Change of Broadband Severe Difficulties.

Colbr

Okay, advice please.

In March, my contract with BT ran out. I was asked to call them, I negotiated a contract at the time including sky Movies, Digital Voice and fibre broadband. I was give an installation date of the 30 th April from 1pm to 6 pm (start of the bank holiday weekend!). I then received a text on 27th April to say the engineers were unable to install as they could not access the property (Yes, i was at work and it wasnt the 30th, its a no brainer). I called BT and was assured the engineers were coming on the 30th as per the booked date. They did not arrive!

The next week, I received an email saying that the contract was cancelled and to call them.

Again a contract was negotiated , they tried to increase the price by £5 , but discounted some of it. Again a booking was made. Same story.

Third time lucky or so they say.... Tuesday they installed the fibre braodband but are now sying i dont have a contract , again a price increase of +£5 ut added to that an additional calling plan needs to be added minimum increase including the £5 is another £7.

I now have only BT TV but no phone line.

I have spent 4 hours on the 4 over two days and get told different information at each call. Even though contracts have been negotiated , at no time did anyone ever process the contract. They just tell me no contract is on my account and that i have to take a more expensive contract. Surely, consumers have a right to know the contracts that they are being sold in writing,

Result is that it is cheaper for me to leave BT and go to another supplier.

Can I have anyone who uses the following to advice please. I need reliable broadband as the biggest priority.

1. Virgin- how reliable?

2. Talk Talk?

3. sky?

4. Plusnet?

Many thanks, for your help.

Colbr

Ps i should say , on the second negotiation, I was advised to move my mobile from BT to EE (by a bt representative!) which i did. The new sim was sent out and the account transfered, but this is the only part that they actioned. I had previously had mobile, broadband and landline with BT. I have paid my account by DD on time and no delays for 20 years.

Neil_Jones

Sorry I'm confused.  If you have internet already via BT, why does an engineer need to attend?

How were you on the internet before?

Colbr

Hi I was on BT broadband but they upgraded to Fibre Broadband.  I was advised that all copper cables have to be replaced in the next two years due to corrosion. I was also told that landlines are being fazed out and we are all moving to Digital Voice, which is calling using teh internet. I cannot understand how phone calls using the internet need a call plan, they are made using the broadband and I pay for unlimited use...

400ixl

So BT have moved you to a Full Fibre FTTP product, as in change you from Copper to Fibre?

This entails fitting a new Customer Service Point (CSP) box on the outside of the property and then the Optical Network Termination (ONT) box inside the property which then has the new router connected to it which the phone then connects to.

They have done all of this and left you with a voice line and BT TV on a contract, but no broadband service or contract? If so thats a bit of a mess and will make things difficult. Assuming they have you tied to a contract for the phone and TV then that may make it difficult to swap to another provider as the TV and voice line services come over the broadband connection.

The voice line still needs a call plan as although it now routes from the phone to the exchange via the fibre rather than from the phone over copper to the street box and onto the exchange, they still break out in the exchange in the same way if connecting to other non VOIP services. They still need a way to charge for calls and the provision / upkeep of the digital exchanges, hence call plans. However typically with FTTP services you can now decline to take a voice service at all which wasn't possible with most FTTC services.

I am not sure that BT will allow the broadband service to be migrated to another supplier if they are providing TV and voice services under contract. Virgin could be an option if it is in your area as that is an entirely different Fibre service and would be installed alongside the BT system. I believe you can get Virgin broadband without a voice service and TV service but it may not be the most cost effective.

Of the others you listed, Plusnet do not yet provide an FTTP service officially but you can call them and ask about it as they do now have the capability. Sky do offer FTTP services and Talk Talk do as well but there isn't a barge pole long enough for me to consider them.

It would be down to whether you are tied into a contract for voice and TV and whether they would allow for another provider to take up the broadband element. Given that would mean 2 routers I am not sure it would be possible. If you can cancel those other elements then you could look at the other providers. NowTV may be a better alternative to Sky for the TV side as you would have to either have a Sky Q system with a dish or the new Sky TV (their physical TV) to do it without a dish.