up and create an explosion hazard.

Down the road was a BT Openreach branded signage 100 Metres from my house, attached to a number of partitions to stop people falling into the holes they have dug up. Firstly, upon calling this emergency number it gives the error that "The number does not exist"

Furthermore, I called the general BT Openreach number 0800 023 2023 which specifically states on their website:

"About damage or health and safety issues:
We want to know immediately if any part of our network has been damaged or poses a risk to public health and safety."

I think a gas leak in my home (and several of my neighbour's homes) is a fair 'risk' to public health and safety. However, the woman on the end of the phone neither knew nor cared how to handle this and fobbed of with "We only deal with fallen poles, open manholes, open exchange boxes etc." Before giving me the standard BT (retail) sales number.

National Grid fixed the leak in the street, the next morning someone was in my house to seal this pipe which leaked into my house.

I spoke to someone from BT Retail several times about a variety of other related service problems (quelle surprise!). I told them about the gas issue above. They spoke to their manager, and said they would complain to BT Openreach on my behalf. Openreach contacted me and told me to go through my Provider (i.e. BT Retail) which I did.

I replied to Openreach to explain this actually had come through my provider. They simply insisted I go through my provider.

This was back in January. Since then it has been a game of constant calling back and seeking an answer, while being fobbed off constantly and told "They will get back to you in 5-7 days".

Well enough. I have just filled in an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) form to take this further.

What I want to know is, what I should be seeking from them as recompense? I am not normally one who seeks compensation for things, but I think this is a fairly big deal which affected several households, potentially putting both our houses, and our lives in danger.

As fas as 'inconveniences', I lost a day's wages and had to have the heating on full blast for several hours to bring the house back up to a living standard as it was one of the coldest days going around us. I won't even go into the hours lost and wasted on hold (on a mobile, because BT Openreach had cut the fibre line which fed the entire neighbourhood's comms for over a week) and explaining this situation over and over, trying to seek a resolution.

I would jump to another company in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I am stuck with BT and BT only, as I am in a newbuild which has the newer FTTP technology - and as BT are the only company which can provide the service in my area!!

Edit: I am not seeking a massive payout. A days wages, and the heating bill for the day is probably about £150. The reason I even ask, is because when I went through the ADR they specifically said 'if you are after compensation tell us what you want and how you arrived at that figure'. Do you think that is reasonable? I have never asked to be compensated in my life, but in this instance I am so very annoyed at being constantly fobbed off and ignored, over and over, on quite a serious issue.

macman

You can claim your quantifiable losses, which you appear to have already calculated.

Jemma-T

Echinacea wrote: »

When BT (Openreach) installed the Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) modem etc. in my house, they did not do the job properly. There is a pipe coming out of the floor, which is where the Fibre line runs underneath my house, leading to the outside where the fibre lines run under the ground in the same cavities as the gas pipes.

When this was installed, this pipe in my house was not properly sealed to make it airtight. One day I received a phone call from my building developer informing me there was a major gas leak in the road (about 20 metres from my house) and they needed to check my property as they suspected it was also leaking into people's houses. I immediately left work, came home and National Grid confirmed that I did indeed have Gas leaking into my property, through this unsealed pipe mentioned above.

I spent the next 5 hours sat in my house with back door and front door open, freezing cold, with National Grid checking the levels of gas every hour to ensure it was not building up to dangerous levels - as this pipe is in a small coat cupboard next to my front door, with a boiler, it could easily fill up and create an explosion hazard.

Down the road was a BT Openreach branded signage 100 Metres from my house, attached to a number of partitions to stop people falling into the holes they have dug up. Firstly, upon calling this emergency number it gives the error that "The number does not exist"

Furthermore, I called the general BT Openreach number 0800 023 2023 which specifically states on their website:

"About damage or health and safety issues:
We want to know immediately if any part of our network has been damaged or poses a risk to public health and safety."

I think a gas leak in my home (and several of my neighbour's homes) is a fair 'risk' to public health and safety. However, the woman on the end of the phone neither knew nor cared how to handle this and fobbed of with "We only deal with fallen poles, open manholes, open exchange boxes etc." Before giving me the standard BT (retail) sales number.

National Grid fixed the leak in the street, the next morning someone was in my house to seal this pipe which leaked into my house.

I spoke to someone from BT Retail several times about a variety of other related service problems (quelle surprise!). I told them about the gas issue above. They spoke to their manager, and said they would complain to BT Openreach on my behalf. Openreach contacted me and told me to go through my Provider (i.e. BT Retail) which I did.

I replied to Openreach to explain this actually had come through my provider. They simply insisted I go through my provider.

This was back in January. Since then it has been a game of constant calling back and seeking an answer, while being fobbed off constantly and told "They will get back to you in 5-7 days".

Well enough. I have just filled in an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) form to take this further.

What I want to know is, what I should be seeking from them as recompense? I am not normally one who seeks compensation for things, but I think this is a fairly big deal which affected several households, potentially putting both our houses, and our lives in danger.

As fas as 'inconveniences', I lost a day's wages and had to have the heating on full blast for several hours to bring the house back up to a living standard as it was one of the coldest days going around us. I won't even go into the hours lost and wasted on hold (on a mobile, because BT Openreach had cut the fibre line which fed the entire neighbourhood's comms for over a week) and explaining this situation over and over, trying to seek a resolution.

I would jump to another company in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I am stuck with BT and BT only, as I am in a newbuild which has the newer FTTP technology - and as BT are the only company which can provide the service in my area!!

Edit: I am not seeking a massive payout. A days wages, and the heating bill for the day is probably about £150. The reason I even ask, is because when I went through the ADR they specifically said 'if you are after compensation tell us what you want and how you arrived at that figure'. Do you think that is reasonable? I have never asked to be compensated in my life, but in this instance I am so very annoyed at being constantly fobbed off and ignored, over and over, on quite a serious issue.

"... the next morning someone was in my house to seal this pipe which leaked into my house." Who? So they are now responsible in future. You will also need to get written and photograpic evidence of the before and after state of this trunking.

Good luck with your legal claim you're going to need it because it seems very complicated and long-winded.

Make plenty spare time too.