Really Hacked off with BT, any alternatives
Discussion
I need broadband at my house but the phone cable comes into the hall and I want it in my office. No problem I thought and rang BT - they said £64, their dates weren't convenient so I left it.
I left it a couple of weeks and called them again, now the price is £115.
But installation of a new line is £75. Which involves rather more effort on their part, in fact I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
So I ordered a new line, to use my existing number - they said about three weeks, which is annoying.
I EXPLICITLY STATED that I needed my existing line to remain connected in the meantime.
So what have they done?
Disconnected it...
I've now sat in this queing system for over an hour and burnt my tea. Good job I have an ISDN line in my study - I would have converted that to ADSL but BT charge heaps to do that and I may need it again (I develop broadcast kit). They were rather useless when they fitted it too, taking about 3 or 4 visits.
If orange or Vodafone did landlines I would already have left BT but I understand some of the other operators are even worse.
Any suggestions?
I left it a couple of weeks and called them again, now the price is £115.
But installation of a new line is £75. Which involves rather more effort on their part, in fact I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
So I ordered a new line, to use my existing number - they said about three weeks, which is annoying.
I EXPLICITLY STATED that I needed my existing line to remain connected in the meantime.
So what have they done?
Disconnected it...
I've now sat in this queing system for over an hour and burnt my tea. Good job I have an ISDN line in my study - I would have converted that to ADSL but BT charge heaps to do that and I may need it again (I develop broadcast kit). They were rather useless when they fitted it too, taking about 3 or 4 visits.
If orange or Vodafone did landlines I would already have left BT but I understand some of the other operators are even worse.
Any suggestions?
Not sure if you want another line (ie another phone number) or just want your current socket to be moved. If the latter, go to B&Q and buy an extension kit for £10 or so. Unless you have cable, which I'm guessing you don't, BT have a monopoly on the wires. However, if you can't face another BT bill, you can rent the line/s via OneTel who also do various calling packages you might benefit from.
Pigeon said:
Unless you have cable, which I'm guessing you don't, BT have a monopoly on the wires.
...and this is what their cable competitors do...
T******t did that to a friend of mine - ran the cable across her lawn! "So, er, what exactly will happen next time I mow the lawn, then?" she had to ask... Feckwits.
agent006 said:
I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
EH? Not heard that one before. They don't have records of teh location of every socket in every house in the country. Get going and move it yourself.
Probably if it's the master socket.How would you extend the incoming cable without it being noticeable?
esselte said:
I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
EH? Not heard that one before. They don't have records of teh location of every socket in every house in the country. Get going and move it yourself.
Probably if it's the master socket.How would you extend the incoming cable without it being noticeable?
Leave the master socket where it is then, and just run a extension lead and/or splitter. It's not rocket science. Go to B&Q and you'll find all the bits you need. If it was illegal they wouldn't sell them!
esselte said:
I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
EH? Not heard that one before. They don't have records of teh location of every socket in every house in the country. Get going and move it yourself.
Probably if it's the master socket.How would you extend the incoming cable without it being noticeable?
Connect into master socket, this would how an extension would be fitted by BT anyway and they have no way of knowing who did it.
Ben
benyeats said:
I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
EH? Not heard that one before. They don't have records of teh location of every socket in every house in the country. Get going and move it yourself.
Probably if it's the master socket.How would you extend the incoming cable without it being noticeable?
Connect into master socket, this would how an extension would be fitted by BT anyway and they have no way of knowing who did it.
Ben
Ah but that's not "moving" the socket,it's adding an extension.
A tip for those thinking of getting cable. Some years back I decide to have ntl (TV/Phone/broadband) - the road outside was already cabled. I was given a date for installation. Ntl mostly use subcontractors for cabling from road to house - so, a couple of days before the installation I phoned ntl and said I was very concerned about the quality of installation as my friends around the corner had experienced a lot of problems with poor quality work from the ntl sub-contractors who installed theirs. The result? An ntl quality inspector turned up at the same time as the subcontractors. I have a beautifully neat installation channelled in armoured reinforcement under my flower beds, lawn, and path to the box on the outside of the house and lovely cables with proper drip-loops on the outside of the house. I was even asked if I wanted black or white cables!
esselte said:
I could easily move the socket myself if it weren't for the contract.
EH? Not heard that one before. They don't have records of teh location of every socket in every house in the country. Get going and move it yourself.
Probably if it's the master socket.How would you extend the incoming cable without it being noticeable?
Swap the socket for a coupler box, and run cable through to wherever and put the master socket on the end.
Pigeon said:
Unless you have cable, which I'm guessing you don't, BT have a monopoly on the wires.
...and this is what their cable competitors do...
So one bad job from a cable engineer and they are all the same? That's a bit harsh don't you think?
Also BT copper wire technology is at the end of the road. There are still hundreds (literaly) of analogue exchanges which are not even broad bean compatible. At least with cable as the network is fibre based they are ready for 1000mbit at the ATM's already meaning all their customers can have 20mbit now if they wanted to. BT had the ooportunity to update their antique network ages ago but they chose to shaft their customers instead. Now they wonder why they're losing so many.
Prof Beard said:
A tip for those thinking of getting cable. Some years back I decide to have ntl (TV/Phone/broadband) - the road outside was already cabled. I was given a date for installation. Ntl mostly use subcontractors for cabling from road to house - so, a couple of days before the installation I phoned ntl and said I was very concerned about the quality of installation as my friends around the corner had experienced a lot of problems with poor quality work from the ntl sub-contractors who installed theirs. The result? An ntl quality inspector turned up at the same time as the subcontractors. I have a beautifully neat installation channelled in armoured reinforcement under my flower beds, lawn, and path to the box on the outside of the house and lovely cables with proper drip-loops on the outside of the house. I was even asked if I wanted black or white cables!
My expererience was very similar:
Telewest put my cable in and because one of my 3 broad-band connections is dedicated for downloading CCTV security footage from my customers sites, the cable installation needed to be secure.
End result, Telewest (who owns NTL) broke up the concrete from the ATM to my house, laid the cables in plastic pipe then re-concreted back over. None of the wires are above the ground from the ATM until they go inside the house. The installasion is invisible and I have only had one email fault in 8 years.
Currently Telewest are giving us 10megabit for £35, and on games servers I have a ping of around 10. Pleased I am, and would definately recommend Telewest to anyone than can get it in their area.
ultimasimon said:
Unless you have cable, which I'm guessing you don't, BT have a monopoly on the wires.
...and this is what their cable competitors do...
So one bad job from a cable engineer and they are all the same? That's a bit harsh don't you think?
Yes, it is
... but did you go on to read the index? Those pages aren't intended to be calm and rational 
ahh theres the rub you see bt are stuck with customers who want everything no matter where they live in the country and the likes of telewest and ntl just pick off the big bucks in the larger conurbations.
so if you are an urbanite and live in some stinking town/city you can have your xxx megabit b/band thingy,if you are a human being and like fresh air you have to sacrifice a few things .
you takes your pick and stick with it , personally i think all you city wingers should stay put as we dont need you in the countryside , not even at the weekends.
so if you are an urbanite and live in some stinking town/city you can have your xxx megabit b/band thingy,if you are a human being and like fresh air you have to sacrifice a few things .
you takes your pick and stick with it , personally i think all you city wingers should stay put as we dont need you in the countryside , not even at the weekends.
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