Who do I contact to move master socket?

Hi

We have telephone and broadband provided by John Lewis Broadband. We are having some building work done and need to have our Master socket moved. Do I contact BT about this?

Also, I have heard that this will cost £130 call out and then £70 for the work to be done!! As though I would want to pay £130 just to have an engineer call and stand there!! Is this pricing correct?

Are there any other (legal) solutions?

(apologies if this has already been asked - I couldn't find the info when doing a search)

Thank you.
«1

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 178,285 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    As your line rental is with JL then you contact them. They will arrange with Openreach to do the work. As a minimum I would expect £130 attendance charge as Openreach will bill JL who will bill you. It probably will be an extra £70 to actually move the box
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • newbie1980
    newbie1980 Posts: 2,016 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    any electrician with the correct tools can do this and some suppliers actually tell you to get a local guy. Just ring around
  • guineapig
    guineapig Posts: 276 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    newbie1980 wrote: »
    any electrician with the correct tools can do this and some suppliers actually tell you to get a local guy. Just ring around

    Is that legal?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I think Openreach would take a very dim view of an electrician doing any such work since the Master Socket is not the property of the customer.

    However, if done properly, they are unlikely ever to know.

    BUT I'm also not sure if it would be significantly cheaper to pay an electrician to do the work over Openreach
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 7 February 2016 at 8:00PM
    OR recently relaxed the rules about who can 'touch' the master socket, making it easier for CP's like Sky to do work like moving the master socket , I doubt if John Lewis would have the staff to do this directly , so they could use OR , and bill the end user whatever they feel appropriate , there doesn't have to be a connection between the wholesale price OR charge the CP and the retail price the CP charges the end user , although it seems to be in the £100 to £130 range,
    The OP could employ a third party to do the work, or do it themselves , but understanding if they screw up and OR have to attend because of a fault they would charge for that,
    if it were just a case of re routing some internal cable I know what I would do, but if it were moving the underground feed or drop wire from a pole then I would use OR, but the CP (John Lewis) would have to arrange this
  • iniltous wrote: »
    but understanding if the screw up and OR gave to attend on the premise of a fault they would charge for that

    To follow on from that if they realised it had been moved if you got a fault in the future there isn't anything stopping them from billing you for moving it anyway.

    Not to say they would but they could if they were being spiteful. You might as well get it done properly.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,285 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Of course another problem with getting your local leccie to do it is if there is not enough incoming cable spare to move it where you want,

    You either end up with a bodge job using a couple of Scotchloks (which probably isn't going to help your broadband speed) or they run a new longer cable in from the junction box outside. OR may turn a blind eye to extending with Scotchloks until you get a fault with it but actually tampering with the cable from a junction box would be a big no-no.

    Of course the other good reason for getting a proper telecom engineer doing it is that they will have the kit to be able to test the line correctly both for voice and broadband
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • newbie1980
    newbie1980 Posts: 2,016 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 8 February 2016 at 8:48AM
    guineapig wrote: »
    Is that legal?

    totally. if you have a fault on the line and when they do the tests it shows no fault they will tell you theres a call out fee or try a local electrician

    i would only get a electrician to move box if enough wire allows it and nothing else
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,668 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I'll do it for £100 ..
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I thought it was £130 for call out and the first hour?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
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