Taking BT to small claims court

[iniltous]

Exactly , the legal owner of ‘internal’ wiring isn’t a Openreach or BT , if it’s the consumers side of the demarcation point ( the master socket ) it’s the account holders wiring, and even after being advised to eliminate  the possibility of the customers own wiring being the cause of an issue , by being advised to isolate  the internal wiring from the ‘line’ by utilising the master socket test port , but not doing so , then if OR visit in these circumstances and they find the internal wiring defective , and causing the customers problem , then charges are quite correctly raised, it doesn’t matter if ‘BT’ initially provided the internal wiring, responsibility for it has long since lapsed , hence the focus from those that take fault reports to get the consumer to use the master socket test port , if the service works in the master socket test port then the service is OK and the problem is not the providers or Openreach, and to proceed with asking for a visit is likely to result in charges.

You vehemently state your case but don’t provide any details, what were the charges raised for ?, if it were a proven external issue ( Openreach side of the your master socket ) , you have a case…if you had an internal extension ( for example ) that didn’t work, called out Openreach to fix it, ignoring any ‘warning’ that it could be chargeable , then you simply don’t have a case, because it’s not Openreach's responsibility for your internal wiring , as you say it’s the legal owner and thats neither OR or BT 

If you were charged for fixing an OR block terminal on the external wall of your property, (Openreach side of your master socket)  then absolutely you shouldn’t be charged and should have contested the charges..as I said the only proviso, if this external block were ‘damaged’  , rather than simply worn out.

[imjolly]

if all your problems have been aired when dealing with the ELC then as @-Richie- posted I cannot see why you expect another solution posting here

'This sounds like your complaint reached the Executive Customer Resolution team, they offered you a final resolution with the offer available for 14 days, as that happened at Christmas the offer has now lapsed, your deadlock letter is valid for 12 months from the date of the letter to contact the Ombudsman.'

[Bob1001]

@iniltousEveryone is assuming there is a NTE5 type master socket  BUT if there isn't then the owner of the internal wiring is still Openreach but it is BT's job to process the repairs as customers cannot deal directly with Openreach. If there is a fault in the internal wiring and even the phones (on the remote chance they can't be unplugged)

Without any additional information we just don't know.

[rolg1]

Have a look at this https://www.alphr.com/technology/1001604/does-your-bt-broadband-connection-pass-through-this/

BT's wiring outside my address is worse that the worst of the cable salad shown in the above link 

[rolg1]

https://www.alphr.com/technology/1001604/does-your-bt-broadband-connection-pass-through-this/

take a look at that, why should any BT customer ever be charged to repair open or short circuit wiring in any corroded external wiring? 

[imjolly]

@rolg1 

not sure why you keep posting here as BT Executive complaints have already investigated your complaint and made decision and you now have a Deadlock Letter and up to you if you want to contact Ombudsman.  Nobody here is going to change that

[rolg1]

The "Investigation" by BT into my over charging allegation remains as opaque as a brick wall.

Bt know the ombudsman tells consumers that BT can take as much out of a customers accounts by direct debit as they like, as long as they send a message "your bill is ready" and provide an online portal.

That does not make the wrong of overcharging right.   

[imjolly]

I am not saying BT are right or wrong just that as BT have made their decision and issued you with a Deadlock letter there is nothing posting here will do to change BT decision and if not happy take your case to the Ombudsman

[iniltous]

AFAIK, you can pay BT with one of two types of Direct Debit , whole bill direct debit ( that’s how I pay ) or where you pay a set amount per month and every year your usage and previously bills are reviewed and a new amount is advised to cover the predicted usage for the year ahead , and that amount also includes any underpayment or return some overpayment, if your DD was always for the amount on the bill , it’s not some sort of subterfuge , just a whole bill direct debit , and it’s an industry standard way of making DD payments…

The DD set monthly payment plan is better for those that want the certainty of the same amount going out every month…if you were on the wrong sort of DD no doubt you could have set up a payment plan DD instead of whole bill direct debit , if you wanted to.