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BT broadband black hole
I reside in a rural black hole of Surrey just 40 miles from Central London. Not only can one not receive any mobile signal; even from Orange which has a mast a mile away (behind trees), we have been deprived of broadband and had the distinction of being the last exchange in Surrey to be not connected. During the last three year period, BT insisted that they had "no plans" to provide broadband as the number of subscribers were uneconomic.
Campaigns by rural businesses eventually enabled the opportunity to supply broadband be put to tender. Brilliant! However BT won the tender...
Following a successful breakfast meeting with free croissants and coffee, the backwoodsmen and women were advised that the necessary black box would be installed in the local exchange in one week's time and we should check with BT that the overhead copper wire supplying us was adequate to give satisfactory bandwidth and have the line tested and request connection. Following the meeting, a casual check on the BT website still indicated that BT had no broadband plans for our exchange.
A lengthy telephone 150 enquiry (over one hour) involving multitudinous menus, sales persons, broadband specialists and any one that the person answering the enquiry could pass one on to, led to the answer that BT had no knowledge of the impending enablement, they did not know that a tender had been held or that they had won it and all their current information indicated that there were still no plans to install it on our beleaguered exchange.
I await "D" day in three days time with great interest and wonder whether BT should really have a monopoly on all our copper wire. I am still debating whether to use them for an ISP!
David
March 29, 2006 in Vent your spleen! | Permalink
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I initially ordered Broadband through Tiscali on 29th November 2005. I waited patiently but nothing happened so a phone call followed. I was informed by Tiscali that they could not proceed with the order as BT were refusing to remove the DACS from my line. Tiscali passed me through to BT and on speaking to the BT representative she informed me that the DACS removal would cost £1000 and tha the cost woud go to Tiscali and ultimately to me. The BT representative then told me that if I were to sign for Broadband with BT that the work would be done for free. I duly signed up for BT Broadband on 5th January 2006 at 1044 am and recieved my activation date. This date came and went with regular checks of the BT website showing that work was being done to my line.
About four days after the activation date I received a phone call from India. The female on the line informed me that Broadband could not be done as the cost was now OVER £1000. She could give no further information on how this cost was arrived at, or how much over the £1000 it was, or whether I had the option of paying the difference. She just had the bad news for me and hung up. Infuriated at just being fobbed off like this I phoned BT, and spent the next TWO days being passed from department to department, with nobody being able to speak with me about this - to even explain the circumstances to me. Exasperated, I researched via the internet OFCOMs views on this situation. With OFCOMS information from their website I emailed BT on 17th January and informed them that according to OFCOM my internet connection was not Functiona Internet Access and as such BT must remove the DACS unit. My contention was this:-
1. I achieve varying rates of connection from 26kbps up to 31kbps. When connected at 26.2kbps I am not receiving Functional Internet Access.
2. OFCOM state that even when connected at 28.8kbps and there exists a DACS on the line the I am not achieving Optimum Connection Speeds. I get regular periods of inactivity and frequent disconnections.
3. My service was below the standard being provided to other BT customers but my line rental was the same.
4. I had received no support from BT and felt that nobody was really interested in getting up a pole and doing some work.
I heard nothing back from BT regarding my email and was forced to send another. This was sent on 24th January. Still no reply and emailed again on 31st January. On 3rd February I received an email from Joanne McCrory, BT Customer Services, Ref; 5861681. She stated that "I can confirm that BT is bound by the terms of its licence to provide a basic voice telephony service throughout the UK. In accordance with European Law, it must supply a connection speed of no less than 2.4Kbps - the minimum for voice telephony." This was incorrect and she was quoting the outdated minimum connection speeds to me and not recognising that BT had to provide me with 28.8kbps MINIMUM.
I replied to this email and informed Joanne McCrory that she was inaccurate in her statements and that I was not on a fibre optic link. I had previously spoken with an engineer at my address and know for a fact that I am on a copper pair, which is part of a FIVE core cable running to my property. The capacity IS there to move the DACS, or to share next doors line with another address. I also pointed out that I had been promised the work would be done for free and I hold BT to that promise.
On 7th February I received and email from John Scott, BT Customer Services, Ref; 5861681. He stated that he was sorry for the promises made by BT and that my line test showed AMBER - meaning that Broadband could be provided, which I knew anyway as I have neighbours around me and further away from the exchange receiving the service. He also stated that he could find no record of a DACS on my line!!! This was news as Broadband had been refused on account of the DACS and now he stated that BTs records showed no signs of one? He quoted reference SW3PUU88 and stated that an engineer fromt the Diagnostics Unit would contact me.
Later that day I spoke with Paul from the Advanced Diagnostics Department. He stated that there was a DACS on my line and that BT must remove the DACS if I am not achieving 28.8kbps connection speed consistently. He told me now to ring 150 and to request the removal of the DACS. This I did. On 8th February 2006 I phoned 150 and spoke with Steve on Helpdesk 1 and explained the circumstances to him. He seemed unsure of what to do and spoke with his manager. He came back to me and told me that the manager said BT did NOT have to remove the DACS and goodbye. I asked to speak with the manager, but he / she was conveniently now in a meeting. I requested a call back, but this never came.
On 9th February 2006 I got put through to Colleen in the Leicester Contact Centre at 11:10 hours. She stated that an order for a DACS removal had been entered. On 10th February I recieved an email asking me to complete a Customer Satisfaction Survey!!?? I issued an email to OFCOM regarding this ludicrous state of affairs and sent a copy to BT Residential Services. On 14th February 2006 I managed to get through on the telephone to CRS (Complaints and Resolutions?) and I spoke with Diane at 1130 hours. She stated that the system showed that I had an order in for broadband with another supplier? (was this why nobody was willing to work on my line??). She then stated that Broadband would now be provided and passed me on to Adam Dawson of Broadband Sales. He took my details and assured me that it would now be done. I was given an activation date of 22nd February and even received my Welcome Pack. I regularly checked with BTs website and it stated that work was being done on my line.... excellent! The evening before the 22nd February I recieved a phone call from BT which stated in an automated voice that Broadband would be active by 8pm the following day. The next day I received an automated phone call from BT stating that Broadband was NOW ACTIVE!!
I set everything up and tested it to no avail....... it did not work! I phoned the helpdesk, who ran some test on the line.Spoke with Anoj (?) in India who stated that the engineers had stated that work had been completed and that it should now work. It did not. On 27th February I spoke with Gatri (?) who stated that a fault was to be raised on the line and that an engineer would call within 24 hours. They did not! I called again and spoke with Peter (Middle Support Office) at 1346 hours. He passed mw through to Wanita (?) who informed me that an engineer would call me within 24 hours. They did not!!
On 1st March 2006 at 1718 hours I phoned Bt again and stated that no engineer had called me. I spoke with Donesh (?) who stated that he had spoken to the Technical Department and that my broadband would be on within 24 hours. On 2nd March 2006, still having recieved NO CALL FROM AN ENGINEER, I received a text message to my mobile phone, whcih stated that Broadband was now activated. I tried to connect but it was NOT!! I rang BT Broadband and spoke with Yagnes (?) and staed that I was completely fed-up with this and wanted ONE person to deal with this for me from start to finish. He stated that he could not help. I asked to speak with his manger but he /she was unavailable and promised a call back. It did not come!!
By this time BT Broadband was now appearing on my telephone bills, but I am not recieving the service!!
I called again and spoke with Alison Bauret in Complaints and Resolutions Department on 0800 328 7103. It was passed to Anne Johnson to deal with. She checked with the engineers and stated that the lack of Broadband connection came down to 4 things - line speed check to be done, wiring standards, gain on the line or a DACS unit on the line!!! OH REALLY!! I later spoke with Andrew Charles of High Level Complaints, who stated that he would get the DACS removed and he arranged for an engineer to visit the address and survey the situation.
The engineer, Dave, from Newcastle Emlyn Depot (?), called at my address and completed checks on the internet connection and found them to fluctuate between 26.4kbps and 31.2kbps. He stated that the DACS COULD be removed and given to somebody else, but that it would have to go to planners. He then left.
I recieved no contact from the Planners or from Andrew Charles and so attempted on several occassions to speak with him. When I eventually spoke with him he stated that he could not get the answers from the relevant BT departments and he stated that nobody would seem to take ownership of this problem. He stated that he would get back to me. He did not. I phoned again several times and as Andrew Charles AND his manager seemed to be off whenver I rang, I spoke with Chris Molcalfe. He stated that Bt Broadband should never have been agreed in the first place!!
On 15th March 2006 I phoned High Level Complaints again, asnobody was now getting back to me. This time Andrew Charles would not speak with me or my wife and we were passed over to Matt Whitfield. He stated that it would not be done for us as the engineers were unwilling to do it. He also stated that nobody at BT would have promised the removal of the DACS, which was basically saying that I was LYING. I stated that I was going to contact the Chairman of BT and he stated that there was no point going to the Chairman of BT as the email would come to him anyway!! He stated that Andrew Charles had said he would TRY and get the DACS removed, not that he HAD promised to get the DACS removed - his manner and denials were essentially accusing US of lying. When he was questioned regarding the recording of telephone conversations with BT, Matt Whitfield stated that he did not know if their calls were recorded - but stated that if they were he would listen to them. He agreed that he would send a letter of apology, but he couldn't comment on things said by his colleagues. My wife then asked for a copy of the tapes. He stated that if he acknowledged in a letter that Andrew Charles had agreed to providing Broadband, that we would then go down the legal route and sue BT. So he stated he wouldn't say that in a letter.
In the end I am left feeling that BT have promised on numerous occassions to provide us with Broadband, a service which seems to be readily available to all who live around me, but that BT do not care that they have promised and promised, or that they have messed a customer around to this degree. I am STILL paying for Broadband, no engineer or planner has EVER called to discuss how we can get this done. High Level complaints basically said I was lying.
I think as a customer of BT, who has endured the vast quantities of grief which I have had to endure, the least BT can do is endeavour to give me broadband or a second line capable of broadband. I have even heard since of TWO other houses in my village having their DACS removed AFTER I had started on this quest to get mine taken off!!! This is not a uniform service and I feel badly let down.
Posted by: Tim Palmer | 7 Apr 2006 17:20:14
Well the problem is that there is no accountability from BT to anybody.
Of course there is supposed to be consumer protection and industry appointed bodies but none of the care and so BT can get away with what they want.
I upgraded my home BT broadband to 8 meg three months ago 11 days ago I lost my connection and I was told it was a 'rogue cease order', this was supposed to change my billing and my account details and takes the form of a 'stop order'.
The stop order should not affect the service only the billing and account details.
Guess what, it does!!!
No surprise here, however, we are now at 11 days without any service, 31 phone calls (25 to India) 8.5 hours on the phone, 15 promises of a call back but only one call back made, three hours talking with the inept chairmans office a total of 23 different people in total and I still have no connectivity.
Whats worse I have no idea what the problem really is, whats being done about it, how it got there, how long it will be before it is fixed and a damn great phone bill.
I am still paying for this service!!!!!!
Nobody cares at BT and they are all indignant when you show ANY sign of frustration, my children studying for exams now have a nightly journey of 1 hour so they can carry on with their studies at my office.
BT do not care and nor does any consumer or government body, I even emailed watchdog with a break down and never got so much as an answer.
What is really winding me up now are nightly calls from India asking me why I have ceased my Broadband and that it will go dead in two days????
In addition I have to watch the TV advertising for BT Broadband every night.
I think that the whole company is rottent from top to bottom and that in a real market they would never survive 12 months.
I just finished my 32nd call, this time into the chairmans office and asked for the manager of the team, she is not available and nor is any other manager.
I rest my case.
Posted by: Shaun Parker | 22 Jan 2007 13:56:01
OH God ... I am on my seventh hour of holding I have been through most of India Wales and an Island in the Carribean.I was assured a week ago that my line was activated.Today I was informed that I had cancelled my line. I have been discussing it with my fifth person today...But that was the wrong dept so I am now holding for the next dept so they can tell me I have the wrong department.
Posted by: mairead bergin | 20 Mar 2007 10:32:25
Hi All,
We are a small independant IT and Comms company. We have a proven track record in resolving these complaints. We have not yet been unsuccessful on dealing with noise, routing and broadband provisioning on BTs circuits.
We have very limited capacity but would like to help where we can. You can contact us at steve@technicom.co.uk or 07966 475880.
Posted by: Steve Leigh | 17 May 2007 13:36:14
