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How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:35:11 GMT

How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it. BT have raised a complaint as though they are us with open reach (which is bizarre) , they stated the service needed to be moved and open reach were not customer facing so did this for us? and then open reach have declined the complaint. I am paying over £80 a month for a service from BT but BT have zero say and responsibility on the actual installation and service received. I am not sure where to go apart from cancel the whole contract and go through the small claims court. Any advice on where I can go to sort this would be much appreciated. Thankyou

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

iniltous — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:45:04 GMT

The way BT Consumer and Openreach interact is mandated by the regulator Ofcom , they require a barrier between the various parts of BT Group , hence the requirement for you as a consumer to only speak to a CP ( communication provider ) and they speak to Openreach…you are not ‘allowed’ to speak to OR , and they not allowed to converse directly with you .

As far as you specific complaint, it’s not clear what the problem is and who may be responsible for it’s resolution

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

chrisjp — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:10:14 GMT

It's not clear from your post what exactly the problem is that you wish to complain about.
Is the service you are getting from BT not satisfactory and, if so, in what way?
Or have you had to wait an inordinate amount of time for a service you ordered to be initiated?
The fact that you ordered a service from BT and Openreach installed it is not grounds for a complaint - that is the way BT (and some other Broadband suppliers) are required to operate by the Regulator.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:29:54 GMT

Thankyou for your reply - we were informed by BT that they were going to attend the address at a set time and run through a discussion about where the best place would be to set up the fibre broadband - a whole service. (we had around 4 emails about the time they would arrive to set up fibre). No one at the address is an engineer, no one at the address has ever had fibre. The engineer turned up 4 hours early so the occupier dealing with the fibre was not in attendance. They proceeded to say 'where's it going' the occupier asked where the engineer though it best to place the wires for the fibre stating the wires would be easier for the engineer by the TV. At no point was it mentioned the whole broadband box would move. (You may say this is obvious it was not to the occupier they did not understand this and was not told this) The location was no where near the phone or the alarm system are it was not explained that the phone line would no longer be in operation. The engineer did the work shouted to the occupier after 20 min you can put it all back yes? and walked out. The occupier had not even said bye or look at the work. The broadband box is now on the floor next to a TV with furniture in front of it. The alarm system can not be used and the signal is no where near what it should be to devices as its on the floor in a corner of a room. It can not be accessed as furniture is in front of it. A complaint was made to BT within 30-1 hour of the visit they raised a complaint as though they were the occupier to open reach explaining it was appalling service and the box was in a dangerous position as could not be accessed. Open reach have now responded its fine. I suppose my issue is how can BT offer services and advice about getting the best service and offering halo 3 on top when they have no real say about the service that is provided by open reach. I raised this with Bt they agreed. Bt will say its open reach and if open reach say no then is my only option cancelling the whole contract and if required going small claims court for any monies they take after that? thank you in advance of any advice.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:31:40 GMT

Sorry also to say I have been contacting open reach directly as BT told us that's what we have to do . The complaint was raised by BT in the occupiers name as though it was the occupier initiating it, That's what we were told needed to happen.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

Christopher_G — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:26:16 GMT

Hi @join

Welcome to the community.

Have you had an update on any of your complaints yet?

Chris

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:40:11 GMT

Open reach asked for more pictures after I asked for it to be escalated but nothing yet. Thank you

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

Christopher_G — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:41:55 GMT

OK, thanks for the update, @join

Please keep us posted on what happens.

Chris

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:29:45 GMT

So Open reach have stated all service side stuff like the alarm will not work or where the broadband should go etc should be with Bt they should have explained it all and its not down to them and all they do is fit it and its not dangerous so they are closing it? How is it we pay for a service from one provider, BT and then they have nothing to do with the installation and service of that installation? I do understand the point that they are separate and this is due to the regulator but then we are not paying all this money for a service from BT at all? All I can think to do is cancel the whole thing any advise on what else we can do would be much appreciated. Thanks

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

Katie_B — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:12:44 GMT

Hi @join.

Thanks so much for keeping us updated.

I am sorry to hear this was not the outcome you wanted.

If you wish to discuss the outcome of your complaint further I would recommend getting back in touch with customer care.

We have no account access here on the community so we are unable to see any account information.

Katie

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

iniltous — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:34:20 GMT

If you are within the ‘cooling off’ period you may well be able to cancel penalty free , but unless another network is available, then any order from other communication providers/ISP that uses Openreach network will use what already exists , they won’t install the network again , it’s already installed .

Without being overly critical, if the service was installed at an agreed location, which turned out to be unacceptable, and the adult that gave permission was uniformed as the the ‘correct’ location, then that adult should have sent the technician away ( if they attended outside the agreed time ) , so it’s something of a ‘fiat accompli’ , if the Openreach termination isn’t where you wanted it , you ( or your agent ) shouldn’t have agreed to where it was positioned.

All CP/ISP that utilise Openreach are bound by the way the system works , Openreach are a supplier of the local network only , that’s the connection between the customers property and the CP/ISP’s network , it may seem odd to you , this third party arrangement , but that’s the way the regulator requires it , as far as asking why you pay BT if it’s Openreach , the equipment that gives you dialtone and connects your calls , and provides your internet is BT , not Openreach, Openreach provide the connection between you and BT only , you may pay BT an amount per month , BT pay Openreach a percentage of that for the local access .

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:44:20 GMT

All you need to do to relocate the Hub is run an ethernet from the ONT in its current location to wherever you want it. That can be up to 100m away.

As for the alarm, you can either try re-injection (Google is your friend) or talk to your alarm company about changing signalling to WiFi.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 14:47:08 GMT

Thankyou for all the replies you have all focused my mind in the complaint that open reach are not to blame but BT are, as you have all stated in not so many words and so have they, they are not customer focused and hold no responsibility to help the customer at all and this is down to BT. Which I don't actually disagree with.

Open reach have informed me that all dealings with the customers in regards to where the box should be best placed, what happens at the installation, What wires go where, what this means for the customer, what services will be disconnected, information that the old phone port will no longer work, what they will be doing when they arrive, what plugs are required, how the installation will go and what they will be doing, what happens to alarms, what connections in the house will be like, basically anything to do with any explanation is down to BT to do.

All they do is arrive and fix the equipment with no explanation or professional knowledge, they will not explain how this is done and what this means therefore the customer has services installed that they are not expressly in agreement with as nothing is actually explained and a customer can not make an informed decision. I now feel that BT should send out a customer facing person with every engineer that arrives at a house otherwise what are we all paying BT for?

I did raise this 30 min after the engineer left and the BT agent agreed it was all odd that a non customer facing company attends (for approximately 5 min in the house) and fits the fibre who are not BT when BT makes the promises and takes the money each month and then has no control over what occurs. BT could not tell me who attends under the Halo 3 plan when I queried if open reach attend or BT. So again a service is offered by BT that they should not be offering as open reach are not customer focused.

Luckily I had emailed the cancellations team within 30 min of the engineer leaving so I will see what happens.

Thanks for the replies. If anyone has an address as well I can write to it would be appreciated.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 15:00:02 GMT

Thanks for the reply I appreciate it, Sadly Open reach turned up outside the time window that was agreed and the adult in the premises has difficulties with understanding. The agent took advantage of this and did a job which was the quickest and easiest for him, as open reach has stated no information is given to the customer to make any sort of informed decision as that is not their job.

They then left all furniture out nothing was put back and left the premises shouting you can do it yes! they were there for approximately 5 min with the occupant total and 15 min outside and were gone. I agree the occupant should have said no from the start and I would urge anyone reading this to refuse the engineer to do any work until BT explain the whole process, but the speed at which the engineers work and leave is done for a reason.! call me cynical.

I watched as open reach attended across the road they were 3 min with the customer and 15 min outside and left I took pictures as they worked and then left I was shocked at the time it took. No customer unless they speak to their provided in detail beforehand and their provider looks at the rooms and connections and address can make an informed decision with the open reach engineers.

I do appreciate open reach and BT are separate and I appreciate open reach have no interest in customers as they have none. So it has focused my mind that this is down to BT and their customer service. Thanks again.

Re: How can I complain when BT offers the service but open reach installs it and we are not happy?

join — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 15:05:17 GMT

Thankyou for the reply. Its not just the alarm its all the wires that run under the floorboards to the computers from the original location (That are now redundant) as well as the fact the hub has been placed on the floor next to a TV in a corner of a room with furniture in front of it. (Which I don't want moving) All the hubs keep dropping out as does the EE stay connected box. nothing is working like it used to as the hub has to get through more walls. I will just keep on in the complaint with BT and if need be cancel the whole thing. thanks again for the suggestion though.