Relatively recently, we moved home. I called up somewhere around the 12th of August 2019 to start the moving home process, stating that we had just exchanged for moving on the 20th of August. Went through the process, got told I would need to sign up for a new 18 month contract for them to waive the installation fees for the property we were moving to.
At this point, I told the lady that I didn't believe there was a BT line there because I'd seen the new house current owners were using Virgin. She told me that there may be one there, just possibly needed to find it.
Now the earliest appointment that BT had that we were available for (due to Holiday) was the 4th of September. The Openreach engineer came round, and tried to find the BT line. He said it may be in a certain area under the wallpaper/plaster on this wall. No guarantees, and they weren't allowed to dig around in peoples walls for obvious reasons. Said to call up BT when we'd decided if we wanted to look ourselves, or request a new line to be put in.
5th September I call up to say I want the new line installing, and to query how long it would take. The response from the lady on the phone was that someone was due at the cabinet on the 6th, the following day, to sort the broadband out. She also said they would be able to start the process of installing a new line.
Spoke to the engineer on the 6th September, who called me to say he was starting and that it shouldn't be long before my internet was working. I explained the situation, and what the BT lady had said the previous day. He said he was only here to connect the internet in the cabinet, that's it.
Call up BT and complain, and put a formal complaint in because I was flat out lied to. They said that my order would be put into a delayed status, the complaint would go in, and I'd be put through to the offline team and get a dedicated person to handle getting me connected.
10 days go by a few random texts saying I was going to get an update, then an appointment whom didn't turn up (which apparently got cancelled but I was never told so was in for the morning for no reason) , and a bloke arrives from Openreach whom we had no idea was coming. Helpful bloke, talked through what was happening. He was there to make sure cable was fed from the cabinet to the manhole on the path. Said he'd query about line installation. He got back to me and said no one had planned the installation at all, so he was going to do that now to try and speed the process up.
Another few days go by and I hear nothing. At all (bearing in mind I'm supposed to have someone to sort this out their end for me) before I give in and spend another stint on the phone. They apologise profusely and said they'd keep it in house and contact me. I managed to get an estimated line installation date of the 30th of September.
30th of September, no one turns up. I call up to query when it will happen, as it was an estimate. They state by the end of the week, I should be able to make a priority appointment with an engineer to get the inside installation done. The contractor for Open reach rocked up at about 2pm. They left at 3:45 pm. My wife said the cable was installed, and to try and call BT to get an appointment as we;ve had no internet since the 19th of August now (not wholly down to BT, I do know). They tell me that Openreach say more duct work and cabling is required. This is because they haven't connected the box on the house for the cable. they've also put the cable in the wrong bloody place, and they left the hole on the path completely open. And left at 3:45pm.
I'm seriously considering putting a complaint into the ombudsman about the complete shambles this house move has been. Ridiculously poor communication, a catalogue of errors and shoddy workmanship and work ethic from Openreach's contractor when the account is already massively delayed.
I left BT for having issues with my connection at the previous house, but thought I'd give them another chance late last year. I wish I hadn't bothered, as I doubt I'd be in this situation with another provider.
