BT Fibre Install coming up to 8 weeks with no install date

[Taaketa]

Hello Friends,

I am here to tell you a story of my woes of FTTP installation to my home.

I ordered FTTP from BT back on the 15th July 2020 after being able to wriggle out of my terrible service from Vodafone and opting to go for the faster guaranteed speeds now being offered in my area after the recent Fibre upgrade being deployed.

All seemed well with the order as it had already been explained to me that we would be waiting up to 6 weeks for an appointment for the install to be conducted. About 3 weeks into our waiting period. I receive a phonecall from an Openreach Engineer directly offering to come out early 1 week before my expected appointment date (which at this time was proposed to be the 17th August 2020). I, thought happy days, he said he was coming out to conduct a survey as I was in an upstairs an apartment, but hinted at being able to install Fibre that day.

The 10th August 2020 rolls round, the Openreach Engineer attends and tries to see if the copper wire can be pulled from the Apartment to the street. With no luck, he believes it's been taced inside the wall. He rings his boss who explains the proceedure to him. They'll have to trace the copper cable, lift the flags and run a wire up the wall from the tubing to my property. But will require permission from the Management company (or the Landlord as they keep incorrectly stating). The attending Engineer tells us it takes about a week to do that and they'll be out on my install date to complete the full install. I think happy days and clarify with him that my install date is the 17th August 2020. He says he can't see a problem with that.

Roll around 17th August 2020. The Openreach Engineer comes out and then does the exact same thing above. Tells me he needs to lift flags but according to his Handheld device can't see the permission to lift the flag to clip the cable to the wall. I phone the Management company to confirm if they have given permission. They tell me that no permission was requested for my property, but others in the area have. I inform the Engineer he cannot proceed as no permission was sought and if he was to go ahead. I would be liable for any damage. He tells me he will conduct a survey, identify were the cable is exactly and what flags need lifted and update 'the office' for the work need doing. He leaves a Yellow OR marking on the flags that need lifted and we part ways.

On the same day I phone BT to complain as Openreach didn't live up to their promises stating that I would have my Fibre install completed that day. I note to them I've had to move furniture twice, book 2 days off work (for the 10th August and 17th August) as I am working from home and was worried I would be without internet during the intall so wanted no stress from work during those days. BT tell me they've opened an internal complaint with Openreach and opened a complaint with me to keep me up to date. They tell me they will call me at the end of the week, 21st August 2020.

No one calls 21st August. I ring BT for an update. They tell me that the Planning team currently need to request permission from the Management Company and that can take a week for it to be processed. They tell me they will call me in a weeks time on the 28th August 2020. I highlight to BT that I was promised to be called but did not and I had to chase the information.

28th August 2020 rolls around, I received no phone call from BT, so once again I call them to get an update and this time get told a Survey must be conducted before the Planning team can request permission. I explain to the agent that two openreach engineers have been out to the property and both claimed to have conducted a survey. I highlight that even on the 10th August the Engineer was speaking direct to a manager about the process to follow and how they explained the next steps to me then. BT phone Openreach and to seek clarification. Openreach tell BT it can take a week to process so they will need to wait and call me back on the 4th September 2020 with an update.

Not content to wait for a call back on the 4th September. I call BT at 10am to speak to someone and seek an update on my Fibre install from Openreach. I get told the same information as above and request my call is escalated appropriately as I have received the same information 3 weeks in a row now and it appears no action is being taken by BT or Openreach. 1 hour later, after explaining all of the above. The BT agent on their Fibre team now fully understands that Openreach have technically completed the work they claim they have yet to do. So now escalates the internal complaint further which now means that Openreach supposedly have to take action immediately and have a reply by no later than Monday 7th September 2020.

Monday 7th September 2020 (today as I post this) rolls around, I receive a call to tell me that Openreach have taken no further action. Resulting in BT now escalating the matter to the Manager of the Manager that the complaint was originally raised to. Now I have to wait till Friday the 11th September 2020 for a reply.

During all this, BT moved us to Temporary FTTC at woeful connection speeds now impacting my ability to work from home as the speed is incredibly poor (due to my distance from the exchange) and also the low bandwidth offered from BT. I highlight this on my complaint on the 4th September.

So here I am 7+ weeks from my original order date and 3+ weeks from my install date still with BT Fibre. All I can say is this better be the best internet supply I have ever got from BT (whom I avoided like the plague before due to bad service). In fairness, BT have given me £30 credit to my account so my first month is free.
However this entire process is entirely frustrating and extremely disappointing too for, from my perspective, appears to be a bit of office mismanagement at Openreach.

[Taaketa]

Hillariously, just received an email stating I will have my Fibre install on the 17th August 2020. So I look backward to my install date.