PLEASE READ !!!! Regretting transferring to BT before its even installed.

[MartinKemp]

Over 7 weeks ago i signed my mother who is 63 up to BT for an installation to be done early July 2015. On the day of installation nothing arrived and no one turned up. I contacted them directly and got through to an offshore call centre, the whole experience was like pulling my own teeth out. 

After several converstions with offshore operatives and getting nowhere i finally after speaking to a uk based operative got to the issue at hand. There was previous debt on the account in my mothers name and that is why the installation did not go ahead, which is fare enough however a phone call, email or even letter to that effect would have been extremely helpful.

I cleared the outstanding balance and paid £150 which is held for 6 months to protect against bad payment. I made the payment. I was then informed that the install could not go ahead. I was mortified, i had just made the payment which cleared an old outstanding balance and secured the install. I contacted my bank and I could not reverse the payemtns as they were made over the phone by my CC. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and the lovely UK based woman managed to resolve the issue and agreed that the install would go ahead.

I was giving a new install date of the 26th July.

26th July came, no equipment no engineer, in truth no correspondence at all. 

I called them directly, once again got through to an offshore call centre, once again i felt like pulling my teeth out. Please bare in mind i paid a total of £260 to get this installation sorted out and that was on the 6th july. 

Finally i spoke to a UK based operative who advised me that the installation was moved to the 6th of August and the reason why it could not be installed is because its a multi room subscription and an engineer needs to do the install. If you have read this far no doubt you will be feeling in bemusement, how did they not know what kind of an install it was at the time. Excellent question to which i dont have an answer.

The 6th August arrives, guess what??? No engineer however i did receive the BB equipment a few days earlier in the post which  was nice. I called BT, i know this is tiresome but believe you not anywhere near as tiresome as dealing with BT themselves. I got through to an offshore operative (just to re-iterate the experience i have had in the brief spell of being a BT customer, i seldom speak with a uk based adviser without asking and the offshore operatives have a massive problem with giving correct information or even relaying information back when asked. NB* i am EE customer and have never had any of these issues when speaking with off shore operatives). I have no teeth by this time. I am then told that the install has been moved to the 13th August. 

13th August, this was meant to be installed early July. 

12th August arrives, I get a phonecall from the engineer, who advised me he would be round tomorrow (13th August) for the install. Yes, finally, not to mention my mothers previous subscription with another provider had ceased on the 25th July. No phone line, no broadband, no TV package. This nightmare will be over tomorrow i told myself.

13th August arrives, engineer turns up. Great, When he arrives i notice he doesnt have any boxes, I have only recieved the BB set up in the post. I ask him what about the TV and he tells me he has nothing to do with that. I called BT. After deliberating with an offshore operatve for over an hour i was told my TV package could not be installed until the BB/Phoneline has been installed. Right, when will the TV package be installed, as i am currently being billed for the whole package since the 6th August. He advised me the next available date for an engineer will be the 20th August. I am losing the will to live at this point and I just say ok.

Today, 14th August 2015. I receive a text message from BT saying they will ring me in 5 mins. they have both my mobile number and the knew land line with them that was installed yesterday. 2 mins later I receive a text. 'We have tried to contact you today and have been unsuccessful' neither of my contact numbers which include the new BT number that was installed yesterday rang. I called BT, got through an offshore operative. 35 mins on the phone after requesting to speak to a TL who was unavailable i was told that the TV package will be installed on the 21st August 2015.

This is a never ending nightmare that is still on going.

Watch out for next post....