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BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:05:57 GMT

Hello

My neighbour is over 90 and lives alone with no family members nearby. She has been switched to BT Digital Voice without realising what was happening. Now she finds she cannot use her phone and her answering system (I think the BT one) is a mystery to her. She has phoned BT innumerable times because she simply cannot make sense of what has been done, but no-one appears willing to help her.

Her phone is a lifeline to her and people are finding that they either can't get through or her answering system is full. Clearly she doesn't know how to access messages or empty it. She is a capable person in many ways but this is depressing her. He health is not good and she genuinely needs phone access.

I am happy to go round to try and help, but I'm distressed that BT has changed a very elderly person's phone without helping her to understand it and use it. Is there a department or number which either she or I could call for help for a vulnerable, very old, unwell person?

I would be grateful for any insights.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

imjolly — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:52:16 GMT

If moved to digital voice then phone needs to be connected to green socket on the back of the BT router not the old phone socket

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

imjolly — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:46:28 GMT

maybe register here if not already https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/including-you/BT_Free_Priority_Fault_Repair_Scheme.pdf

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:25:33 GMT

Thank you for both those replies. I intend to pop round today to try and establish what the engineers have left her with. In the meantime I have sent those links to her daughter who is in America. I can't register on my neighbour's behalf but her daughter ought to be able to do that for her.

I have found out that she doesn't possess a mobile phone, so while her phone is unusable she is cut off and would have no means of sending for help in an emergency if there is a power cut. I need to explore back up battery sources, which I thought BT could help with.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

imjolly — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:43:12 GMT

I am surprised that at your neighbour's age that she was moved to digital voice probably because she is not registered as vulnerable person - your neighbour must have broadband and phone from BT

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:48:44 GMT

Yes, she does have BT phone and broadband. I hope that she will be able to register as vulnerable as soon as possible. Currently despite contacting BT numerous times, she isn't able to find anyone at BT who seems able to help.

It would have been obvious to the BT engineer who came to fit the new equipment (I don't yet know what that was) that she is extremely old and barely mobile.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

imjolly — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 11:04:38 GMT

hopefully it is just a matter of disconnecting existing phone from wall socket and reconnecting to green phone socket on back of BT router

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

verkosh — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 11:26:09 GMT

Or if they sent a digital voice adapter disconnecting the phone from the socket and plugging it into the port on the adapter.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

licquorice — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 11:47:32 GMT

@Jellicle If she has her own answering machine, make sure the BT 1571 answering service is set to maximum number of rings and her answering machine is set to a lower number of rings in order that it answers before 1571 does.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:48:26 GMT

Thank you. You have given me a few options to look at, including the socket on the BT router and checking whether she has her own answering machine. The point about number of rings is a good one. I suspect she would prefer to have only one answering system - the answerphone which she previously had and was familiar with.

If a vulnerable person has had Digital installed without an explanation of what is being done, is it ever possible to revert to the system which she knew how to use (her daughter calls it a 'plug in phone' system) and an answering machine which she understood?

Would BT ever consider sending a technician or engineer to help her understand and use what has been done to her phone?

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

imjolly — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:50:23 GMT

normally once moved to DV there is no way back to analogue

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

WSH — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:42:28 GMT

I don’t know if it helps but I was moved to DV about 6 weeks ago. I have a Panasonic cordless system about 6 years old. Answer phone is set at 5 rings and it kicks in before the 1571. (I’ve never adjusted the 1571…not even looked at it).

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

WSH — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:50:51 GMT

Prompted me to have a quick look.

The 1571 default appears to be set to 7 rings. The max is 10 rings and I can’t see a way of disabling it altogether.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:55:19 GMT

See this post https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/DV-Handsets-v-Home-DECT-Phones/m-p/2286042#M88731

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

HHGTTG — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:58:24 GMT

Apparently in MyBT one can change the 1571 number or rings to maximum there. Somewhere under 'your products' >>>>>phone etc.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:04:17 GMT

I have been round to establish the situation.

1. Her phone now appears to be working and she can make and receive calls.

2. I have established that there is no other answerphone plugged in, so the 1571 service is working. No-one had explained how the new phone which BT gave her works. I have tried to ensure that she knows how to listen to messages.

3. She did not ask to be switched to Digital Voice. The first she knew of it was a email saying that a package would be delivered and she was informed that an engineer was coming on a certain day (a Monday). She had no choice.

4. The engineer who came on the Monday did not know what he was supposed to be doing, did not know how to fit DV and was unable to do the job, so another was booked for later in the week.

5. The second engineer fitted the supplied equipment (a new phone, a router, etc but not the voice adapter) and left, saying that someone would come round and show her how to use it. In the meantime she had no phone service.

6. That person came, but left without ensuring that she understood what to do. (She is mentally alert so it ought to have been possible to help her.) He said that another person would come to explain it all.

7. The other person came but she was still in the dark about how to use the answerphone and the facilities on the new phone.

8. She was left with cardboard debris and bits of tech such as the router strewn around. I know there is a bag to send stuff back to BT and I will take the bag to the post office for her, but she erroneously perceived a threat that she would be charged if she delayed. She can't 'just get to a post office'.

9. She is very upset that BT have charged her over £100 for this, when she didn't ask for it and she is very obviously a housebound, very elderly person in poor health. I thought the changeover was supposed to be free.

10. I have printed out the Vulnerable Clients form for her and one way or another we'll get it to her doctor for authentication. Thank you for the link.

11. She has decided to buy a simple mobile phone.

I am very disappointed that BT handled this in the way they did. I don't think that treating a very elderly client like this is acceptable or kind. I do think that BT could consider training for people who go out to explain the mysteries of the service to vulnerable clients. Elderly people aren't stupid but they come from a world with simpler technology and it's easy for us to take knowledge for granted.

I am very grateful for the ideas which you have suggested and it certainly meant that I was better prepared for going round to try and help her.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

licquorice — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:26:33 GMT

There is something not right here. There is no charge for being converted to DV.

I will ask if one of the mods can take a look for you. They will post on the thread.

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:29:46 GMT

Possible paid for a home visit to assist with setup?

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

licquorice — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:37:55 GMT

If so, it needs refunding!!!

Re: BT Digital, vulnerable client struggling & needs help

Jellicle — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 23:20:30 GMT

Thank you for asking one of the moderators to look at this.

She is certain that she didn't contact BT to ask for any changes. She had no need to. Everything was working fine for her! She did ask the engineer whether someone could come and help her understand the new set up, as he only had time to go through it quickly. No charges were mentioned. Nor has she been sent an email or a letter saying that a charge for anything would be made. She found out about it when she checked her bank statement and discovered that as well as her usual direct debit payment, another payment had been taken.

She is a retired maths teacher and generally independent-minded. Goodness knows how an elderly person less alert would manage all this.

I appreciate all the help which has been offered here.