This topic

Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:19:05 GMT

I have received an email today telling me I will get a back dated discount as I no longer have broadband. FTTP was installed by Openreach in January and my ISP is Zen internet. I still have a separate copper connection for phone hence the email. Am I entitled to this discount or is it an error?

thanks in advance

Re: Phone Only Discount

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:25:45 GMT

@melindwr

Sounds like a scam, as you still have pay line rental for the FTTP connection. There are lots of scams going around, and they usually ask for bank details, so they can pay your "refund", when in fact, they empty your bank account.

As this is a BT Retail Customer Forum, you would need to ask your question on the Zen user forum. Do not supply any details to the sender of the email.

Zen Internet Support Forum - Forums

Re: Phone Only Discount

garybs29 — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:31:10 GMT

It's either a scam or an error as in any case you only get the discount if there's no broadband in the property with any supplier

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:44:59 GMT

Thanks for quick response. BT 150 are taking hours to answer atm as usual.

It is not a scam checked the mail headers and it's from BT. They are clearly unaware that Openreach has installed the fibre!!

Re: Phone Only Discount

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:58:44 GMT

@melindwr wrote:

Thanks for quick response. BT 150 are taking hours to answer atm as usual.

It is not a scam checked the mail headers and it's from BT. They are clearly unaware that Openreach has installed the fibre!!

So how are you going to retain your phone line when the PSTN network closes, are Zen going to provide the equivalent to BT Digital Voice, as your copper connection will be ceased?

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:47:50 GMT

Copper will be with us here for some time I fear. In rural areas BTO will not put in new fibre until they have to. I live in a small village in mid Wales 3.5km from the exchange. Out of 250 homes only 30 or 40 have the option of fibre and only available since January. There are currently no plans to install more fibre. Homes are too spread out for it to be cost effective.

Moble is not an alternative as 3G is a problem here!

I fear the phase out of PSTN will be like the the phase out of FM radio.

Re: Phone Only Discount

imjolly — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:42:07 GMT

@melindwr wrote:

I fear the phase out of PSTN will be like the the fase out of FM radio.

more like the phase out of analogue TV took a while but it is no longer available unlike FM radio

Re: Phone Only Discount

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:43:29 GMT

@melindwr

You will have no option, its not the copper network that is closing, its the exchange equipment connected to it, so you will probably be advised to move your phone service over to Zen fibre.

This two page article explains it https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt1

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:05:13 GMT

When the time comes maybe. It is not a solution I like as I will no longer be able to report power cuts or broadband problems, since OR thoughtfully removed battery backup form their ONTs and I do not have a mobile phone signal at my home.

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 16:07:45 GMT

Thanks to you all. Will ring BT when I have the time to spare.

Re: Phone Only Discount

iniltous — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 09:21:49 GMT

Strictly speaking you are not entitled to the ‘no broadband’ discount as you have FTTP broadband with Zen, obviously BT don’t know you have broadband , just that you don’t have broadband with BT, or a line share broadband ( SMPF ) the fact that FTTP is available doesn’t mean BT can assume you are currently connected to it , as far as they know ( assuming you had separate broadband and phone providers on the copper line and now don’t ) they simply see the copper line is now just a phone line and presumably are obliged to ask you if the household has no broadband ,TBH I’m surprised that the discount is automatically applied beforehand

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 12:28:27 GMT

BT appear to be applying it automatically, however very late, as I switched in January.

I made two calls yesterday. In the first I was assured that I qualified as I have no BT broadband. This despite my protests that the latest BT tariff leaflet clearly states that I am not entitled "no fixed broadband with any provider". I then rang and explained again and after some time was transferred to Nottingham(?) who put me on hold and never came back!

It is clear, I am not entitled to the discount, and as much as I like lower prices, I do not want to find I am in dispute with BT/Openreach should my fibre break. I am getting a bit long in tooth and like things to be "in order". Silly me!!?

I am astounded that for a company who sell "communication" it is the one thing they themselves do so badly. There is no way to to communicate your problem, for them to investigate, and get back to you later and, short of making a complaint, no way to write them!

Re: Phone Only Discount

iniltous — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 13:00:40 GMT

Why are you maintaining PSTN phone line at all ?, ( not paying for it is cheaper obvious, than standard line rental or discounted line rental for those with genuinely no broadband ) you obviously could have telephony delivered over broadband , presumably via Zen ( if they offer a phone service ) or via a third party VoIP provider ..if the concern is power outages and need a line that will work through that , in the relatively short term you could be in a situation where your telephony is effectively delivered over DV ( BT proprietary version of VoIP ) which would in effect be a 0.5Mb ‘broadband’ connection and the phone plugged into that , once the PSTN switch off is complete , it’s not a copper network switch off , some copper lines will remain for some time , just not delivering services from the exchange PSTN equipment.

As far as mixed messages, it seems most providers have some staff that are not sufficiently well trained , or misinformed about their company’s products , and the ‘no broadband’ line rental discount was regulator imposed thing, and IMHO unclear in its scope , and was only mandated on BT ( so that’s around 75% of the market wouldn’t be entitled to discount if they took telephony only from anybody else ) so your situation is probably pretty uncommon, not that’s an excuse .

Re: Phone Only Discount

melindwr — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 13:34:13 GMT

When I took my contract, Zen were not offering VOIP. They do now, so I will have that choice when I renew. DV does not solve the problem of connectivity in a power outage and the mobile signal is too poor where I live (by the way this a village on a main trunk road not on the side of mountain!). In rural areas people are more dependent on phones and alternatives are just not there atm. I am one of the lucky ones, I have good broadband and PSTN phone, some of my neighbours would be pleased if their broadband was reliably over 0.5Mb!

Re: Phone Only Discount

PaddyB — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 13:36:48 GMT

Hi @melindwr,

Thank you for posting. I'm sorry you had to call BT a number of times and still haven't been able to get this corrected. The information posted on this thread is correct because you have Broadband with another provider means you wouldn't be entitled to the Phone Only Discount.

If you send me your details, I'll be able to get this corrected.

I have sent you a private message with instructions on how to contact the team. You can access your messages via the envelope icon at the top right of the screen, or click on this link, Private messages

Thanks,

Paddy