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Good old BT! |
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#1 |
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Posts: n/a
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Good old BT!
Just a wee little rant to make myself feel better.
On Saturday night at 2am a big scene happened outside our house (no not me coming home from the pub again) but a drunk joyrider crashed into our neighbours car in front of our house.....which in turn crashed into a telegraph pole and destroyed it. Thankfully no one was hurt....apart from a minor injury to the joyrider passenger I believe....the police were there in seconds so had obviously been on to him. My poor neighbour came out of his house in shock as he was asleep, and was very worried it was his fault and someone had been hurt. He lives on his own now and was quite white as a sheet. So we gave him a cuppa and he went off to make a statement to the police etc. Turns out his car was completely written off by the other car and the telegraph pole. Now the telegraph pole has gone and we have all these wires in our front garden hanging about. We have had no phones for a week and we are having to use our mobiles to call BT and find out what is going on...which costs money and the automated line lasts at least 5 minutes until you get a person...and we asked for a direct line too. We are having our calls diverted to my mobile but as it is a pay as you go phone..I don't want to call out too much on it, so we use my OH's phone to do that as his isn't. He is losing business as we have a lot of work through faxes and stuff in the house..and orders. Plus he is having to use his phone now rather than the land line when he comes home. We hope to put a claim in about this, but a week later and no one has contacted any of us along the road from BT and we are still waiting for the lines to go on. They say now they might look at it on the 12th. And to cap it all..my poor neighbour who had his car written off, has been contacted by BT and they are going to charge him £18 for everyday the phones are out of action as it was his car that broke the telegraph pole and they are losing money from it......yet he was asleep and not even in his car when this happened! I think that really sucks. And just wanted to rant about it as our car was the next one along..and if BT were trying to charge me £18 a day for something that was not my fault..I would be unhappy. I thought they were trying to get customers back to them...not drive them away. Okay..sorry for the rant..just fed up with no phone, no contact, not being able to call anyone in the day unless I want to pay a lot of money...and fed up for my neighbour too.
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,878
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BT often brings out the anger in people! They can be a very awkward company to deal with, especially if you're criticising/complaining about something. The amount of people who I've heard have had to wait for at least two weeks before the money-grabbing a'holes will do anything, is bad.
BT should get a new pole up ASAP - they're very quick to add more and more each day - where I live looks like some kind of circus, with bloody poles everywhere. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 59,800
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((((Bohochick)))) Big corporations are bastards.
![]() Your poor neighbour, god I would have had a heart attack I think.
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Schmocation
Posts: 3,911
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Bloody hell that's awful! Presumably though the money that BT charges your neighbours will be claimed back through the insurance company? Though having said that will that bugger up their no claims bonus?! I don't really understand how it all works in this case - though I would perhaps make as much fuss within the local media as is humanly possible and see if I could shame BT into getting their act together!
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#5 |
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I *think* that sort of work is handled by Marconi now. So, BT will have to get Marconi to sort it out, and if they're playing silly-buggers all BT can do is chase them up. Although I do agree it's a long time to wait and unfortunate circumstances.
We wanted a line put in - it took 3 months as the council had to approve them having their cherry-picker thing in the road. Be persistent with them. Also, do you have only residential lines? I have a business line here and the response is much, much quicker. The line was playing up and I phoned late one night, they said someone would be with me at 8am the next morning and I don't really make any calls, just have them coming in. I don't remember getting anything like that on the home line. |
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#6 |
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Posts: n/a
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My next door neighbour is quite high up in BT and even he can't make it work faster...our lines are all residential...well mine is anyway!
I know my neighbour isn't very happy....he's not had a great year and now on top of the car, he has this too. I did think about contacting our local paper as they are good at getting on causes.....I'll have to ask him first though I think. ![]() I mean none of this is any of our fault..about ten houses are out I think....and yet they are penalising us? I am glad no one was hurt, and that is the main thing..but now that has been established.....I am getting cross. |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 26,379
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Phonics
I *think* that sort of work is handled by Marconi now. So, BT will have to get Marconi to sort it out, and if they're playing silly-buggers all BT can do is chase them up. Although I do agree it's a long time to wait and unfortunate circumstances.
There will be things happening in the background causing the delay in getting a new pole up like waiting on permission from the council to close down the pathway etc whilst the work gets done. It isn't as cut and dry as it may seem to get work done. |
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#8 |
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Thing is..there is a ruddy big hole in the pathway at the moment where the hole was....so I am sure that is more dangerous. It has barricades around it...but I live on a main road that is the direct line for people coming back from pubs and clubs at a weekend..so they don't last very long..I can tell you!
I often find my wheelie bins or gate missing..so barricades in the middle of a path have no chance from tonight! ![]() And even if it is taking along time for various reasons..it would be nice if they could let us know..instead of us ringing them all the time and having to go through the automated thing. They took our mobile numbers. And it still doesn't explain why my neighbour has to be charged £18. Surely it is the joyriders fault..not his? If you go into a back of a car (well in this case..the side) isn't it always your fault? I guess they have no hope of getting it out of them though. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 26,379
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
And even if it is taking along time for various reasons..it would be nice if they could let us know..instead of us ringing them all the time and having to go through the automated thing. They took our mobile numbers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
And it still doesn't explain why my neighbour has to be charged £18. Surely it is the joyriders fault..not his? If you go into a back of a car (well in this case..the side) isn't it always your fault?
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#10 |
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£18 a day mind...and it has been 6 days now. That is alot of money to him.
Yes, I would like to have been contacted as we have so far made 3 phonecalls since the night and they actually didn't know what was happening and said they would let us know. And didn't. We only found out about the date of the 12th as our neighbour found it out. So yes..when someone says they are going to call you back and they don't...I would like to be called back to be honest...pernickity maybe..but that's me.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 368
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The £18 per day will be claimed off the joy riders insurance if they were not insured then there is a special pot for non insured drivers
I only know this after going thru similar problems myself with a car accident which left me unable to work at one point we thought the other driver had no insurance and I was reassured that everything would still be ok and I didn't lose my no claims bonusHope this helps |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 26,379
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
£18 a day mind...and it has been 6 days now. That is alot of money to him.
Yes, I would like to have been contacted as we have so far made 3 phonecalls since the night and they actually didn't know what was happening and said they would let us know. And didn't. We only found out about the date of the 12th as our neighbour found it out. So yes..when someone says they are going to call you back and they don't...I would like to be called back to be honest...pernickity maybe..but that's me. ![]() The conversation would go one of two ways. Either the "thanks for phoning" route you would like or the "don't bother me until you have a resolution route" that riles people even more. You can't please all the people all the time. I am still a bit dubious about this £18 charge your neighbour says they are being charged though. |
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#13 |
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No it's true. He hasn't paid it yet..but they want it, as I said, for recompense over the loss of the pole.....and his car broke the pole, technically.
He has no reason to lie poor guy. I've lived next door to him for ten years and know him quite well, so I do think he is telling the truth...he was very shaken up over it all. And yes, we last called on Sunday and they said they would call us back when an engineer had been out to look at it that day. Zilch since then. Not even the engineer. I was glad they dealt with the pole promptly though, as we had live wires floating over our garden and it was a windy night. It's just since then it's all been a muddle. Thanks for the advice suzie. Obviously the £18 thing isn't my problem..but it is annoying me. Along with the money we are losing as alot of OH's customers put in orders by fax..and of course..they don't know we haven't recieved them, and we don't know they have sent them..until they phone up and complain they haven't had an order! Grrrrrrr. |
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#14 |
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I would write to BT explaining what happened, and if they do not back off then I would contact a solicitor, write to trading standards, contact CAB, write to the local paper, and the local MP, as well as contacting Watchdog. What they are doing to this guy is sick
I hate BT so much! No company has ever been as incompetent and arrogant to me as them!
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 26,379
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
No it's true. He hasn't paid it yet..but they want it, as I said, for recompense over the loss of the pole.....and his car broke the pole, technically.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
Along with the money we are losing as alot of OH's customers put in orders by fax..and of course..they don't know we haven't recieved them, and we don't know they have sent them..until they phone up and complain they haven't had an order!
Grrrrrrr. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London
Posts: 1,716
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
Obviously the £18 thing isn't my problem..but it is annoying me. Along with the money we are losing as alot of OH's customers put in orders by fax..and of course..they don't know we haven't recieved them, and we don't know they have sent them..until they phone up and complain they haven't had an order!
Grrrrrrr. If your OH is running a business from home then why are you using a residential line (and paying the associated low charge) and expecting business service? BT Business customers pay a higher rate, but they also get a service called Total Care. This is free if they're on certain business tarrifs (or a tenner per line per quarter if not). Biz customers also get access to a local business call centre, so don't sit in queues for as long as you or I. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but you seem to want the best service but without being willing to pay for it. |
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#17 |
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We don't run a business from home.
My OH works in London, just sometimes, when it is out of hours...the customers want to get an order in to him that he can deal with it promptly...so they fax it to our home. That's all. Not sure where I said anywhere I expect business service either? Did I? I am confused. ![]() I just want to know when my phone is going back on..that's all.
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#18 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Leicester
Posts: 3,027
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PamelaL
((((Bohochick)))) Big corporations are bastards.
![]() Your poor neighbour, god I would have had a heart attack I think. ![]()
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cornwall (ex-London)
Posts: 65,312
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We were cut off by BT a year or so ago for ten days (could have been longer; I can't remember now) and I work from home too and all my new work generally comes by email and, if not, by phone. I submit all my work nearly by email. BT gave dates for the work to be done and, of course, it wasn't done by then. Never expected it would be. It was eventually done but it was bl00dy frustrating and panicky, because of the work aspect. You don't realise how dependent you are on telecoms.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London
Posts: 1,716
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohochick
We don't run a business from home.
My OH works in London, just sometimes, when it is out of hours...the customers want to get an order in to him that he can deal with it promptly...so they fax it to our home. That's all. Not sure where I said anywhere I expect business service either? Did I? I am confused. ![]() I just want to know when my phone is going back on..that's all. ![]() I can appreciate that the whole situation is a pain, but BT have offered you an alternative temporary solution which would be adequate for a typical residential customer. If you're losing money by not receiving business faxes, that's not really their fault. If you rely on something for your business then it makes sense to ensure it's up to the job. If you occasionally used your car for work, you wouldn't buy a cheap old banger, would you? |
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#21 |
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Posts: n/a
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When you said fax machine I thought you might be doing a bit of business there. It's odd - the business line and service we have here works out cheaper than my home line. Might just be the use, but the service is better as part of the standard rental.
I think BT have got better. When I wanted to report a fault I had to go through a lot of push this, key in your phone number, key in an alternative number etc. When I did get through all the info was there and it was set up. |
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#22 |
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Posts: n/a
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Quote:
Originally Posted by +3dB
I can appreciate that the whole situation is a pain, but BT have offered you an alternative temporary solution which would be adequate for a typical residential customer.
If you're losing money by not receiving business faxes, that's not really their fault. If you rely on something for your business then it makes sense to ensure it's up to the job. If you occasionally used your car for work, you wouldn't buy a cheap old banger, would you? Fine. Naughty me for having a rant. ![]() And we don't rely on it for our business, I explained that. Forgive me but you are being a bit pedantic..I have explained my position quite thoroughly, and am a BT customer who pays for it who has lost service through no fault of my own and just wanted to rant about it and for my neighbour. I will just wait then and shut up and not say a word to them!
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cornwall (ex-London)
Posts: 65,312
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jagger2k
tut tut, am shocked, first time i ever seen you sware on this forum!!
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 10,829
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Oh my mum is having trauma with BT today. My great aunt is 94, lives in sheltered housing and is currently getting her bathroom done up (by the council, a major trauma by itself) and in the process they have managed to break her BT line (they've put the wire under a shower stall and nailed through it most likely). So my frail great aunt now has no phoneline, bad enough for a woman that age who lives alone. But the problem is she has one of those emergency buttons that she wears round her neck, and how does it work? It needs a phoneline!
So mum called BT, all automated, they said they'd send someone out next week. Not good enough. So mum phones the complaints, and of course it's in India or someplace. So the woman has trouble understading, she asks if she wants the calls redirected and does my great aunt have another line she could use. eh NOO! She says all she can promise is that she puts a note on the ticket saying it needs to be done quicker. But really it's an utter disgrace (actually the whole sitaution is a disgrace but that's partly council, partly useless wardens in the sheltered housing and partly my great aunt getting hysterical at every thing.) the problem is you can't talk to someone who understand the differences in every situation and can prioritise etc. My other half actually works for BT and he gets really frustrated sometimes that he can't help people more, and deal with people better. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cornwall (ex-London)
Posts: 65,312
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Phonics
When you said fax machine I thought you might be doing a bit of business there. It's odd - the business line and service we have here works out cheaper than my home line. Might just be the use, but the service is better as part of the standard rental.
I think BT have got better. When I wanted to report a fault I had to go through a lot of push this, key in your phone number, key in an alternative number etc. When I did get through all the info was there and it was set up.
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I hate BT so much! No company has ever been as incompetent and arrogant to me as them!
