BT trying to sell me a lemon

Hi all

I have grave concerns with the knowledge of BT’s helpline staff including that of the full fibre team.

I am on a BT Full Fibre 500 package asking to see if I could get a deal on a speed upgrade.

The adviser tried to sell me something called a 73 “Megapixel” package!

Other advisers have not heard of the Full Fibre 500 and Full Fibre 900 Smart Hub 2 speedcapping issues until I had to point out that it was a known issue and the temporary solution was a line shaping request.

I just don’t think BT’s helpline support are being educated properly including their sales staff who can’t tell the difference between a megapixel and a megabit.

Has anyone else had similar but frustrating issues?

Shocking. Sounds like the call handler was previously a camera salesperson...

Hi

Ring this number as it will get you through to the FTTP team

0800 587 4787

That was the number I rang!

Try again. Not unusual if a call centre section is busy to redirect away from the specialist team

Though best thing to do is avoid the humans and order online if you can.

Actually, she sounded like a newbie but the amount of confidence in her was shocking.

Conversation went something along the lines of:

Me: Are you sure you meant 73 megabits?
Adviser: No, megapixels.
Me: Really? [feigning complete shock at this point].
Adviser: Yes, and it’s a massive speed upgrade to what you have now.
Me: So 73 Megapixels is faster than Full Fibre 500? But surely 500 is a bigger number than 73?
Adviser: Yes, this is much faster than what you have now. It will be a big speed upgrade.
Me: Are you bs’ing me? Do you even know what a megapixel is?
Adviser: No, sir. I am not bs’ing you and yes, I know what a megapixel is.
Me: Suggest you Google the difference between a megapixel and a megabit. Let’s assume you meant 73Mbps package. How is 73Mbps faster than 500Mbps?
Adviser: It is. This is a much faster package than what you have now...

I won’t bore you with the rest of the conversation but this adviser is certainly in line for some sort of award!

Hi Andrew

I think you are right. Getting as much done without human input to an order will prevent problems from happening. What I am also not happy about is BT failing to put cease orders on lines transferring from VDSL to FTTP.

I think they should be investigated by OfCom for this practice and fined for incompetence.

The end user’s ISP carries on billing the customer for VDSL and tells them to contact BT to tell them to put a cease order.

In reply to a post by PS123:

The adviser tried to sell me something called a 73 “Megapixel” package!

Wow, the word megapixel can't have been in their training nor the script, was this an onshore or offshore call centre?

Shame you can't highlight this to their management as there must be a lot of other confused customers out there.

Are you sure you didn't get a digit wrong in the number you called? It could be a trick used by a scammer, like "mistyped" website names.

Report to Ofcom, not ceasing the VDSL2 is a mistake, i.e. it is meant to happen and did for me

If you move the phone number to BT that will also act as a trigger.

Oh wow, seems that you might of been passed to the wrong department, maybe you got passed onto their FTTC team.

I know back when I upgraded from 300:50 to 910:110 the nice BT Lady from their FTTP Team were shocked when they read out the terms and the speeds that I would get (no up to speeds were mentioned, just a fixed speed), I remember her saying "Oh WOW" so I know they wasn't aware of the two new top speeds.

I normally make a note of the date and time plus their names when I phone BT.
That way I can say when and who I spoke to when I think I am being miss sold something.

But when ever I get BT staff members like that I politely ask to be passed onto one of their colleagues or their manager.
I have only needed to do that the once and have been lucky when speaking to them on the phone.
And if no joy at time I just try a few hours later or the next day.

I have also known BT to send out the old BT Smart Hub for the 500 to 910 packages which then caps the line due to it not being able to handle those speeds.

Paul

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Try again. Not unusual if a call centre section is busy to redirect away from the specialist team

This has happened to me twice in the past, I find phoning them as early as possible you have very short queue times.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Though best thing to do is avoid the humans and order online if you can.

Sadly I could never access BT's personalized deals (my offers etc) due to I think our account has issues when loading the offers, I think its linked to the original issues we had at the start getting fibre enabled, its the same for at least 3 or my neighbours as well who are also using the same fibre hardware (Splitter, DP and Manifold) as us.

I have always been told by BT to just phone them up when needing to get offers on a new package or renewing the current package.

TBH I prefer the phone when upgrading / renewing due I have always gotten a better deal that way.

Paul

On a side note, a 73 megapixel CCD for the cost of broadband would be quite the buy!

Onshore call centre. Couldn’t detect any language barriers in the conversation.

Hi Robert

I am sure. It is the full fibre team number I called.

I have even double checked the number now.

This should become a BT Internet meme. “Get the fastest broadband ever...73 Megapixels.”

@PaulKirby

I am sure it was definitely someone from the fibre team.

My brother had his Full Fibre 100 package installed two days ago. He finds out that BT never put the cease request through to Sky. BT even misconnected the number somewhere as the untrained Kelly Communications contractors spent 2 hours checking and re-checking the fibre connection from the DP to the ONT. Turns out someone got a digit wrong in my brother’s phone number at the exchange.

So whilst his number is connected to full fibre, I have a feeling the number that was keyed incorrectly may have been in use and some poor sod has probably had their broadband package affected, or worse still disconnected.

Since the install two days ago, my brother has been having stability issues with his connection as the download speeds keep fluctuating only to be told by the fibre support team that he had to wait 10 days for the line to settle. Is it me but isn’t that advice only relevant to FTTC connections?

Now when I call BT, I am just going to have a mental picture of which clown is going to answer the phone: Koko, Bozo, Sideshow Bob... Okay, not all helpline fibre support staff are clueless but from my experience it would seem like the clueless percentage is steadily increasing.

BT needs to sort out this issue or there will be plenty of disgruntled customers.

It is possible for them to mess stuff up, there are a lot of lines in the UK, so yeah that can happen.

As for that "10 day line settling" part, that is for any xDSL lines where the connection needs to sync up to the best speeds the line can handle without errors, or something along those lines, basically xDSL speeds will be based on your type of cable and the length of it and the noise that might also affect your line, so it needs to learn those types of lines.

With FTTP there is nothing like that due to noise cannot affect it like it does with copper and aluminium lines, also it with FTTP it connects up at the maximum speed each end uses and the ISP or openreach caps that line to the profile (300:50, 500:73, 910:110 etc)

Also with FTTP it either works or it doesn't, there is no learning to be done.

Whenever I have been given that same 10 day speech I use to correct them, but most never listen even when its explained to them in layman terms, so now I just ignore that part.

I have only had a few issues with BT a while back, but since I had to get my local MP involved to get BT to enable our FTTP Hardware BT have now seem to be more reasonable when I have to deal with them.

I think it boils down to what time that you phone them, I find first thing in the morning is the best time to phone them, they are fresh and relaxed, phoning them in the afternoon and evening they might not be due to customers moaning and yelling at them.

I also have good results when speaking to BT over Twitter and its the same chatting with Openreach over Twitter as well, I have gotten several peoples information updated in my area due to errors in their database, which then allowed them to order FTTP.

Basically it boils down to how you come across to them when you speak to them, I have always been polite to them but also firm at the same time, I have always had my issues resolved in a reasonable amount of time, sure we had issues upgrading to the Full Fibre 900 package, which I had to keep on at them until it was all resolved, but I always remained polite to them

Paul