This topic

Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:04:26 GMT

I am on my third engineer's visit to rectify the inability to achieve the minimum guaranteed download speed for an FTTP900 broadband connection.

Yet today, I look on the website Fault Tracking page only to find that I've told BT the fault is fixed and the Engineer's visit is complete.

One small problem, I didn't and he isn't. It's a blatant lie and has happened on each of the previous two visits. Are they frigging the figures so they don't get leaned upon by OFCOM or similar?

I've yet to see the engineer and we're within one hour of the five hour visit window . . .

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

why_oh_why — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:14:10 GMT

I've always had to involve OFCOM to get BT to admit to failings on their end. As a communications company BT's systems are a total shambles. My complaints usually come from their failure to close orders many months after they've been completed. Disaster mate. I wish you luck getting a satisfactory solution.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:56:09 GMT

Talking to someone in Quality for another business, she thinks these lies are actually to 'fool' KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) as, on 'paper' it looks like more complaints are successfully dealt with than is the actual case. This performance index is measured for bonuses etc. Now THAT sounds like sense to me. Why blatantly lie when you KNOW you're going to be found out.

They say, of course, if the fault persists, raise another complaint - which fits with the above assertion.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:48:18 GMT

Thank you Paddy B, understood and appreciate the help.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

pippincp — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 19:57:08 GMT

How are you testing your speed? Wired or wireless? Which speed tester?

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 21:08:00 GMT

BTWholesale speed tester. 2015 15" Macbook Pro Retina. Cable gives me less than 100 (a hundred) Mbits. I've used Fast.com and Speedtest.net too, with Chrome browser as Safari reads 1900 Mbits which would be nice but obviously utter garbage.

Wifi with everything turned off or isolated on Wifi gives me an average of 500, occasionally 600 (very rare) or so Mbits. BT say (and I believe them) that the FTTP is running at 937Mbits. Wifi is the way to go. I sit approximately two metres away from the Superhub 2 which is not shielded.

Using BT Ethernet cables but I bought gold coated Cat 7 cables and have similar results.

Fibre has been re-spliced, modem has been replaced and router has been replaced. Both BT engineer one day and Openreach engineer the next day were not able to get anywhere near the guaranteed minimum speed of 700 Mbits using their own equipment. Their readings broadly echoed what I'm getting. My wife's brand new Macbook Air also gives similar readings under all circumstances, so I don't believe it's equipment.

Engineer today was supposed to be collecting information to definitively focus on the ACTUAL speeds achievable so ongoing decisions can be made regarding this installation.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

ozsat — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 04:50:29 GMT

I think the system is partly automated and is not always that someone lieing.

2-3 times have had fault fixed or a engineering visit has happened on the tracker - only to get a call later from the engineeer who is now on there way.

I've also had the intermittant fault that has been fixed several times because at the moment of them testing there was no issue.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 07:00:15 GMT

Definition of 'lie' from Oxford Shorter English Dictionary:
" An act or instance of lying; an intentional false statement; an untruth. OE."

The 'partly automated' system is not fit for purpose if it states " You contacted us and told us the fault is repaired" (or similar wording). Software system 'deciding' what has happened and forecasting the result of an engineer's visit before they've even arrived. A developer or team have signed this system off as acceptable . . . it isn't.

What is the point of even HAVING a Fault Tracking page if it amounts to nothing more than fantasy and produces FALSE DATA which will no doubt be rolled out as 'great performance'?

Just because other folks have been subject to these outlandish practices doesn't make this conduct acceptable.

However, thanks for responding as it indicates I'm not the only one this has happened to.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

DavidM — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:15:23 GMT

HI @brianwmay and welcome to our community.

I'm really sorry to hear about these problems. I'll be happy to take a look at this for you and put this right. I'll need a few details so I'll drop you over a private message now so you can get in touch.

Cheers

David

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:01:19 GMT

I've responded to the PM David. Thank you.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

pippincp — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:19:56 GMT

@brianwmay Keep us updated please.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 21:16:08 GMT

My pleasure (hopefully).
Tomorrow (Wed 17 Aug 22) I have a scheduled call with a BT lady who instigated the engineer visit which didn't happen, so that should be interesting. She wanted the engineer to gather exact data and configuration from INSIDE my house . . . so we could come to some accommodation, but of course he didn't turn up, I waited in all afternoon. Not a word. Yet apparently I told BT my fault was fixed (again), which of course never happened.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

awelewah — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 22:18:08 GMT

There seems to be a problem with the FTTP900 upgrade.
Since my upgrade on wednessday 10th Aug, I haven't been able to get an internet connection.
And its the exact same story I've been told.
I've had 2 engineer visit the property, the 3rd engineer somehow without visiting the property was able to log a fault detail.
Now I've asked to be downgraded back to FTTP500, and somehow they have not been able to get that sorted.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:43:54 GMT

Hmmm, I can see similarities here. The Fault Tracking page header says (ish). If the fault re-occurs then raise a new complaint. At a stroke that generates a new VOL number which can hide the fact the three others (in my case) were the same unresolved problem . . . because apparently "I've told them the fault was fixed" each time.

If you collect statistics it then looks like your (BT's) rectification is actually far more successful than it is. I mean, why confuse the issue with facts?

I'll let you know how it goes, but I am getting a bit fed up. However, I AM connected and at a speed higher than the VirginMedia package I was on prior to moving to BT. So it's not all bad news.

By the way, my iPad 2 and iPhone 8 reflect the same below-minimum download speeds, so I'm 'happy' it's not my equipment.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 08:48:21 GMT

Well I've just had a Qube engineer's visit who discovered the 'wired speed' - BT's overriding parameter, is actually worse than his first visit.

He has been superb and has now escalated the problem (slow speed) back to Openreach.

HOWEVER: BT's own web page Track the Fault declared (once again) just after his visit:

"You have told us the fault is fixed" - this is UTTER BULLdroppings, once again it is a deliberate lie. The engineer has ESCALATED the fault . . . so HOW can it be fixed.

For customers such as I, to whom words matter, this is NOT doing BT or its reputation any good whatsoever. If it's an automated system, then it's not fit for purpose.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:27:09 GMT

Further to the above, BT have just texted to say they've closed the complaint . . . nice of them since the fault has been escalated by their own engineers and obviously ISN'T completed.

What message does this kind of irrational response send to would-be customers? Left hand and right hand not even being on the same planet . . .

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 07:31:01 GMT

Heads up. The nice lady from BT Faults didn't phone as promised, but in fairness she's not received the information she 'commissioned' as the Qube engineer escalated the fault back to Openreach . . .

Anyone for tennis?

Fortunately, I AM connected and getting a speed far in excess of the Virgin Media 200Mbit connection previously.

There HAS been an improvement, I sometimes get low 600 Mbits now, but nowhere close to 700 Guaranteed Minimum.

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 21:00:16 GMT

I will be withholding further comments. I've offered this as a compromise to the BT gentleman that contacted me today (Monday 29th Aug) until we've discussed the engineer's visit in a week's time.

Seems fair to me as he sustained my comment about the Fault Tracking statements (the lie I've been incensed about).

Re: Why do BT.com LIE regarding fault tracing and rectification.

brianwmay — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 14:27:56 GMT

Lady Openreach engineer visit today, confirmed the fault as she couldn't exceed 400 Mbits on her kit.

In consultation with HQ, she changed the modem (again) and lo and behold the wired connection showed well over 700Mbit (minimum guaranteed). Substituted my Cat 7 Ethernet cable and it shot up to over 800 Mbit wired.
Problem solved, and thanks to all the PEOPLE at BT and hopefully they'll listen regarding their web page stating 'You contacted us and told us the fault is fixed' (or similar), even when it wasn't.

As far as I'm concerned, this fault is now satisfactorily resolved.