BT phone line how do I get BT to recognise it?

[CDphobe]

Folks,

I'm having some fun and games with our friends at BT and wonder if anyone can advise or shed some light on the problem. Basically I switched from Virgin Media to BT for my phone line about 4 weeks ago, intending to move to an ADSL broadband supplier. I'll not go into the various issues over billing in the meantime, but I'm now in a position where BT Consumer say they don't have a contract with me, I'm definitely not with Virgin Media, my master socket has BT cables going into it, but every ADSL "line check" says I don't have a BT line (and the BT Openreach LLU database states that I'm not with them). It's great that I have an operational telephone line and no-one wants to bill me for it, but I'd rather like a broadband connection too! I've given up on BT's "help" system having spoken to 3 managers and raised as many formal complaints in just 4 weeks - everyone is very quick to say sorry, it's just doing something that seems beyond them. The best one was where the manager said that the reason I still had a dial tone was because there was a fault in the exchange

I also intend to move away from BT for line provision and calls, but something tells me that if I ask Sky to take over my telephone line they'll say it's still Virgin Media and can't do it! Any thoughts or observations much appreciated since I'm doing my nut here!

Al

[Miss Chief]

you could always ask BT via email and recorded postal delivery to sort the issue once and for all or you'll approach OFCOM for advice and, if necessary to make a complaint. I bet that gets the ball rolling!

[hornydragon]

did you keep your number?

[hermanmunster]

Phone BT corporate in London and ask for the Chairmans Office. They are really good and will resolve your problem very quickly.

Unfortunately the numpties at the Scottish and Indian call centres are hopeless.

[Iccz]

wow if the line isn't with bt, who's gonna bill you?

sounds to me like you've nailed yourself a free line!

I'd love that haha

[CDphobe]

Thanks for the replies all. I was hoping that there might have been something obvious I could have "suggested" that BT do but it looks like it might be size 12 boots time!

And yes, I do seem to have a free line, but one that can't receive ADSL broadband and that has no CLI, amongst other issues. To be honest, I'd rather pay for the little use I make of a landline and get decent customer service, but clearly that means a move from BT!

Al

[zoidy]

What happens if you dial 150 from the line? Do you get to BT or to a.n. other?

If it is BT customer services then they have no excuse really.

[CDphobe]

Originally Posted by zoidy

What happens if you dial 150 from the line? Do you get to BT or to a.n. other?

If it is BT customer services then they have no excuse really.

An interesting question that Zoidy, but for the opposite reason...

I recently received a bill from Virgin for my other services, but it also included costs for line rental. When I queried it they stated I still had a line with them and so I had a bill, which is reasonable from their point of view. After a short discussion, during which I pointed out that dialling 150 didn't get through to Virgin Media but to BT instead, they had another look. It turns out that BT hadn't even managed to advise Virgin Media of what they had done, so Virgin still though they had the line although the port transfer had gone through since the number carried over okay. Virgin were great, refunded the line rental in full straight away but still no joy with BT. I'm giving them another couple of days (by which time I've been promised a cheque, yet again) and then its formalities, Regulators and who knows what <sigh>

Still, looking at some of the recently started threads, it seems I'm not alone in en joyingfun and games with BT, so the sooner I get moved across to some other company that can actually provide a service the better.

Al