In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Have contacted O2 today who have confirmed that this is the earliest appointment they can do and that the same engineer will visit the house that attends the exchange.

Does this sound accurate or are O2 fobbing me off. I still think it's a little ridiculous, even with the exchange work involved, that the first date for activation is over a month and a half away.

Did you ask o2 why a BT openreach engineer would need to visit your home or not ?
Something doesn't sound right , And a new line doesn't mean installing a new cable into your home, they will normally just connect a different pair within the existing bt cable, usually there is 2 or 3 pairs in the cable

I bet that you could get a return to donor order through & subsequently order the adsl yourself before that date, I would be seeking confirmation in writing that they have not placed a new line order with bt , or cancel your current order with o2 and get your line swapped back to the BTW platform yourself ,

To do this ring bt ask for a return to donor order for your line to be transfered back to bt wholesale WLR3 I think the RTD is free, ( not too sure of the department that deals with this )but best to check before hand,
Then all you do is order o2 phone and bb, as the line stays WLR3 with o2 the whole thing should be done by end of the month if not before

Edited by tommy45 (Sun 04-Nov-12 15:48:03)

If he rings BT and gets a RTD he will be in contract on the phone with BT Retail!

When I asked O2 they said it's "just in case" but that it would be the same openreach engineer visiting my home that does the exchange work. I did ask whether it was the home visit that was holding it all back but apparently that doesn't matter!

I'd do the manual return to donor process myself but I imagine this'd be a different process to the way O2 are trying to do it, and it'd subsequently mean significant downtime on the broadband - something I can't really allow as I work from home!

I was having a snoop around on the BT openreach website and found this which seems to suggest problems with getting engineers out quickly:
http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefin...

Although I also found a pricing page for 'Line Transfer (inc Working Line Takeover and Starting of Stopped lines) Basic line - Per transfer' which quotes £2 ex VAT despite the fact O2 are charging me ~£45 for a line transfer.

I did try my best earlier on the phone to O2 and told them I'd have to cancel if it can't be done quicker, and the guy said there was literally nothing he or I could do to speed it up. Seems bonkers.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

If he rings BT and gets a RTD he will be in contract on the phone with BT Retail!

But wouldn't that be a rolling monthly contract, or would they tie the op in to a new 12mth min term ?
If it would be only a rolling monthly contract ,then it would work out cheaper than the £45.00 transfare fee quoted by o2

Edited by tommy45 (Sun 04-Nov-12 16:35:23)

LOL, "just in case" Just in case what ? that they connect the wrong pair up to the o2 kit in the exchange ? I would think that the engineer actually visiting your home is unlikely , unless they goof something up,

Yes the £45.00 fee seems unreasonable to be if you are also entering into a 12th min term contract for both telephone and bb ,it should be free ,

Personally i wouldn't choose any of the big retail ISP's for business use,
But that's me ,

RTD to BT Retail is a 12-month term.

Where the £45 comes from I have no idea. Unless he is going for an O2 Business connection.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Although I also found a pricing page for 'Line Transfer (inc Working Line Takeover and Starting of Stopped lines) Basic line - Per transfer' which quotes £2 ex VAT despite the fact O2 are charging me ~£45 for a line transfer.

Different sort of transfer.

That's for a transfer of a line from a previous occupant of a premises to the person just moved in. A simple accounting change.

Have you signed up for an O2 Business connection? That could be what is confusing things, for them and us.

Sorry, I think I've confused everyone here!

Although I'd be using the connection for a bit of homeworking, it is only the regular home package I have signed up for and not a specific business broadband.

Well i wouldn't be happy paying any fee and having to sign up for 12mths min term as well,
Can i ask why you want o2 as you telephone provider,as there are cheaper alternatives available ?

Hi,

Just had to register as anon posting turned off.

Literally chose O2 because the price is reasonable for BB as I'm an existing O2 mobile customer. They could also offer the static IP I'll need for my work.

I presume if I was to choose a sep landline provider to BB that there would be downtime in broadband inbetween ordering the new landline, and being able to order the new BB.