BT Frustrations

On the 6th August I wrote about broadband provision when moving house as I did just that on the 27th July. I had decided that I wanted BT Vision with anytime calls and broadband. It looks a good option at only £17 per month. Unfortunately there have been problems and I wrote about some of them on the 6th August. I now have broadband. It took some time to get up to speed but it works now and this blog comes to you from my new address. Nobody knows my temporary phone number. I was given a temporary number but it doesn't work and neither does my old number. As for the BT Vision part, I have received all the equipment and then been told to send it back because subsequent orders had been placed and cancelled and placed and cancelled so that I could have broadband prioritised.

Last week I spoke with someone from BT as I was asking about my temporary number. He told me that it should be working within 24 hours. I then mentioned BT Vision. This was a big mistake by me because the television bit could not be implemented as I would have to wait the 24 hours. So I phoned back after 24 hours and spoke with someone called David who was most helpful. He thought he might be able to get the television bit working immediately - but he couldn't. I would have to wait until the 30th as he was on annual leave.

Today I received an automated threat from BT that I may have to pay a late payment charge and / or receive restricted use. So I phoned back. I asked for BT Vision (as I have always done) and said that I was more than happy to pay after I received the service. I also mentioned that one of the people that I had spoken to over these five weeks had mentioned compensation. I had found this strange at the time as most of the delay had been caused by my previous provider. Maybe I was wrong because I was told  by BT to get a MAC code. I was told by my previous provider that I didn't need one because the service had been cancelled. I phoned back to BT and hey presto I have broadband.

Now David told me that he was very sorry but he is on annual leave until tomorrow. The person I spoke with today told me that David was working on getting the Vision side of things to me. I told her that he wasn't. I am a patient man but I am frustrated. I want BT to recognise that I have been asking for BT Vision for over five weeks. They can't because all their cancelled records are not available to them. I would like BT to say that they cancelled the previous orders but they have repeatedly written that I had cancelled them. I have never cancelled my initial request. I would like BT to offer compensation. I was thinking about the amount of mobile use but now I am thinking frustration and lack of service. They won't consider compensation until I have paid but they are asking for a £50 deposit on the Vision equipment that is already in a box in my living room waiting to be opened. I don't see a figure of £50 anywhere on their website.

I have had BT employees say they will take personal care of my request and get back to me. They haven't. I have had compensation mentioned to me but received threats of extra charges for a service that I don't receive. Today the person on the end of the phone had no idea that I did not know my temporary number. She gave me another temporary number but I really don't want to let anyone know this as it will change back to my old number shortly - I hope. Today's spokesperson for BT could do nothing. She asked her supervisor for support three times, I told her of my frustrations and that I would get back to her after I have written this blog.

Now that I have had chance to think, I will phone BT back and pay them their full payment and hope I get BT Vision from them and hope that my old number works in the near future.

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