This topic

Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:21:07 GMT

I provide support for a neighbour who is a pensioner, is almost housebound and has aphasia (communication difficulties from a stroke).

BT/Openreach visited last Thursday to upgrade her broadband and add Digital voice - none of which she understood (I barely do, I'm not a BT customer).

They gave her a spare phone because she has a call alarm, but didn't explain how to use it. They set up the router at one end of her (not very big flat), and didn't check whether the Wifi reached to the other end of the flat where she spends most of her time, or whether the phone in that room worked.

By coincidence, I visited her later that day and quickly clocked the lack of Wifi reach and phone not working.

I phoned BT on Friday to resolve this. Their 'solution' was to sell her a booster and tie her into a new mobile contract with more data.

I pointed out that 24 hours previously she was quite happy with her service and now they were making her pay more. I also said I had no confidence that they were treating their customers fairly, as per their vulnerable customer policy.

I was told I would be put through somewhere to complain. An hour on hold later I gave up.

I can find no email address of anything on the website to make a complaint without ringing one single phone line that doesn't a) give any option for vulnerable customers and b) doesn't involve being on hold for an hour. I also can't work out how to register her as vulnerable without accessing the MyBT app which I don't have.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

imjolly — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 13:59:29 GMT

It sound like the openreach person was moving your friend to digital voice which no longer uses the eexisting phone socket to phone services but is connected to green socket on back of hub. existing phone extension sockets will no longer work for calls

you can register your friend here https://www.bt.com/help/here-for-you

https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/including-you/BT_Free_Priority_Fault_Repair_Scheme.pdf

you can complain here

https://www.bt.com/bt-plc/assets/documents/about-bt/policy-and-regulation/our-governance-and-strategy/codes-of-practice/customer-complaints-code/complaints-code.pdf

Re: Vulnerable customer support

WSH — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:15:07 GMT

Welcome to this customer-to-customer help forum.

You say they upgraded her broadband. Is that to Full-Fibre, (FTTP)? Else I don’t see why they would need to move the router.

If it is an upgrade to Full-Fibre they will have put a small box on the wall with lights on, called an ONT or Optical Network Terminal. The router now plugs into this but the cable between them could potentially be up to 100m long, so the router could be moved with a longer cable.

If the router still plugs into the old phone master socket, then it is Part-Fibre, (FTTC).

In both cases, the phone now connects to a phone socket on the back of the router and not the old wall socket. (Any extensions will not work unless they are modified to connect to the router).

I can’t be sure from your description but the “spare phone” they’ve given her sounds like a backup phone for if there is a power cut. (Digital Voice doesn’t work in a power cut).

If so, I believe the latest they are giving out has dual capability. It’s got battery backup and, while it usually uses the connection to the router, if that fails it connects to the mobile signal just for emergency use. I’m guessing on this. What make and model is it that they have given her?

Re: Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:17:21 GMT

I'm sorry but neither of those two links above take me to an option to email or message online. It's either the generic phone number or via MyBT

Re: Vulnerable customer support

licquorice — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:18:44 GMT

The main point is WiFi is not involved, so any suggestion of requiring a WiFi extender is completely wrong.

As others have said, the phone now connects to the socket at the rear of the router or alternatively, with a DECT (cordless) handset, to the built in DECT base station within the router.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:22:57 GMT

Yes it's full fibre. When you say the router could be moved with a longer cable, who will move it? The engineer didn't offer to do this (and didn't check if the Wifi covered the whole flat, just told her "it should be fine" - it wasn't). She can't do it herself, and I'd also be concerned about a trip hazard as she is already of very limited mobility and has had several falls.

And yes, I understand the phone is a back up phone, but when I arrived it was still in the box, with no information about what to do with it.

The point I'm making is that I expect the engineer thought they'd done their job, but no understanding of the follow up that is now needed that I'm trying to do from a distance

Re: Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:26:40 GMT

So why is there no wifi signal at the other end of the flat?

Re: Vulnerable customer support

WSH — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:32:53 GMT

Unfortunately, while the cable between the router and the ONT could be up to 100m, anything beyond the ONT is the customers responsibility. The cable would be a Cat "5e" ethernet cable. A lot of supermarkets sell them, up to 5 or 10m today. Anything longer and you will need to look on Amazon etc. The cable would need to go along the top of the skirting board etc.

WiFi is a complex beast. Anyone of a number of things can affect it. If it has to pass through a couple of walls now, that my well be enough to screw the signal up.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

licquorice — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:33:46 GMT

Ok, I misread your original post. I assumed it was a Digital Voice problem rather than Broadband.

Unfortunately, internal wiring is the responsibility of the customer, not Openreach.

The optical modem (ONT) and router can be up to 100 metres apart connected by an Ethernet cable which the customer would need to have provided.

Alternatively, the connection can be achieved by the use of a pair of powerline adapters which use the mains wiring to provide the Ethernet signal

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/powerline/

Re: Vulnerable customer support

WSH — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:35:48 GMT

Licquorice has an excellent point about the powerline adapters. (I always forget about them).

They use the electricity wiring in the wall to carry the signal to the router. You plug them in and the router plugs into one and the ONT into the other.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:50:23 GMT

Thanks for everyone's comments.

To be honest, I'm going to advise her to go to a different supplier. I'd like to think I'm fairly tech savvy but have found all this baffling and I have no chance of explaining any of this to her and how she's now worse off.

She also seems to be paying a lot more than I am - we're both in London and I have Community Fibre.

In general I'm disappointed that BT haven't made more of an effort with a long-standing but vulnerable customer.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

WSH — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:08:53 GMT

If you are both with Community Fibre then it is worth pointing out that this is nothing to do with BT or this forum.

BT and Openreach are completely separate companies and Openreach will have installed the upgrade on behalf of Community Fibre.

Edit: I've just reread your post. Sorry, I thought said you were both with Community Fibre. Forget what I've said above.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

licquorice — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:10:25 GMT

Changing suppliers will be of no help, she will be in exactly the same situation unless she moves to a non Openreach supplier.

Re: Vulnerable customer support

cwblue13 — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:17:34 GMT

Maybe... but the customer service of other companies might be a little more empathetic and acknowledge the impact of digital exclusion which was the original point of my post...

Re: Vulnerable customer support

Katie_J — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:17:36 GMT

Hi @cwblue13.

Thanks so much for coming here and bringing this to our attention.

I'd like to flag this with the relevant team so this can be looked into further.

When you have a moment please check your community inbox.

Speak soon,

Katie