Flat - Phone Line not Activated - help please!

garak112 · 7 Mar 2012 at 17:46

mothermachine said:
Also, the last time my BE broadband died for about 6 hours during the day (which has happened twice in 6 years), they refunded me an entire month's bill. Do Sky, Virgin etc. do that? My line has remained fully-working apart from those two incidents at constant 20mbit connection speed. I'd say that's pretty good. Their DNS problems are bad but I just use Google's DNS and have had 0 problems.

No idea, my Sky connection has never dropped out in the year I have been with them, its also never dropped below 16mbit (which is the maximum speed my line can achieve given distance from the exchange). I am also on a 12 month contract where each month is the same price.

decmatt · 7 Mar 2012 at 17:55

Andy said:
BT will do the same, they just require you to be in contract for 18months.

I've always had a rolling month contract with plusnet.

garak112 · 7 Mar 2012 at 17:59

The Post Office will also connect you for free on their phone only deal so you don't need to use their broadband.

Big Chris · 7 Mar 2012 at 18:01

I'm pretty sure if you go with Sky for your line rental and internet (not a bad idea of you're thinking of getting their TV service too, you'll get a good deal) then they waive the connection fee that BT would charge you.

I took Sky's line rental and internet (no TV as we're not allowed a dish) when I moved into my flat, the line was not connected before this and I didn't pay £130.

mothermachine · 7 Mar 2012 at 18:11

Big Chris said:
I'm pretty sure if you go with Sky for your line rental and internet (not a bad idea of you're thinking of getting their TV service too, you'll get a good deal) then they waive the connection fee that BT would charge you.

I took Sky's line rental and internet (no TV as we're not allowed a dish) when I moved into my flat, the line was not connected before this and I didn't pay £130.

I did look into this (and virgin) but even with the £40 connection fee I managed to haggle them down to, it still works out cheaper and more flexible to stick with BT's basic line + BEThere. We don't need a TV deal either - using freeview HD.

I wish mobile broadband was a bit faster and as reliable as broadband - I'd just use that and tethering if I could!

Thanks for all your help and advice, folks.

vicisthebest · 7 Mar 2012 at 18:14

Big Chris said:
I'm pretty sure if you go with Sky for your line rental and internet (not a bad idea of you're thinking of getting their TV service too, you'll get a good deal) then they waive the connection fee that BT would charge you.

I took Sky's line rental and internet (no TV as we're not allowed a dish) when I moved into my flat, the line was not connected before this and I didn't pay £130.

I was told by Sky when I tried to join them for phone after we moved into our new house (with an inactive phone line) that the line needed to have been active for 30 days before they could sign us up.

I rang my dad (who has worked for BT- and now Openreach - for 24 years) and he said BT won't do that. They don't activate your line for you to **** off to someone else. It was Sky's job to activate the line.

Spoke again to Sky and they insisted that wasn't the case, that if I just rang BT they would activate my line, which isn't right. Dad said it's because Sky don't want to look like the bad guys by telling you about the connection charge.

This was a couple of years ago - They obviously in the majority of cases waive the fee now. But Sky had ****** me off so much I just went to BT. I didn't have to pay the connection charge (Dad sorted it out

)

Glad I did in the end, I wouldn't want to have any reason to ring Sky any more often than I do for my Sky TV. Hate that sodding company and their customer services, just a shame I don't get cable on my street.

s-p · 7 Mar 2012 at 18:24

Having had a quick glance, I believe the Post Office would install/active a new line for free prior to 31/03/12.

Install or activate a new line – depending on your situation, we may have to install a new phone line or activate an old one. The standard cost for a new line is £112.34, subject to survey. However, for all orders placed from 03 January 2012 through to 31 March 2012, there will be no charge.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/broadband-phone/home-phone-broadband/home-phone/getting-connected).

They also appear to have no extended tie-in, so could have been suitable in the short term to get you up and running.

no long contract and no minimum tie-in

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/broadband-phone/home-phone-broadband/home-phone