!!!!!!! BT!! Not sure my line works.

crispsandwich

Bt's customer service is awful and I now have no idea whether I have a working line or not.

Me and my girlfriend have just moved into a house that has a BT box but there is absolutely no dialtone. It's just dead. I wouldn't normally be bothered but we have a Sky subscription we need to move and we need a BT line for the TV and internet.

So I've begrudgingly been ringing BT over the past 3 days. As first they said there should be a dialtone as their line check says the line is working. I was put through to their technical department and they said the reason it isn't working is because the previous account is 'on hold' and I need to switch the line over to me. They gave me the number that is supposedly for the house I've moved into. My g/f rang the number and someone picked up! So I rang back and they said that it is in fact a different number at this house and I need to subscribe and have the line moved over to my account. They wanted £50 straight away for a credit check they said they'd just done against my name. At that point (I'd just got my card and bank statement ready for details) my credit ran out and my phone cut off. Before getting through I'd been on hold for about 20 mins so wasn't happy. So I topped up again last night and rang them again. This time they said an order had been put through against my name and in 11 days I should have an active, working line. This is a bit dubious because I gave no bank/card details at all so either I've escaped the £50 fee or they've got it wrong. Anyhow, the lad on the phone then said I should have a dialtone because the line appears to be working; I just can't dial out at all. But I still have nothing. He said to just wait 11 days and report it as a fault if it isn't working.

Any advice? I know there's the £125 connection charge but I don't want to pay that if I don't have to. My and my g/f are both students so £175 is a lot of money for a phone line reconnection and credit check. Sky won't move the TV part of my subscription without an active BT line so BT have me over a barrel really.

utilitybroker

If its any help you dont actually need a BT Line to get Sky BB.Sky now offer Line Rental and Sky can provide one,they say in their T&C.

"1.6 If you have chosen to take Sky Talk Line Rental and you do not have a BT compatible line, we may be able to arrange this for you and you will need to pay Sky a connection fee. We will inform you of our current connection fees at the time you book your installation. Sky Talk Line Rental customers do not need to pay any other provider for line rental."

This route will probaly avoid you having to pay a £50 deposit,and possibly a lower connection fee if appropriate.

TangledMemories_2

You shouldn't have to pay £50 for a credit check to be done in your name for a phone line. I didn't when I moved in February and started a landline with BT.
Unfortunately, I'm stuck with the swines for 12 months until I can get rid of them...but even so, I don't know who I'd move to lol

normanmark

TangledMemories wrote: »

You shouldn't have to pay £50 for a credit check to be done in your name for a phone line. I didn't when I moved in February and started a landline with BT

The credit check is based upon the individual. Not a blanket policy for all new customers.