BT cannot find connection cabinet

[clphillips]

We have tried to leave Virgin Media and rejoin BT in order to have a wider range of internet provider options. However, after being passed back repeatedly between BT and Openreach, we were told that the engineers could not locate the green connection cabinet that should be linked to our house. We haven't had a BT connection for years and they say they cannot find a landline or find our number listed. Surely there must be a way to locate this and/or reinstall a connection. Or do we have to stay with Virgin forever?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@clphillips 

If you have placed an order with BT Retail, then its up to Openreach to find the routing, even if it means tracing the connections back from the house. It may just take a bit of time.

[clphillips]

Thanks Keith. Unfortunately Openreach just kept coming back saying they couldn't find it and then gave up. I pushed it with them on countless calls but they didn't seem to think it was possible. It must be possible though surely! 

[imjolly]

As @Keith_Beddoe   Posted you would need to select you ISP and place order probably initially for openreach phoneline and once that is up and running and appears on openreach database then you would be able to order broadband

openreach do not deal with the public regarding line installation

if you select BT Retail then if problems after placing order that forum may be able to help but if another ISP then forum cannot help you

[Keith_Beddoe]

@clphillips 

Do you have an open order for a BT Retail phone and BT Broadband connection?

What date where you given for activation?

[clphillips]

Not at this moment as we were without a phone line for 3 weeks in the end and it's the only way some of our older family contact us so we had to go back to Virgin who reconnected us in minutes. I just feel like we were passed around from pillar to post and no one could understand why the engineers couldn't find a phone line for us. We do want to leave Virgin but nervous about the stress of trying again with BT. Is there anything we should say specifically to BT / Openreach and/or Virgin to make this process a smooth one?

[imjolly]

you need to choose your provider does not have to be BT and then place your order probably for phone line first.  openreach who work for all ISP apart from virgin then get you connected then you will be able to see what is available and order the broadband package for you

[ChrisB]

Have you got a distribution pole (telegraph pole) close to your house? Is there a wire leading from that pole to your house? If there is it can be traced from there.

[Devon_Dave]

Its probably not the cabinet they can't find, more than likely they can't locate a cable feeding your property. Many customers when they move to virgin remove all trace of the openreach cable feeding your premises. It will need an engineer to track where the cable is/was