Problem with BT line fault - and £130 charge!

[Towton]

My niece has been with BT for years at the same address, no probs.

 

Yesterday, her line developed a severe crackling at her home end, so rang BT, only to get an Indian call centre taking her through the basics (ie. check another 'phone, etc).

 

Finally, she got a Saturday a.m engineer appointment with the 'threat' of- if the fault is outside of your home, it'll cost nothing, but if inside your home, we charge c.£130!!

 

Should she gamble where the fault is, or cancel the engineer? Or ring back and threaten to leave BT?

 

Thanks

[Guest sibon]

I had a very similar experience when I had BT Infinity fitted.

 

I declined the offer and used the BT Complaints procedure.

 

I registered my formal complaint online, using their own form.

 

After that, BT were excellent. They arranged for an engineer to call at a time of my choosing and fixed the fault, for free.

 

I had no intention of stumping up £130 and hoping that they would give it back to me. The call centre was a disgrace too.

[ANGELFIRE1]

My niece has been with BT for years at the same address, no probs.

 

Yesterday, her line developed a severe crackling at her home end, so rang BT, only to get an Indian call centre taking her through the basics (ie. check another 'phone, etc).

 

Finally, she got a Saturday a.m engineer appointment with the 'threat' of- if the fault is outside of your home, it'll cost nothing, but if inside your home, we charge c.£130!!

 

Should she gamble where the fault is, or cancel the engineer? Or ring back and threaten to leave BT?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Aye, been there done that. Utterly disgusting behaviour by BT. We just wanted the existing line turned over to BT. Their engineer spent less than 10 mins in the house, and it cost us £130 -- just for the sake of wanting to USE BT. It's legalised robbery.

 

Regards

 

Angel.

[pip1943]

Had an equally bad experiance with virgin,i think theres not one company better than the other

[Towton]

Thanks, sibon, I'll forward your advice.

[LeMaquis]

I had a problem with BT a few years ago. I suddenly couldn't get a dialling tone and the phone never rang although the Broadband worked. I complained and they refused to accept there was a problem. This went on and on until one day the phone rang out of the blue. It was BT asking why I didn't make many phone calls. When I'd come down from the ceiling I told the woman all about the problem. She put me through to another woman and then I got cut off. I put down the phone, picked it up again and have been able to get a dialling tone ever since. Someone obviously just had to flick a switch but I never got an explanation or apology. I met someone else in Crookes who had exactly the same problem with BT.

[MrsMozzy]

Every so often our phone crackles unbelievably. We figured out that if we just disconnect from the line then reconnect it works perfectly. Always worth a go (we did ask BT to check when it first happened and they couldn't find a problem with it at all). Hope this helps.

[Afilsdesigne]

Crackling is usually caused by either a loose connection or water/damp getting into the wiring. You can quite easily sort out where the problem is by doing the following: 1) Find the master phone socket (the first one where the wires from outside connect). 2) Undo the two screws on the facia panel and pull out the front, carefully. This isolates all your internal telephone extension wiring. 3) Plug your main telephone into the socket that removing the facia has revealed. You are now connected directly to the outside line with no internal wiring connected. 4) Listen carefully for crackling. If there IS crackling, call the phone company and request an engineer. If there ISN'T any crackling, check your internal wiring and do not call the phone company. 5) Unplug the phone and restore everything to normal. If the crackling gets worse during wet weather, then be patient and wait until it is really wet before calling the engineer. He/she will have a far better chance of finding and fixing the fault.

[truman]

Crackling is usually caused by either a loose connection or water/damp getting into the wiring. You can quite easily sort out where the problem is by doing the following: 1) Find the master phone socket (the first one where the wires from outside connect). 2) Undo the two screws on the facia panel and pull out the front, carefully. This isolates all your internal telephone extension wiring. 3) Plug your main telephone into the socket that removing the facia has revealed. You are now connected directly to the outside line with no internal wiring connected. 4) Listen carefully for crackling. If there IS crackling, call the phone company and request an engineer. If there ISN'T any crackling, check your internal wiring and do not call the phone company. 5) Unplug the phone and restore everything to normal. If the crackling gets worse during wet weather, then be patient and wait until it is really wet before calling the engineer. He/she will have a far better chance of finding and fixing the fault.

 

You need to eliminate the phone you're using from being the culprit too..

[medusa]

Crackling is usually caused by either a loose connection or water/damp getting into the wiring. You can quite easily sort out where the problem is by doing the following: 1) Find the master phone socket (the first one where the wires from outside connect). 2) Undo the two screws on the facia panel and pull out the front, carefully. This isolates all your internal telephone extension wiring. 3) Plug your main telephone into the socket that removing the facia has revealed. You are now connected directly to the outside line with no internal wiring connected. 4) Listen carefully for crackling. If there IS crackling, call the phone company and request an engineer. If there ISN'T any crackling, check your internal wiring and do not call the phone company. 5) Unplug the phone and restore everything to normal. If the crackling gets worse during wet weather, then be patient and wait until it is really wet before calling the engineer. He/she will have a far better chance of finding and fixing the fault.

 

Your advice only applies if your socket is modern enough to have the other socket hidden inside the fascia. If your phone socket is older than about 25 years then you won't have a master socket to try (as I found out when I had problems with my phone).