BT - Support Akin to a Basil Fawlty Sketch

bubblesbonbon

An elderly couple near me received one of those "bargain" mailshots from BT offering them a cheap broadband & phone package and they signed up.
The day following the contractural start date, the phone line was not working - just an engaged tone.
They asked me to pop round and see if they had perhaps set it up incorrectly but it seemed fine.
I rang the support line on a mobile and gave them the account details. This is the gist of the conversation :-

Me: The contract start date is 08-09-15 at 00:00
Him: Correct sir, I can see that on my screen
Me: Then why is the line not working?
Him: That is because the time 00:00 is midnight so the date will be today, the 9th
Me: Well it is the 9th
Him: It will be activated this evening up to midnight
Me: And if it is midnight then it could be the 10th according to your explanation.
Him: Sir, you are taking me too literally.
Me: The contract states the 8th and at this point in time BT have breached the contract.
Him: I need to put you through to Sales to discuss this...

And off we went on the BT departmental roundabout without resolution but two engineers appeared during the week and the line was fixed 9 days later on the 18th. During this time, the couple complained to BT and in desparation eventually signed up with Sky.

On the 19th they received a call from BT saying that they were going to charge them £160+ for closing the contract early.

This is now in dispute.

As a matter of interest, legally is midnight on the 8th really the 9th?

hollydays

They call it the BT shunt. Pass you around like a parcel.

hc25036

bubblesbonbon wrote: »

As a matter of interest, legally is midnight on the 8th really the 9th?

Scientifically at least, midnight plus one second would be the 9th, so bang on midnight is still the 8th.....

Castle

00.00 on 8th September is the same as midnight on 7th September so the contract should have started on the 8th. If you think about it's logical given that "01.00" is 1.00am in the morning.

mitchb

Slightly off topic but my last ineraction with BT which was also like a fawlty sketch


me : I was told id get a call with approximate time of engineer visit on the day but haven't received
bt: All engineer visist are cancelled in your area today due to adverse weather
me: Adverse weather? Its a nice calm day
bt : According to our records the weather in your region is adverse?
me: What do you class as my region ?
bt : The whole of south Wales
me: I live in south Scotland ...
bt: ehhh


Doorbell goes and its engineer at door.


Can laugh now but its was the final reason why I left BT.