BT Groups - Broken Promises, Terrible Lies & Long Delays

I had heard some stories about BT Groups 'ineptness' across both its Openreach and Retail brands but until you've experienced the 'shambolic' couple together, I think its fair to say don't worry...

My story starts here

I've recently (19th December) moved home, I've moved into a newly converted office block which has now become 24 luxury apartments, these apartments as usual all fitted with cabling (cat5e) for telephone points (Master & Extension)

These cables have been traced back to a cupboard in the lobby of the building which also is the home to the "original" telephone distribution point which features a 50-100 pair cable labeled "fed by pcp57", this cable also has an active line which is connected to the building managements systems for CCTV and various other security.

So on the 16th December when I got the keys and confirmed all of this I placed an order with BT Retail for FTTC & TV Services, offered an install date of the 11th January...(longer than I would of liked but oh well) then all was quite for a couple of days, I then prodded BT for an update, they apologies and then said the order was confirmed and confirmed the date of the 11th also.

Received all emails one which said we need to confirm you building can be connected and "we will call you within 3 days with an update", I heard nothing, I contacted BT who confirmed again 11th would be my connection date.

with My BT account now saying to be confirmed I've been prodding them every other day or 2, the response I've got is its with an offline team or new sites team, I've requested callback after callback and non of them have been done as promised...

I've called and got excuses about Openreach not being open due to it being a bank holiday, then it was the weekend, finally today I got through to someone who informed m that on the 22nd December they had been told a surveyor would come out on the 12th of January... why wasn't I told... after a bit of encouragement they then apparently contacted Openreach, they told him that they need to supply the new site with a line... and before this they need to send a surveyor.

So Openreach really don't have a clue really do they, I then told the guy to tell Openreach theres a DP on site, I also told the guy to give them the DP number and also noted its note of being served by PCP57.

The guy refused and said what Openreach says... goes.... I then proceed to tell the guy that BT pay them so BT is the boss... after a bit more rambling on he gave me a number for the New Sites Team... he confirmed this over the phone 3 times... I however then felt a fool because after apologising for my rants and ending the call then found the number was a digit short, and confirming the number 3 times of a clear line certainly IMPO means the guy was pulling a fast one.

So now I'm of the opinion that I might cancel the BT order though not before I raise another complaint and get suitable result for 'our' waste of time and the lies...ect...

I know other providers will have to deal with Openreach too, but I would rather give some of the profits to another company rather than them all to one 'shower of basted" group.

Also in the meantime, I may review my requirements, I liked the fact with BT that I would get access to BT Wi-FI-x and also the BT TV but really I can go without, I already have now TV and that serves 2 rooms and another person already, and with these apartments having a twin satellite out put in both bedrooms and the living room I could get premium subscription TV if I wanted too without the ties of Broadband Supplier.

Where I take my broadband next I don't know but I know it's probably not going to be BT... certainly not Zen after the debacle I've had/having with them, AAISP's new service looks good but the connection charge for FTTC IMO is a blatant rip-off.

On a side note, it's fair to say Openreach are not favourable of BT... or atlas not anymore... maybe they re-balancing the books by increasing BT's complaints as evidence....

I wont bore you with the specifics but.... A friend of mine lives in a small village near here. He has had no connection since mid December which may be a result of cable work done in the area as the failure occurred at the same time, BT Internet Faffed around for 10 days sending a hub then promising an engineer would be calling him - when in fact it was a customer service droid that finally called some days after a new hub arrived asking if the new home hub had fixed the issue.

They then told him he couldn't get an engineer appointment until 6th January - more than 3 weeks since his connection failed.

Amazing service huh?

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

So now I'm of the opinion that I might cancel the BT order though not before I raise another complaint and get suitable result for 'our' waste of time and the lies...ect...

Have you asked the developer for assistance?

Based on other posts here I understand it, that Openreach appoint a point of contact for each developer/development.

Its also possible that your developer hasn't informed Openreach that they have done some cablingwork (Openreach pay them for installing the lines) or given them adequate time to inspect/sign off the work (hence the surveyor) - if so, you would encounter the same issue regardless of whom you use at a retail level.

If they are sending it to survey, the development is not known to 'newsites' and the developer won't have been paid to install plant. Probably building has had a name change since last connection. Surveyor will match address and then customers will get an appointment.

Existing line is probably for the lift. You can't run a lift without a phone line.

Reading between the lines I take that to mean the developer has screwed up during the build/conversion process and the delay is ultimately down to them imho

I'm not sure anyone has screwed up yet. We are still a week before the date quoted for the install.

If a Survey Officer has been dispatched, it's because Openreach can't match the address. The building has probably had a name change.

In reply to a post by partial:

I'm not sure anyone has screwed up yet. We are still a week before the date quoted for the install.

If a Survey Officer has been dispatched, it's because Openreach can't match the address. The building has probably had a name change.

BT have been informed by Openreach that they will be sending a surveyor on the 12th (one day after current activation date)... the building hasn't had a name change however its due to the addition of Flat ** before the original address.

and yes the already connected line is for the lift and many have found it certainly works

In reply to a post by gt94sss2:

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

So now I'm of the opinion that I might cancel the BT order though not before I raise another complaint and get suitable result for 'our' waste of time and the lies...ect...

Have you asked the developer for assistance?

Based on other posts here I understand it, that Openreach appoint a point of contact for each developer/development.

Its also possible that your developer hasn't informed Openreach that they have done some cablingwork (Openreach pay them for installing the lines) or given them adequate time to inspect/sign off the work (hence the surveyor) - if so, you would encounter the same issue regardless of whom you use at a retail level.

The developer hasn't screwed up at all, they have informed Openreach and had to in order to connect the line for the lift and also the 2nd line thats used for security purposes...

Also note I mentioned that I'm aware every other supplier would have the same issue, but I feel another supplier would of stuck to there promises made in emails and kept the customer in the loop and contacted them when they promised...

Saying we'll call you in 3 days with a update and having to chase them two weeks later for that update is very unacceptable, specially when information during that time has been fed to them by the basted's 'ahem' I mean Openreach!

So, who did the cabling from DP to each flat? The Developer or BT? I would suggest the former as BT are sending a surveyor out. He needs to "prove" that the DP to each flat is cabled and that the flats do actually exist.

The developer should have arranged that weeks or months back. The lift connection will probably be one that was there previously and the one to te security office possibly picked up on an existing too. The flats are new and a survey visit is essential.

Yes it was certainly the developers who had the lines installed from the flats to the DP,

However while I understand Openreach's reasons for requiring the visit, my issue though is the whole long wait when it's essentially someone popping round to look at a bundle of cables and a box on the wall saying DP...

...more importantly the whole delay with any information being conveyed by BT to myself with regards to my new connection and the failing in there promises is my issue.

EDIT: Cleaning up Apple's mess...

Edited by mlmclaren (Tue 05-Jan-16 13:54:56)