Digital Voice and 'free' phone or adapter

[JeffGrimes]

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from BT to say I would soon be switched to the Digital Voice service. In the email it states 'You can order either one adapter or a Digital Voice home phone free of charge from bt.com/DVequipment or TEXT the word ADAPTER or HANDSET to 61998'

I have tried this link in both Firefox and Edge and in both cases I get a popup where i enter my phone number but all I then get is the message 'The number entered is not eligible for this offer. Please check you have entered your number correctly'

I received a second email today telling me that my switchover will be within 48 hours of 7th September.

I have logged into my BT account and it shows an open order with an order number and an 'activation' date of 7 Sept for transfer to Digital Voice

I have also sent HANDSET to 61998, but had no reply yet - I don't see how they will link my (GiffGaff) mobile number to my BT account!

Any idea how I can claim my free phone?

TIA

[-Richie- · Accepted solution]

Ring 0800 800 150, speak with the connections team, explain you tried texting with no success, ask if they will raise an order manually.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@JeffGrimes 

Remember, you can still connect your existing phones to the phone socket on the back of the BT Smart Hub 2, once you have been moved over to DV.

[JeffGrimes]

Well! I rang the number and spoke to the Digital Voice team and was told that there was nothing noted in my account about the offer of a free phone but that they didn't expect to see anything until the transfer to DV had been activated!

I commented that it was odd to send me the link if it was not relevant.

Anyway, they have noted all my info on my account and said to ring back after activation if the link didn't then work and they would then sort out the free phone.

To me this could leave some customers without a home phone for a few days at change over time. Also why send an email with a link to the offer if it is not going to work until the system has been swapped and not mention the fact that this will not work until after the change over day.

I expect to be back on the phone to them on the 7th (pessimism or realism on my part - I'm not sure which!)

[-Richie-]

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@JeffGrimeswrote:

To me this could leave some customers without a home phone for a few days at change over time.

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You can use your existing phone if you prefer, you'd have to plug it into the Smart Hub to work, instead of the old stlye sockets, so nobody will go without service when switching over due to handsets 🙂

[licquorice]

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@-Richie- wrote:

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@JeffGrimeswrote:

To me this could leave some customers without a home phone for a few days at change over time.

---

You can use your existing phone if you prefer, you'd have to plug it into the Smart Hub to work, instead of the old stlye sockets, so nobody will go without service when switching over due to handsets 🙂

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@JeffGrimes  As already pointed out in message 3 by @Keith_Beddoe 

[JeffGrimes]

Fine, but our phone plugs into sockets in the hall and lounge, BUT the Hub and networking stuff is in an understairs cupboard clautrophobic and with only 4ft of headroom - especially great if you're in your 70's like we are!

[hammers7359]

Hi,

We've had FTTP since mid-June, but only recently (1st September) switched to DV. We had a card in the post, on the day of switch over, showing what to do and how to order "one free adapter or a Digital Voice home phone free of charge". We had the same problem as the OP. The box pops up and enter my number and it says "The number entered is not eligible for this offer. Please check you have entered your number correctly". 

So either there's a problem with the web page, or, maybe we have to wait for the service to register for the box to accept the number.

Any comments?

Rob

[Will168]

I had this today. Got the message "The number entered is not eligible for this offer. Please check you have entered your number correctly.". Called customer services and explained to them that already had notice of DV being activated on 9 September 2021. 

The nice lady said no problem, asked if I wanted the adaptor or the Alexa phone. I said phone. She placed the order there and then and said it would be charged on the next bill, but also immediately raised a credit onto the account for the same amount. Had the order confirmation email and the account credit email. Phone should arrive on Monday. So there are ways around it.

Oddly, on the other account which has had no notice for moving to DV, the number works on the website and can successfully generate the code for ordering the free phone or adaptor.

[JeffGrimes]

So it looks like the process for getting the free phone or adapter is flawed. Also there is no consistency with BT response to being phioned to query the problem - Will168 gets it ordered and the cost covered before switchover day while I have to wait until switched - when I expect I'll have to phone again to get my Alexa phone.

They also need to have the system correctly respond to customers warned of upcoming switch to DV rather than erronoeusly displaying the "The number entered is not eligible for this offer. Please check you have entered your number correctly" message.The BT database system must hold the data of the upcoming swap to DV so it should be simple to check for due activation and then allow ordering of the phone or adapter.