BT line fault and slow broadband

Hi, from the depths of Warwickshire where BT fears to tread!

Having re-joined BT this spring, after Tiscali's Broadband service was received in better quality on Mars than at our house, I was hardly encouraged with their services or attitude when I discovered my order was cancelled twice before we ever actually received anything.  Yes, this should have sent warning bells off somewhere in the cotton wool area that is fast becoming the cosy bit to where my mind retreats when I know I have to summon up the energy to call BT Customer Services and ask to speak to anyone who actually knows anything helpful, or who can actually write a record of my calls and take any action.

Cancelled contracts, mis-sold Broadband contracts, overcharged calls, noisy lines, slow to reverse broadband speed, faulty BT equipment, insensitive BT employees who continually put you through to the wrong department (ability to connect customers to incorrect departments till they get exhausted and give up- must be a requirement on their CV'S) and jovial engineers who turn up on Tuesday... but not necessarily the Tuesday 'time' that was booked.

The engineer, when he did eventually turn up, informed me after nearly 2 hours of going through every conceivable connection in the house twice, that the fault lay with the new BT Wireless Router, which was only 2 months old and under warranty.  Didn't I know this?  Well he had equipment and I didn't so I just shrugged my shoulders and looked hopeful.  He advised me I shouldn't be charged as it was BT equipment.  A new router was supplied the following week and I thought at last I can use my phone to make a call, ...oh but no, the line was no better and I was charged for the pleasure of the call out.  I wasn't sure how even BT could work out that their router they had supplied could be classed as 'my equipment', or how I was supposed to test it with no equipment.  I then made another call to get my money back, which is exceedingly difficult when you can't actually hear what anyone is saying.  This went on for half an hour of argument until finally I got the nice lady, who was desperately trying to represent a good front for BT, to agree with me and a reimbursement was made, ...which is when I noticed I wa sn't getting my free evening and weekend calls.  So... that was another call that I couldn't hear!  I really don't have time for a life.

Well as it wasn't the router at all, it was the third or fourth engineer (I lost track I made so much tea) who eventually (this is while BT are still telling me there isn't a problem and the line is clear) discovered that the BT main junction box coming into the house was faulty.  You might have thought that would be the first thing that was tested wouldn't you?  Well it was this fault that was making the line noisy to the point that I could have heard more under a Jumbo Jet and it was also the cause of the reduced broadband download speed that made the connection time out regularly.  The kind man put a new box on and there was music to my ears - silence on the line.

Oh happy days... I now can hear conversations clearly for the first time in months, the broadband speed which I was promised would increase is still slower than the snails that race across my patio, but hey ho, last Saturday was the last time I have to spend three and a half hours of my life talking to BT!  I finally got connected to the correct department, well yes I had been cut off twice by then but the wait was worth it, and was advised that they had been at fault, I was mis-sold my contract, they shouldn't have charged me for the call out or the 'free calls' and I would not be charged a cancellation fee and I could have my MAC number.  I was only asking for what was due to me.  Why do they make it sound like some sort of concession on their part?

I am taking my cotton wool addled mind over to Sky in the hope that I fair better with them.  Who knows I might now have time for a life again!  On the up side, I am now expert in tying two straws together from the gin bottle and the tonic bottle without losing a drop.  So thank you BT, I would never have discovered I had this talent.

By: Gay