I'm currently have a BT Phone Landline and am looking to change over to Virgin Cable so I can combine my TV/Broadband /Phone into one package.

If I am no longer with BT , i understand the line is rented from them, but do they have the right to come and remove the line to my house?

The reason I ask is a friend was with BT and changed over to Virgin for a few years. During that time BT came and removed the line to his house. When he wanted to look at changing back to BT they wanted to charge him £125 to reconnect it to his house even though it used to be there and they removed it, so he was forced to stick with Virgin...

I'm just worried the same thing could happen to me if I change over to Virgin, any ideas or advice?

Depends on how it is wired. If underground they wouldn't surely dig up the road but just disconnect it in the green box in the road. If overhead they might remove it if they were short of capacity and needed it for someone else I suspose.

it would have only been removed if the pole had been renewed and our contractors couldn't be ar$£d replacing it as it wasn't a working line. happens all the time.

from what I gather....

if you cancel your phone line for a certain amount of time ( i think its like a year) then it becomes "deceased"

even if the wiring is still intact, i think you have to pay the £125 quid. just for them to flick a switch

The £124.99 charge really depends on your area, some people are lucky in that there is a 'stopped' line (no connection charge) in the property for up to a year but generally the line will only stay 'stopped' for about 3 months after which it will be subject to a £124.99 installation charge. The installation charge is for connecting your service (back) to BT, as an engineer appointment needs to be booked.

If you're planning on coming back to BT (like your friend wanted to) perhaps you are just as well staying with BT just now. What have Virgin Media offered you in terms of a bundle (including line rental) and have you looked in to a bundle with BT?

The £125 charge is applied if Openreach have taken a customer's pair or if their line has been disconnected anywhere outside of te exchange.