Help needed with a move

[keithp]

Hello

Can someone please help me. Despite three calls to BT - I cannot get an answer and the guy this morning just got annoyed with me.

We are moving house. We have not exchanged contracts. The house we are moving into is 15 years old but does not have  a phone line - it was used as a holiday home.

What I am trying to find out is how much notice would BT need to install a new line. And if we have moved in before they are able to install the line - what happens about our broadband.

I am after a rough timescale, so when we are ready to exchange - I could say I would like 6 weeks as that is how much notice BT need or 2 weeks if BT can install the line in 2 weeks. Or whatever so the completion date links in with BT.

Can anyone help?

[imjolly]

try entering the address of new property and that will give some indication of what is available.  do you know if neighbours have phone lines and if so how is line fed -  pole or underground

it may be you are in a fibre only area remembering copper phone PSTN is being phased out buy end 2025

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

[keithp]

Underground cables.
No info on the checker for the location.

[licquorice]

BT don't install the line, Openreach do. How long it will take is anybody's guess as it will depend on a number of factors unique to the location.

[keithp]

Ok thanks. The other thing I cant get an answer to, is what happens whilst we wait. Anyone any ideas? Is it a case of had luck no broadband, or do we get a refund? I just can't get an answer from anyone I have tried to talk to.

[iniltous]

Its not clear to me what it is you are expecting, if the new home is within the same exchange area as the current one , and you would like to take your current phone number with you , obviously without a contractual date to take ownership , placing an order  is not risk free , but it is unreasonable to expect BT to give you a timescale  ( which you would expect to be honoured ) without even ordering.

If the new property doesn’t have a current phone service and is not the same exchange area as your current home , you could order a line now  ( with the agreement of the seller ) and have it potentially ready for when you do move in , but you obviously would pay for two services, and cease your existing service to correspond with the date you move ( once it’s known )
Openreach lead times are fluid , not a set period , you could order today and get a very short lead time , or you could order next week and the lead time is much longer , it depends on staffing levels , and the level of demand ( next week there may be a spike in demand and OR have many staff off on pre booked leave )  there is no real point in saying ( for example ) 6 weeks,  if it turns out to be 8 weeks , or 1 week, BT will provide you a date when an order is made , that date supplied ultimately supplied by OR , any other date would be nothing more than speculation and not worth relying on

[keithp]

Ok. What I was expecting is to be given some idea of a timescale. Not unreasonable. I am not expecting an exact figure - but an idea. I can't understand why that is so hard. There is no current phone. It has BT sockets - just never had a phone installed or connected. There must be a way to get a rough figure - that is what I want. If I get told you can expect it to be anywhere between 2 - 8 weeks fine - we know, in that case our completion would be in line. If however the average is around 4 weeks we also know. And I still dont know what happens to your account if you move - and bt can't give you a phone/ broadband.

[iniltous]

If you want a ballpark figure , an address without any existing working service would likely have around a 30 day lead time , but that cannot be relied upon ,and until an appointment date is provided by BT , it would remain nothing more than a guesstimate.

If you want to associate the cessation of service at the current house and provision at the new house then the date of cessation at the old addresses is the same as the provision date at the new address ,as far as I know, you cannot give a different date for the cessation and for the provision , also this date can affect the people moving into your old address , if they were intending to take over the Openreach line ( not necessarily using BT to do so ) they cannot have a date earlier than the date you agree with BT that you were moving out.

If for some reason you moved out of the old property but couldn’t move straight into the new accommodation then your installation may fail due to you not being able to offer access , or you call to delay the installation, happy for the stop service at the old address to proceed, then because it’s not BT fault , no compensation but you could reschedule a new installation appointment,  

if you move from the old to the new property on the agreed date , your old service stops , but it turns out Openreach are delayed in providing the new service , you would be due a set compensation fee for the failed appointment , and another amount based on the number days after the contractual date start date without a working service , 

If ( for arguments sake ) you based your date on a 30 days notice and a month before moving you rang BT , if it were a 6 week lead time , that’s around a fortnight you would be without service, as the earliest date would be after you have moved ,  obviously if  30 days notice is plenty  they put the actual date you want on the orders to cease and provide service.