Problems getting a 2nd line installed

I wanted a 2nd line since I have a shared flat so my flatmate had his own line and internet.

Ordered a new line and the engineer came out and said he would use the old line though I told him I wanted a NEW line(which is what I ordered and paid for online)

So I cancelled order and went with another company anyway then I got the same engineer who told me same thing, he was friendly but he told me he would just take over the new line!

I do live in a old flat on 3rd floor but surely I can get a new line?

BT is under no obligation to run a new cable (which usually carries 2 or 3 phone lines) to your property, and is under no obligation to provide a second line at all to a property.

The new line you have ordered, will be delivered over a different pair in the same black outer cable. In short your flat already has 2 or more lines coming to it, just that it all needs wiring up.

Ah, sorry I was not aware of that I just went by the fact a few years ago when I got a new line into property they connected it to the pole outside the flat and dropped a cable out my window.

So if two lines are entering property why do you think he keeps saying he can just take over old line/use existing wiring, when both times I asked him for a new socket and told him we had an existing line we just wanted 2.

Also if it was down to lack of cabling my downstairs neighbours who have lived there 5 years have never had a phone line activated(but have socket).

the bit of cable coming into the property will contain enough bits of wire to run at least two telephone lines.

so he doesn't need to run a new bit of cable to provide an extra line, and there will be a socket dedicated to the new line.

just let them do their job and stop overthinking it !

You may be confusing the engineer.

Its as simple as

1. Engineer confirming that both telephone numbers will work
2. That the existing broadband service will not be affected.

They may not fit a new socket, there are dual telephone sockets, where left hand socket is one number fed to by 2 wires, and the right hand one is another number fed by a two different wires.

Well I let him get on with job but only got 1 socket, but I just rang my old number from mobile and it rings out but my phone doesnt ring.

So I am a bit more confused especially when my router works with my flatmates isp(despite showing his isp on speedtest)

So I have a new number and old number, both ring but only new one goes through to my phone.

What did you order?

I suspect that what has happened is that you ordered and they thought you wanted to a new number to take over the existing line, i.e. as if the previous person had moved out and you had moved in.

Did you simply order a second phone line for the property?

Time to dig back through any paperwork you got, and ensure that what was ordered was correct.

Same as the previous order, on both checkers it says "this address already has an active line" then I click I want a NEW line and the checkers give messages that a new line costs them X amount from BT but they discount it to a certain amount.

Thats why when the engineer said I already had a line I mentioned we wanted a NEW line but both times he mentioned about the wiring coming in from exchange there and was a certain length.

Even the text reminders and email order say NEW line not taking over.

"Thats why when the engineer said I already had a line I mentioned we wanted a NEW line but both times he mentioned about the wiring coming in from exchange there and was a certain length."

That bit makes no sense, and sounds like a mangled explanation. Both lines would most likely follow the same route from the exchange, and arrive in the property on the same bundle of wires.

Have you queried the install with the voice provider?

Not yet since my flatmate is out for a few hours.

When he came round he said he was installing a new line but then mentioned he noticed a line already so I mentioned it was my line and I wanted a new one in another room which is when he mentioned about the wiring from outside only being a certain length and finishing there.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Not yet since my flatmate is out for a few hours.

When he came round he said he was installing a new line but then mentioned he noticed a line already so I mentioned it was my line and I wanted a new one in another room which is when he mentioned about the wiring from outside only being a certain length and finishing there.

Sound to me that the engineer was telling you that the new line would only go to the existing master socket or next to it, that's if the other pairs in the existing cable are ok ,
But yeah, considering the price of a second line can be the same to install a new line where isn't one already , the 2nd line fee should be a lot less as the wire is already there, to charge what they do, is wrong normal fee £130 , especially when they won't be flexible as to the location of the new master socket ect

There is an incentive deal.

Sounds like the engineer was saying that the line comes into the property at this point, and was only willing to install the new line next to this one.

I am confused now, as some posts it sounds like the install has not happened yet, and others it has?

I'm not sure which socket rings either, as I get the impression a new socket has been installed in the flatmate's area.

He came round, unscrewed old faceplate(which in itself was only a month old) then used the tool to pop the 2 wires into new faceplate(which was identical to old faceplate) then tried a filter connected to a device and rang out and heard him get into an automated service that asked for verifcation number, and phone numer.

No new socket was attached to the wall, just replaced the faceplate(a single one with no built in filter)

Call your voice rental provider and explain things.

Which is going to get really messy if it isn't the same as the new one.

1) Who do you pay your line rental to?
2) Who did you order the second line from the first time, the one you cancelled?
3) Who did you order the second line from?
4) Which is your ISP?
5) Which ISP is your flatmate using, and when did that get installed? Is that the only one working?
6) Does the new number ring and can it be used for both incoming and outgoing?

Did he leave the filtered faceplate with you or take it? It could be that he disconnected the old working line and connected the new one, does the ADSL still work?
As a second line install you should now have 2 working lines, each with it's own master socket or both connected to 1 double socket , but as you did ask for the new line to be routed into a different room, he could of done you a favor and installed a second master socket, you i think are going to have to contact the provider of the now non working phoneline

He took the old faceplate with him.

When I ring the old number it rings in but nothing else and there is only 1 socket in flat.

Firstly which line is connected now best way to find that out is to from a phone connected to the line dial 17070 option 1 the recording should say the number that you are calling from , if the number is withheld then put the 1470 before 17070

If it gives your old number then it's likely he didn't do anything except possible swap the incoming pairs ?? if it was only a line takeover (switch of providers) then no engineer should be needed to visit your home , as that bit is done at their end if it's your new number ,then you i think will have to get them back to re instate your old line and pay you compensation for the days without service, oh and also pay any ADSL cease fees that may have been caused by this

The faceplate was this purchased by you,(not supplied by bt openreach ) ?
Do you still have the original one ?
If it was your own then i would chase this up as he had no right to keep it , that constitutes a theft, i only enquire about the original faceplate in case they try charging you for one after all this is the bt group we are talking about here

Edited by tommy45 (Fri 11-May-12 20:54:57)