Hard work getting a BT phone line

[Parm]

Moved into my new-build apartment on September 26th, and BT told me the earliest they could get an engineer out was October 21st.

It's a pretty long wait, and they're charging £125 for the line to be switched on, but I figure there isn't any other option (no cable availability) so I signed up.

Late last week they called me up and said I don't need to be at home as the engineer can turn it on from the exchange. Great, I thought. Engineer did the business yesterday and turned the line on, got a call from BT and they said the line has been activated and it's all working. Yay.

Got home, line is dead as a dodo. I've got a number, and it rings out when I call it, but I get no dial tone from any phone in any socket.

Am I doing something wrong or am I going to have to get back on the phone to BT? I'm really hoping I've missed something simple as I really don't fancy speaking to their hard-to-understand support staff, and I'm certain they'll charge me another handsome sum to have the engineer back out.

Itching to get phone and broadband at home and don't want to be waiting weeks again.

[dave87]

This probably won't help, but that £125 you can get Sky to pay for if you are in an area to take TV/Broadband.

Might save you a few quid.

[mycarsavw]

You think it's hard work getting the line?

It's even more hard work having the blasted line - http://forums.hexus.net/networking-b...t-suppose.html

You have the line installed but has your service started yet?

[Parm]

Thanks for the heads up Dave, but I'm afraid I've missed out on that deal - already paid BT the £125.

mycarsavw, that looks ominous! Just in the rare case the problem is with the phone I'm trying rather than the line, I'm gonna take another phone home today and try that to see if it works. Don't fancy my chances, though.

Could be an evening spent on the blower to support, oh joy!

How would I know if my service has started? I'd have thought service and line activation go hand in hand?

[mycarsavw]

How would I know if my service has started? I'd have thought service and line activation go hand in hand?

Most of the time I'd say yes, but it's a new build, a new line (rather than an activation) and so on.

Ring BT Business, claim you dialled the wrong number and ask if they'll help anyway

[Parm]

In a surprise turn of events, I phoned BT faults last night and the woman was surprisingly helpful - and she spoke English, that's always a bonus.

Apologised repeatedly - but not to the point of annoyance - and promised to get an Engineer out today to take a look. Hoping he can fix it today, and hoping I don't get whacked with another bill for him being sent out! Fingers crossed.

[Funkstar]

You shouldn't get a bill as it is BTs responsability for the line working. Think of it like a warranty repair

[[GSV]Myocardial]

You won't get whacked with another bill trust me I've moved house twice in the past year and had to get BT to reconnect me and boy what a nightmare. It sounds way harder than your new line install.

First time the old line was billed at landlords address and had a dial tone but they couldn't recognise the line so disconnected it and tried to charge me the £125. Told them where to stick their charge and ended up not being billed for 9 months. Second time they took a DACS off the line for ADSL provision and forgot to remove the box at the telephone pole my end took 5 days of phoning but it got sorted out in the end.

I actually find their fault section pretty easy to deal with especially with the ring back service, it's just the competition rubbish that has meant that BT wholesale has been split off from BT retail with Chinese walls between them to promote competition. Just means you get crap communication when you need something fixing but persistence will get it sorted eventually.

[Parm]

Right you are, I didn't get another bill. BT engineers (two of them) were surprisingly helpful and they got the phoneline working in about an hour.

Got a phone, now on to the broadband: http://forums.hexus.net/networking-b...again-isp.html

[Blitzen]

This probably won't help, but that £125 you can get Sky to pay for if you are in an area to take TV/Broadband.

Might save you a few quid.

I doubt that...unless you are VERY lucky.