This topic

OpenReach Missed Appointments and BT lying about getting in touch

Stefanie_P — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:38:26 GMT

Since the beginning of October i had requested broadband to be installed in my new property which i had moved in.

BT created an appointment for us 4 weeks later. When the day comes i receive a phone call saying they had to cancel the appt. due to technical issues. They rescheduled for 2 weeks later, when someone from Open Reach was supposed to be here from 8am-1pm. He never calls and when i called him (i had a text from Open Reach giving me the engineer's details) he says he will be there soon. He arrived at 3.10pm stays for 5 minutes and says "oh there is no underground cable (or something like that) and i cannot install the line as there is no way i am climbing on the pole. It is dangerous for me as it is hollow! (The 4 houses that are surrounding us have their broadband installed that way by the way!) He advised calling BT and asking them to install a new pole in the neighbourhood!!

I call BT they apologise say they will send an engineer (they insist that the next person who would show up would be happy to climb the pole!). A week later on our appointment day we waited until 1pm no one showed up. We call BT they apologise saying it that the appointment was not clearly communicated from BT to Open Reach's system!!!!!!

A few days later (that was yesterday) we were supposed to have an appointment. As i didn't want to spend the whole day waiting aimlessly i called BT (i waited 52 minutes to get through) asking them whether our appointment would go through. They apologised (!!!!!!!!!) saying that the appointment is now due for tomorrow (20th November) and it was registered on the system that they had contacted me about the rescheduling (this never happened!)

They have also promised me a mobile wifi router which they have NEVER sent out and a refund for the mobile router i had to order myself (credit note never came through!)

WHAT IS GOING ON ?! ?! ?!

Re: OpenReach Missed Appointments and BT lying about getting in touch

imjolly — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:45:16 GMT

Are you getting FTTC or FTTP.

I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 20:35:04 GMT

I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open Reach engineer who came once said that he had to connect it to the nearest pole in my neighbourhood.

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

pippincp — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 20:56:29 GMT

FTTP comes from poles as well.

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 20:59:11 GMT

Either way it is not okay as they have been messing around saying that they will provide a temporary solution and they haven't and that they will show up and they never do! They just keep postponing the appointments for 6 weeks now!

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

pippincp — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:01:54 GMT

If we knew what it was you were getting we could point you in the right direction.

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:10:56 GMT

This is the details of my order if that helps.

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

imjolly — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:37:22 GMT

looks more like FTTC

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

pippincp — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:54:20 GMT

It is FTTC, all FTTP products are now known as Full Fibre.

Fibre 1 - FTTC.

Full Fibre 1 - FTTP.

I wonder if the cabs full?

@Stefanie_PCan you enter your number here https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL and post the result?

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 07:30:29 GMT

This is what i got back from the search.

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 07:31:28 GMT

Also a strange thing is that my neighbours all have broadband and are connected to that same pole okay!

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

CJT80 — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:18:20 GMT

@Stefanie_Pwrote:
This is what i got back from the search.

Morning @Stefanie_P

What we need to see is this bit of the checker

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:26:29 GMT

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

imjolly — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:52:13 GMT

there is noting there which accounts for delay as shows FTTC available

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Stefanie_P — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:49:46 GMT

Is there anything that i can do legally?

They have cancelled or rather "rescheduled" today's appointment once again, no explanation given at all and BT's agent that i was talking to has nothing to comment he said.

They cannot keep postponing the appointments forever!! Even if the pole was faulty, OpenReach SHOULD come fit in a new pole or if not then just send an engineer out and do the job. I am assuming if the engineer's are seeing the "Dangerous Pole" note on the account they are just not showing up!

Re: I applied for FTTP but i am not actually sure as the Open...

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 12:01:41 GMT

Openreach would need to use a hoist on a pole that is decayed.

There are only a few of those available, and there was probably not one available today, perhaps it was needed to fix an urgent fault, as faults normally get priority over any new provision work.

Possible nobody has booked one?

Re: OpenReach Missed Appointments and BT lying about getting in touch

Starwire — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 16:28:57 GMT

When you say ‘Hollow’ Pole do you mean it’s Hollow as in it’s a Metal one or Hollow as in a Wooden one and has Decay in it?

If it’s a Hollow Radial one then Engineers can’t climb them, that was the whole point of Radial Hollow Poles. There’s a Hollow Pole Kit they’re supposed to use to get a Cable through it.

If however it’s Hollow as in a Decayed Wooden one then they can’t climb it for safety and are not allowed to add new cables to it as it could cause the Pole to come down with the additional tension on it. In this case the Pole would have to be swapped out.

Re: OpenReach Missed Appointments and BT lying about getting in touch

Stefanie_P — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 16:47:54 GMT

Well i have no idea, but i am guessing the second as in the pole would come down. Even if that is the case then yes i agree with you. The pole should come down and they should inform the neighbours that they won't have broadband for a while until they put up a new pole or whatever the solution would be.

But shouldn't Open Reach have done that already? It has been 2 weeks since the engineer came and Open Reach has not realised that they NEED to fix this in one way or another. It's not like they will get away with just postponing the appointments forever and BT not giving an explanation to us!

SO unprofessional!