BT Switch to Digital

Woogie03

Is anyone else having issues with BT Digital Voice switch-over?

My parents have had shocking treatment from BT.  Their landline was cut-off leaving them with no phone service for over a fortnight - and still not re-connected to Digital as I type!

They rely on their phone for contact to friends family and healthcare but BT are showing no signs of urgency to reconnect them.

MattMattMattUK

Woogie03 said:

Is anyone else having issues with BT Digital Voice switch-over?

My parents have had shocking treatment from BT.  Their landline was cut-off leaving them with no phone service for over a fortnight - and still not re-connected to Digital as I type!

They rely on their phone for contact to friends family and healthcare but BT are showing no signs of urgency to reconnect them.

Some people have had issues, depending on the case some of those issues are the fault of BT, others are the fault of the consumer. 

Have your parents received letters about the switch, were they given an changeover date? Do they have broadband or do they need that installed?

Woogie03

MattMattMattUK said:

Woogie03 said:

Is anyone else having issues with BT Digital Voice switch-over?

My parents have had shocking treatment from BT.  Their landline was cut-off leaving them with no phone service for over a fortnight - and still not re-connected to Digital as I type!

They rely on their phone for contact to friends family and healthcare but BT are showing no signs of urgency to reconnect them.

Some people have had issues, depending on the case some of those issues are the fault of BT, others are the fault of the consumer. 

Have your parents received letters about the switch, were they given an changeover date? Do they have broadband or do they need that installed?

They were contacted by phone to inform of upcoming switch-off of old copper lines and were given the impression that is was urgent that they acted.  Although not really understanding, they agreed to switch and sign up for another 2 year period.  They accept that they agreed to switch however.

The point however is that they were assured on the call (and subsequently by various BT call handlers and Executive Care team) that their existing service would remain in situ until the digital service was up and running.  Instead BT cut off the existing landline immediately.  BT have accepted that it is their fault, but I was interested to hear if anyone else has has issues like this, especially with them being left feeling vulnerable as a result (landline being their main contact and emergency contact)

MattMattMattUK

Woogie03 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Woogie03 said:

Is anyone else having issues with BT Digital Voice switch-over?

My parents have had shocking treatment from BT.  Their landline was cut-off leaving them with no phone service for over a fortnight - and still not re-connected to Digital as I type!

They rely on their phone for contact to friends family and healthcare but BT are showing no signs of urgency to reconnect them.

Some people have had issues, depending on the case some of those issues are the fault of BT, others are the fault of the consumer. 

Have your parents received letters about the switch, were they given an changeover date? Do they have broadband or do they need that installed?

They were contacted by phone to inform of upcoming switch-off of old copper lines and were given the impression that is was urgent that they acted.  Although not really understanding, they agreed to switch and sign up for another 2 year period.  They accept that they agreed to switch however.

In fairness they would have little choice, they could either agree, or be disconnected, those were the two choices, although they could have gone onto a rolling contract that would have been more expensive.

Woogie03 said:

The point however is that they were assured on the call (and subsequently by various BT call handlers and Executive Care team) that their existing service would remain in situ until the digital service was up and running.  Instead BT cut off the existing landline immediately.  

That is the normal procedure, some of it depends on Openreach scheduling which is external, but the digital line should be installed ahead of switching off of copper in all but the most exceptional of circumstances. 

Woogie03 said:
Instead BT cut off the existing landline immediately.  BT have accepted that it is their fault, 

I would suspect that someone pushed the wrong button, possibly thinking that they already had broadband, in which case they just need a little dongle to be able to plug their phone into the router. 

Woogie03 said:
but I was interested to hear if anyone else has has issues like this, 

They have, as well as different issues, that is not relevant to getting it resolved though.

Woogie03 said:
especially with them being left feeling vulnerable as a result (landline being their main contact and emergency contact)

The reality is it might well take BT some time to resolve as they cannot recommission the old copper line and if there is no digital connection they will have to wait for Openreach to install one. 

Do they have a mobile phone?
Do they have broadband?
Have they raised a formal complaint, rather than just speaking to customer services?

They will be entitled to compensation of £9.76 for every day their phone does not work once it is resolved, but that is secondary to getting the issue resolved.

The other issue will be making sure that they get to keep their old landline number, if the line is disconnected for more than 30 days then these can be released back into the pool and they would loose the number, so the formal complaint needs to be raised to make sure the number is held. 

EssexExile

I was swapped over by BT a couple of weeks ago and now I have both the old copper system and the VOIP system (Digital voice) working!