Desperate Advice BT/Openreach Business Help in Resolving No Internet/No Responsibility THEY BROKE IT

strawberri_shortcake

This post could potentially be pages and pages long so I'll make it incredibly brief. 

My small business used BT residential for phones and internet. They convinced me to "upgrade" to BT Business. About 4 weeks after that the internet access on site (absolutely critical to the business) started to flounder. We have literally had almost no internet since about June 22nd. I have spent hours on the phone and onsite with at least 8 different Openreach engineers - all diagnosing different things and none reporting accurately back to BT. 

There is so much more I can add but the bottom line is they finally diagnosed the problem. When they switched us over from BT residential to BT business, as a matter of course they switched us back to an ADSL line from fibre (this is routine, allegedly. They do this then put the fibre line back. God knows why). However, there is now no longer any room in the cabinet to put us back on the fibre line (this isn't full fibre btw - that's not due in our area until 2022).

When I complain I hit a brick wall. I literally can't get them to fix the issue. they just keep saying WE will have to pay more money for temporary fixes (which they will part reimburse when the issue is resolved) and also they suggest sending someone to come out and flog us extra gear. 

I could literally cry with frustration. I still have no internet and the only way to fix their mistake is to PAY THEM. 

I tried the Communications Ombusdman but they and OFCOM were utterly useless as they said they won't touch the issue as we have more than 10 employees. I KNOW I am in the right to say that I shouldn't have to pay a provider to fix a service that they broke but I just don't know where to turn. Please see their email attached (parts redacted for GDPR). 

I don't know if I'm more annoyed that they're sending someone to try and flog me phones when right now all I want is the internet back or that they can't get the fibre back to me that they took away in the first place. 

Why are they not accountable to anyone?

ANYONE with any experience in this area, please, please help!

_________________________________

FROM BT TO ME: 

Hi XXX,

 

Really sorry for the delayed emailed.

 Just one thing after the other.

 Every time I check the fibre line it changes to available and then not available.

 What I would suggest is installing a new broadband and line. With x3 Unlimited Mobile Dongles. Which connect up to 15 devices each.

 This would cost a extra cost which is not what you want to hear right now but until the fibre line is saying fully available we could be waiting a while

 Broadband Enhanced and Value Line – Upto 15mbps download - £26.95 per month

X3 Unlimited Mobile Broadband – Unlimited 4G connection  £60 (£30 Discount applied ) per month

 The Mobile broadbands will give your staff access to hotspotting, connection to multiple devices and takes pressure of the broadband.

 As discuss we have options, Once the fibre Is full ready I can install that and cancel/backdate the mobile broadbands.

We will review the full fibre pricing when its fully available.

 As well as this, I would recommend getting my specialist XXX XXX to come our discuss connection and leased line options in the future and can price up the phone systems as well. We can now provide free handsets as well which could offset the costs of any price increase on the internet services at each site.

 Really frustration that I cant say for 100% we can get fibre to you right now but I believe this temp solution whilst reviewing and monitoring the situation is our best bet.

 Let me know your thoughts and if you have any questions, please do let me know

 Kind Regards,

XXXX

  

JJ_Egan

Business contract all depends upon the terms and conditions of your contract .

The fibre you had originally you where running a business on it probably against the T&C .

Have they said why you cannot have business fibre over the same line ??

Jenni_D

The fibre line got hooked by a waiting residential customer in between the OP's line going back to ADSL and the fibre request being processed?

What speeds do you get on ADSL? What fibre speeds did you have previously? (If you have an ADSL line then you should not have No Internet; slow Internet perhaps, but not none at all).

southsidergs

When you say it was broke what were the speeds quoted on the business order?

iniltous

TBH, the residential to business change could be irrelevant, the exact same thing can happen moving between residential providers , unfortunately if the ‘fibre cab’ is at capacity, and you effectively give up the broadband port when you switch , the port you give up is snapped up by someone ‘waiting’ for a spare port, and you effectively switch places and you become the ‘waiter’ hoping for a broadband  port to become spare , cabs that have unused ports don’t have a problem, just those that are ‘full’.
There is usually a reasonable amount of churn ( people giving up service , moving home, dying , going mobile only ) so keeping an eye on the waiting list is advisable , and if the cab shows ‘available’, you need to get your order in quick before someone else does.
If you put your phone number or address into the wholesale checker

https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/
does it show ‘waiting list’ for your cabinet ?
https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL
first one seems to be off line at the moment 

strawberri_shortcake

Thank you all for your responses. Sorry for the late reply, I've been so snowed under! We are getting speeds, generally, 1-3mg which doesn't work at all when we're at capacity. When use is low we get by a bit. We're at a standstill right now but I don't have any time to talk to them as each exchange takes forever. I'll look into it next week. I really appreciate everyone who has taken time to reply. 

Jenni_D

Would MiFi be a workaround for a short while? (You'd either need an unlimited data plan, or work out how much data you'd typically use in a month, to decide which plan vs cost would make sense).