BT Total broadband problems

I have had a very, very bad experience changing to BT Total Broadband.  I signed up originally with AOL on Friday 2nd March, but cancelled my order with them less than 24 hours afterwards as I found out that they didn't support LINUX!  I was originally told by them that I would not need a new mac code as my code I gave them had not been registered, so on Saturday 3rd March I decided to sign up with BT TOTAL BROADBAND option 3 using my old mac code from EZEEDSL.  For now I continued using my active connection with EZEEDSL, the one that took over from E7 even when they went bust.  Incidentally I am using Windows XP to set up BT Total Broadband for the moment.

On Tuesday 06/03/07 my Internet went down so I phoned customer services at BT.  They assured me this was in preparation for my new BT service (line speed testing etc) and that this procedure was totally normal a few days before migration.  By the evening the light on my old router was back on ASDL so I tried to connect and as I couldn't get a connection I presumed it was BT testing the line.  I phoned back on Thursday just to check and was told everything was going smoothly and my connection would be up and running the next day.

I waited in anticipation as my connection day for BT Total Broadband drew near and on Friday 9th the day of activation my new BT hub arrived.  Afternoon passed and I connected my router up, but no messages came into my email box to inform me of activation. So by tea time I decided to go ahead and turn the router on.  The lights flashed and stabilised with a flashing ADSL light, so I phoned BT again to find out when I could be expecting connection.

I advised by a gentleman from technical services department in India that there was an active connection on my line and I needed to be de-tagged.  I was given the phone number of the de-tagging department which I dully called.  The person I spoke to then advised me that I had an active connection with AOL and that I should get a new mac code from AOL.

After tea I phoned them and was told to check my mail in 24 hours for new code details.  On Saturday 10th March I received the mac code in my mailbox.  With this I phoned BT customer services, the one in UK and spoke to a lady with Irish accent (Denise I believe her name was).  She told me I didn't need the mac code as my line went live with BT yesterday!  I tried to tell her what the de-tagging department had told me, but she insisted that every thing was fine and that I should talk to the engineer that she about to transfer me to.   I waited and eventually a man from India came on the line ( I believe his name was Stuart or similar).

My Suffolk accent and his strong Indian one didn't aid communication too well, but we struggled to understand each other and he pointed out that it was quite normal not to have service in first ten days as further tests would routinely be applied. He insisted that I go ahead and set up the computer with installation CD, which pretty well goes against the quick start guide given with the hub.  It says DO NOT proceed with installation until you have A green ADSL, and green Internet light.  I pointed this out, but he insisted all would be well if I just followed the simple steps laid out in the software wizard.  Well of course all was not well!

I tried rebooting router many times to see if I could get lights up to no avail.  I then decided to ring de-tagging department once again just in case there had been a change but was told more abruptly this time that my ADSL was connected to AOL circuit ID cbuk25363169 and I should give my mac code to customer services not her!

I rang customer services straight away and after long wait I heard a voice say "Denice speaking how may I help".  I opened my mouth to say "I have a mac code now", but she hung up straight away on hearing my voice, which is really recognisable.  I re-dialed BT customer services hoping not to get the same operator again, and to my relief a male voice answered after about 20 minutes.

I started to explain, but he insisted my connection was active and I said "YES BUT NOT WITH BT, with AOL."  He told me to hold the line and he would get an engineer to speak to me.  I held on... and on... and on, but got nothing apart from that wretched tune!  A man asked me if I would like to continue to hold, so I said yes and waited further 10 minutes, after which I just gave up.

So basically at the moment I have an unwanted, unusable connection with AOL.  All I want is BT Total Broadband option 3.  I have no green ADSL or Internet light on my BT hub (not fixable by customer - it says so in the booklet).  I have had no Broadband Internet connection since Tuesday morning now and I am seriously considering cancelling. However I'm afraid of what may happen if I do!  I have learned from previous experience dealing with AOL, so just imagine what BT could do!

If all this can be sorted out, I hope to put this very bad experience behind me.  The technical staff that I spoke to have a very basic technical understanding and try to fob you off with less information than is available in instruction book.  It may help if they tried reading it!

By: John Morris