Help - moving house soon and in a pickle

Hi all

I will be relocating soon from Hastings to Somerset. At the moment I have a BT line for calls and use Zen as my ISP. I *was* going to keep it that way BUT BT want to charge me £136 to set up a new line in the new property (previous owners were with Talk Talk). I dont want to be paying that kinda money to BT when I will have 2 line rentals going for a few months.

I called Zen sales this morning and unf there is no line at all at the property so I either pay Zen £99 for setting one up or BT £136 to set one up

Do I have any other options or do I have to cut my losses and fork out £100 to get a new phone line?

I probably know the answer but I thought I'd just ask, am so out of touch these days

Is the £30 connection fee /18 month contract from BT still available?

In reply to a post by Helan:

BT want to charge me £136 to set up a new line in the new property

They shouldn't!. The do a £30 Connection Offer at the moment; you have to agree to an 18 month contract for the phone line, but you wanted to stay with BT anyway, so that should not be an issue.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Fri 06-May-11 14:21:18)

In reply to a post by Ribble:

Is the £30 connection fee /18 month contract from BT still available?

Hi,
Thanks for reply

When I phoned BT this morning she told me the charge to get a phone line in that property would be £136 due to having to have an "engineer" visit the property and do some work!! Now what work that is I'm unsure but as far as I was aware all they do is switch the line on at the exchange (but I could be wrong - was a long time ago now I was up on all this).

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by Helan:

BT want to charge me £136 to set up a new line in the new property

They shouldn't!. The do a £30 Connection Offer at the moment; you have to agree to an 18 month contract for the phone line, but you wanted to stay with BT anyway, so that should not be an issue.

Hi

Thank you for the info

I am shocked she never even told me that!! All this does is make me want to sway away from them, have been a BT customer for over 20 years and although I asked "what is the best deal you can do for me" her only reply was £136 connection fee or I have to take out their Broadband for 18 months as well as a BT phone call package. Absolutely nothing about £30 connection fee with line rental for 18 months

Plusnet used to do new line provide for £49 (I think) but you have to take broadband from them as well. Not sure it it's still available though.
Could try calling them 0845 140 0200 or 0114 2960200 (24/7)

Edited by deleted (Fri 06-May-11 16:59:59)

In reply to a post by Helan:

In reply to a post by Ribble:

Is the £30 connection fee /18 month contract from BT still available?

Hi,
Thanks for reply

When I phoned BT this morning she told me the charge to get a phone line in that property would be £136 due to having to have an "engineer" visit the property and do some work!! Now what work that is I'm unsure but as far as I was aware all they do is switch the line on at the exchange (but I could be wrong - was a long time ago now I was up on all this).

Hi Helen,

Where abouts in Somerset are you moving to?

According to the link XRaySpeX posted, an engineering visit is only required if there is a problem (i.e. damage) to the wiring or the socket.

One point to note on the £30 connection offier, BT state (on the link provided earlier) - "Minimum call commitment also applies � you must make at least 10 chargeable or inclusive calls per month (30 calls per quarter). You'll need to pay a charge of £5.15 for every month (if you are billed monthly) or £15.45 for every quarter (if you're billed quarterly) in which you don't make these calls, as compensation for not making the minimum number of calls required."

Anyway, good luck with the move and BT.

Edit: Reworded.

Edited by aquilla (Fri 06-May-11 17:19:09)

I double checked with sales and the price is what you were quoted and they cn't budge from that as this is what BT Charge us.

You could try an LLU provider, i know this is steering you away from Zen, but if you want to save some costs for the installation it may be worth looking at.

Kindest Regards,

In the OP it says there is no line at the property!

In reply to a post by reserved:

In the OP it says there is no line at the property!

I've just re-read that post. This line

(previous owners were with Talk Talk).

kind of suggested there was something at the new property.

Apologises to Helen if I misread the post. Blame it on the sunburn!

In reply to a post by Helan:

I called Zen sales this morning and unf (? sic) there is no line at all at the property

You also said previous owners were with TT, so they must have had a phone line, albeit not a BT line. Are you saying they or someone had it removed completely?

In reply to a post by reserved:

In the OP it says there is no line at the property!

Even so, my link says

£30 Connection Offer: Customers who require a new line will benefit from a £100 discount on the standard line connection charge of £130.

Surely "new" means providing a line where none existed before?

Also an Engineer Visit is only required if you have an existing line that needs additional work (i.e. if the wiring/socket is damaged), not for a spanking new line.

Hi Helen,

Where abouts in Somerset are you moving to?

According to the link XRaySpeX posted, an engineering visit is only required if there is a problem (i.e. damage) to the wiring or the socket.

One point to note on the £30 connection offier, BT state (on the link provided earlier) - "Minimum call commitment also applies � you must make at least 10 chargeable or inclusive calls per month (30 calls per quarter). You'll need to pay a charge of £5.15 for every month (if you are billed monthly) or £15.45 for every quarter (if you're billed quarterly) in which you don't make these calls, as compensation for not making the minimum number of calls required."

Anyway, good luck with the move and BT.

Edit: Reworded.

Hi Stuart

Thank you

Am moving to Flax Bourton nr Bristol

Yeah I noted that small print, which is why that one isn't for me, my last call charges for 4 months was £9.15 so I dont spend anywhere near the amount needed for that connection fee! I use my mobile mostly for calls as I get 300 all inclusive (all networks) a month for £15 so it suits me/my needs

In reply to a post by reserved:

Plusnet used to do new line provide for £49 (I think) but you have to take broadband from them as well. Not sure it it's still available though.
Could try calling them 0845 140 0200 or 0114 2960200 (24/7)

Thanks for the info, my mum had a dreadful experience with Plusnet so wont be going that way thanks

In reply to a post by Azzaka:

I double checked with sales and the price is what you were quoted and they cn't budge from that as this is what BT Charge us.

Yeah I thought that would be the case, the guy at Sales (Michael) was a lovely guy did as much as he could to help try and waive the fee/not have to pay it

You could try an LLU provider, i know this is steering you away from Zen, but if you want to save some costs for the installation it may be worth looking at.

Hmm its such a minefield I dont really know where to start that's my problem!! I would probably be tied into a 12 - 18 month contract and if it all goes pop I'm stuck as I need a reliable service (work from home) I dont know what to do

Can't you (Zen) set up an LLU exchange at Flax Bourton for me pls?? Quickly though, need it by 27th May LOL

Kindest Regards,


[edit] to add humour

Edited by deleted (Sat 07-May-11 08:21:15)

In reply to a post by aquilla:

In reply to a post by reserved:

In the OP it says there is no line at the property!

I've just re-read that post. This line

(previous owners were with Talk Talk).

kind of suggested there was something at the new property.

Apologises to Helen if I misread the post. Blame it on the sunburn!

No you didn't misread it, that's where I am confused, BT & Zen say no physical line (for me) but they can see TalkTalk has a line at the property. Not sure how that all works tbh but for all intents and purposes whatever way I look at it, I have to pay £100+ set up fee to get a BT line installed if I want Zen.

If I went to TalkTalk I doubt (not sure) I would have to pay that set up fee but hey I'm no expert so maybe I'm wrong

There is no way I'm gong to TalkTalk I read their forum yday and did a compare on this site and they were nearly all below 60% ratings on C/S, speed and reliability, not good enough service for me as I work from home and need a solid connection or I'll be unemployed in a week

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by Helan:

I called Zen sales this morning and unf (? sic) there is no line at all at the property

You also said previous owners were with TT, so they must have had a phone line, albeit not a BT line. Are you saying they or someone had it removed completely?

Yes that is my impression from BT, there was a BT line, TalkTalk took over to provide broadband/phone and in doing so they wipe out (somehow) BT's connection/line?

as I said, not an expert but that is what both companies have told me, Zen went further and said that if they had "left BT's line" then they could re-connect it for £9.99 but they didn't do that.

In reply to a post by Helan:

In reply to a post by reserved:

Plusnet used to do new line provide for £49 (I think) but you have to take broadband from them as well. Not sure it it's still available though.
Could try calling them 0845 140 0200 or 0114 2960200 (24/7)

Thanks for the info, my mum had a dreadful experience with Plusnet so wont be going that way thanks

Sorry to hear that, I've been very happy with PN (fingers crossed!)

In reply to a post by Helan:

TalkTalk took over to provide broadband/phone and in doing so they wipe out (somehow) BT's connection/line?

A TT line is still connected back to exchange. That doesn't require a Engineer visit to your property, just a bit of rewiring at exchange, unless someone has ripped out the socket. Do you see one? Does it have dial tone?

In reply to a post by Helan:

my last call charges for 4 months was £9.15 so I don't spend anywhere near the amount needed for that connection fee!

Doesn't that cover 40 chargeable or inclusive calls over 4 months. It wasn't saying you have to spend £5.15 every month; just that that is the penalty if you don't make 10 calls per month.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by Helan:

TalkTalk took over to provide broadband/phone and in doing so they wipe out (somehow) BT's connection/line?

A TT line is still connected back to exchange. That doesn't require a Engineer visit to your property, just a bit of rewiring at exchange, unless someone has ripped out the socket. Do you see one? Does it have dial tone?

I'm not in the house yet, completion isn't until 27th May and I wont be down there then anyway, have to get to exchange on this house (next few weeks).

It has a socket (they have said so in fixtures & fittings list) so I dont really get what BT are saying but I've decided either way I'm not going with them anyway so when I do find someone to go with I will get much more clarification

thank you so much for the help/advice, very much appreciated

p.s. Poly recently died She lived here in Hastings but had a long long battle with cancer very sad day I saw her a few times in Bristol when I was a kid they were a great band

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by Helan:

my last call charges for 4 months was £9.15 so I don't spend anywhere near the amount needed for that connection fee!

Doesn't that cover 40 chargeable or inclusive calls over 4 months. It wasn't saying you have to spend £5.15 every month; just that that is the penalty if you don't make 10 calls per month.

I just looked at my last bill, I made 31 calls in 4 months so less than 10 calls a month (yes some were free but not many) and the only reason I made that many was due to the sale/purchase of the house (chargeable 0845 nos), the previous quarter I made 12 calls in 4 months LOL

Obvioiusly not much of a talker on the phone

Hi Helen,

Do you mind sending me some account details and your new address either by PM or to [email protected] (for my attention) please.

I have an idea which may help you out .

Many thanks,
Brian

In reply to a post by BCS:

Hi Helen,

Do you mind sending me some account details and your new address either by PM or to [email protected] (for my attention) please.

I have an idea which may help you out .

Many thanks,
Brian

Hi Brian,
Pm sent with details, any help would be greatly appreciated
Thank you

In reply to a post by reserved:

Plusnet used to do new line provide for £49 (I think) but you have to take broadband from them as well. Not sure it it's still available though.

It's £49.99 for a new line install although sounds like the OP's already ruled us out

Did you consider asking your legal representative (for the house purchase), to ask the vendors representative, to ensure that the telephone line reverted back to BT before contracts are exchanged?

In reply to a post by bpullen:

In reply to a post by reserved:

Plusnet used to do new line provide for £49 (I think) but you have to take broadband from them as well. Not sure it it's still available though.

It's £49.99 for a new line install although sounds like the OP's already ruled us out

Yes I have sorry!

In reply to a post by burakkucat:

Did you consider asking your legal representative (for the house purchase), to ask the vendors representative, to ensure that the telephone line reverted back to BT before contracts are exchanged?

Erm nope, didn't think of that at all too many things going on at the time I guess