Can’t switch BB provider - My line isn’t listed?
Discussion
Kind of...
I moved into a new house 3 years ago, builder didn't do the land registry etc until we'd exchanged (I assume to save them some council tax). No physical land-line to the property either.
I live in the middle of nowhere with a neighbour either side and farm fields all around, mast is next to property 3, line running from mast to properties 1 & 3.
I went with BT, couldn't connect me phone/BB, numerous surveys, needing access to land to supply new copper line - months go by. In the meantime Openreach guy rolls up again and then realises that the mast has fibre, checking on-line properties 1 & 3 can get/have fibre.
Lots of calls to BT, provide all mast details, even details of the fibre point, all of this needs to be updated by Openreach before it will show on their systems.
Twitter to Openreach to try and get some traction, eventually after 6 months I have FTTP but probably lost days in calls/emails/tweets trying to get resolved.
I moved into a new house 3 years ago, builder didn't do the land registry etc until we'd exchanged (I assume to save them some council tax). No physical land-line to the property either.
I live in the middle of nowhere with a neighbour either side and farm fields all around, mast is next to property 3, line running from mast to properties 1 & 3.
I went with BT, couldn't connect me phone/BB, numerous surveys, needing access to land to supply new copper line - months go by. In the meantime Openreach guy rolls up again and then realises that the mast has fibre, checking on-line properties 1 & 3 can get/have fibre.
Lots of calls to BT, provide all mast details, even details of the fibre point, all of this needs to be updated by Openreach before it will show on their systems.
Twitter to Openreach to try and get some traction, eventually after 6 months I have FTTP but probably lost days in calls/emails/tweets trying to get resolved.
I had this and wanted to switch from BT to someone else. Line not listed. Can’t speak to Openreach as they don’t deal with retail customers.
I ended up making a CEO complaint and BT gave me 6 mths free. Then went to renew and BT insisted they weren’t my provider!
Complete nightmare that did eventually sort its self out
I ended up making a CEO complaint and BT gave me 6 mths free. Then went to renew and BT insisted they weren’t my provider!
Complete nightmare that did eventually sort its self out
Openreach have an address database that providers need to match your address to order a service. It's not perfect.
If you are willing to share your address and current phone number if you have one with me I'll happily have a look on the portal for you and see what I can find.
If something needs correcting I might be able to submit a change, or it might be a case of giving the ISP of choice the Openreach version of your address.
If you are willing to share your address and current phone number if you have one with me I'll happily have a look on the portal for you and see what I can find.
If something needs correcting I might be able to submit a change, or it might be a case of giving the ISP of choice the Openreach version of your address.
Thanks for the offer. If I get nowhere through the official channels I’ll dm you.
The Openreach site says that this sort of complaint has to be raised through my current provider. Openreach don’t talk direct to punters about technical stuff.
So I’ll raise a complaint with BT.
Failing all other options, I suppose I could let a new provider install a new line. That’s what the ISP I had chosen to move to were planning to do (which confused the hell out of me) as they can’t see my line listed in the blessed database.
The Openreach site says that this sort of complaint has to be raised through my current provider. Openreach don’t talk direct to punters about technical stuff.
So I’ll raise a complaint with BT.
Failing all other options, I suppose I could let a new provider install a new line. That’s what the ISP I had chosen to move to were planning to do (which confused the hell out of me) as they can’t see my line listed in the blessed database.
Our village was moved to FTTP about 8 years ago by BT/Openreach as an infrastructure experiment. (I think a Grand Fromage in the telecoms industry must have lived in the village)
It's been brilliant. Great speeds and fantastic reliability.
After the groundwork was done (for free through most of the village) we were invited to take out new contracts with BT. Great rates and Speed, so OK then.
For several years, I had trouble getting stuff done - even renewal of contract. I'd ring up, only to be told that I wasn't a customer, or that a renewal couldn't be calculated. It turned out that for some reason our contract was with BT Wholesale, and the domestic call handlers can't touch those contracts.
It did get sorted in the end though. I wonder if the OP has somehow got onto a BT wholesale contract?
It's been brilliant. Great speeds and fantastic reliability.
After the groundwork was done (for free through most of the village) we were invited to take out new contracts with BT. Great rates and Speed, so OK then.
For several years, I had trouble getting stuff done - even renewal of contract. I'd ring up, only to be told that I wasn't a customer, or that a renewal couldn't be calculated. It turned out that for some reason our contract was with BT Wholesale, and the domestic call handlers can't touch those contracts.
It did get sorted in the end though. I wonder if the OP has somehow got onto a BT wholesale contract?
If not you can get a decent saving by not paying.One other possibility is a lot of volume providers will only look for lines that are available to do what’s called a Working Line Take Over. That’s the Openreach process that allows a relatively seamless provider switch.
If WLTO is not shown as an option in the Openreach data then the provider will insist on a new line being installed.
Big providers usually use their own internal systems which fetch a limited set of data from Openreach via an API, so their agents don’t have access to all of the data and tools and probably wouldn’t understand the output in any case. Fixing strange edge cases is very time consuming so most volume providers just don’t bother.
If WLTO is not shown as an option in the Openreach data then the provider will insist on a new line being installed.
Big providers usually use their own internal systems which fetch a limited set of data from Openreach via an API, so their agents don’t have access to all of the data and tools and probably wouldn’t understand the output in any case. Fixing strange edge cases is very time consuming so most volume providers just don’t bother.
I thought I'd round this off with a final update to my problem, now hopefully 'fixed'.
I decided that it was no good trying to reason with people behind computer screens who are looking at incorrect info.
I went with a new BB provider who, of course, looked up my address and saw no phone line listed for it and booked a new line to be installed by Openreach.
Openreach turn up and immediately see that there was a line already there and working fine. I explained to the Openreach eng that I suspected my line was associated with the next door farm instead of my address.
He was fine with just doing whatever he had to do at the cabinet end, even installed my new router and plugged my Nest setup back in.
I've cancelled the bb and landline with BT, who during the phone call confirmed that the line was indeed associated with next door!
Still nobody willing or able to update the sodding database but at least I know what to do next time I switch; just let Openreach come out again.
I decided that it was no good trying to reason with people behind computer screens who are looking at incorrect info.
I went with a new BB provider who, of course, looked up my address and saw no phone line listed for it and booked a new line to be installed by Openreach.
Openreach turn up and immediately see that there was a line already there and working fine. I explained to the Openreach eng that I suspected my line was associated with the next door farm instead of my address.
He was fine with just doing whatever he had to do at the cabinet end, even installed my new router and plugged my Nest setup back in.
I've cancelled the bb and landline with BT, who during the phone call confirmed that the line was indeed associated with next door!
Still nobody willing or able to update the sodding database but at least I know what to do next time I switch; just let Openreach come out again.
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