Digital Voice - Instead of Landline NOT as well as

[DazedandConfused100]

Hi

Myself and my wife, with their permission,  help manage the BT account of her elderly parents. They are not particularly technology savvy and only got internet for the first time during lockdown.

Their 24 month broadband contract was up recently and they asked us to logon to their BT account and  select the best option for them. When we did we saw that Digital Voice was being promoted as an option to be bundled in with the latest Broadband deals in their area. 

We don't have digital voice here so I scanned through the details  all looked ok so we re-contracted the broadband and took the digital voice option from there, the idea being that we could help them set up the new handset over Christmas. 

Many years ago BT made the option of VOIP available as a service in addition to landline (e.g. both existed side by side) so maybe naively, I assumed this service, at least initially, would be as well as not instead of their existing landline and would be phased in.  I'm not a complete idiot and, although I didn't read the small print, my wife and I did look at the promotion and it wasn't obvious that this service was instead of landline.

• The morning after the order went in the elderly relative's landline was cut
• The new handset arrived but they struggled badly to set it up with what assistance we could provide over their mobile phone
• The elderly parents previously had two landline phones, on calling BT for extra support after a traumatic cutover they were told that it was very clear that they would lose their landline service (it wasn't) and if they wanted to keep two phone they would have to by an additional handset from BT as a handset from no other provider would work
• They then bought a second handset from BT then and there

There's a couple of things here:

• I'm not alleviating myself of responsibility here, I'm sure the info was there somewhere but it wasn't leaping off the page
• I suspect quite a few elderly people took internet for the first time over lockdown, many would have gone with BT as the safest option and so many will have contracts expiring either now or in the next 6 months
• If BT are going to be pushing digital voice then I really think it needs to be very clear in the promotion that landline services will be cut. My guess is that its mainly the older generation that still use landline and they are then disproportionately concerned when that service is cut and they are presented with a new handset to setup.
• Having a service where you can only use a digital voice phone that you have to buy from BT sounds like a rip-off

[jac_95]

Hi DazedandConfused100,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

[licquorice]

Not quite sure why you think BT would or could provide phone service via 2 different means rather than simply transfer the service.

You are not forced to use BT phones, any phones can be used.

All is explained in the https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

[DazedandConfused100]

Hi Licquorice - I did mention this in my original note but its easily missed. My previous experience with BT and VOIP was that providing a phone service over 2 different means was EXACTLY what was provided historically, hence my assumption that this would happen again.

My inlaws were not told by BT that they could use any phones.

[imjolly]

I would read the FAQ post by @jac_95  as many of your questions will be answered.

then post any problems and see if community can help

[DazedandConfused100]

Thanks - I have read through the FAQ and have the following observations

i) It doesn't say anything about the existing landline service being terminated

ii) I think the FAQ assume quite a bit of knowledge on the part of the reader I'd say that I understood 85% of it. I would suggest that my elderly relatives would understand considerably less than that.

iii) Given points (i) and (ii) and considering that I wasn't actively looking to migrate them to digital voice it was an option that was very much being pushed to me as part of the re-contracting process I think BT should be giving some thought over how they market it.

You're right though this feels like I should be targeting a complaint to BT rather than posting on this forum. Thanks for your help everyone, it was very much appreciated.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@DazedandConfused100 

There are not going to be any phone lines connected to the exchange buildings, as the equipment in the exchange is being ceased. The phone port on the smart hub 2 will deliver the phone service for BT Retail customers, and other provider will have a similar arrangement.

The reason for this, is explained on this two page website.

https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt1