New build phone line install woes

cavemanoc · 26 Nov 2013 at 20:27

I'm having the usual run around trying to get my broadband installed in our shiny new house. Having read some of the horror stories around various forums on the web it seems 6 weeks - 6 months seems to be about the standard hall to get your first install :eek:

To cut a long story short, my builder has been brilliant and done everything he needs to do (trunking in place, ready for the line) but Openreach are being their usual unhelpful selves: Missed appointments, bogus faults, mystery 'exchange works' required, all the way back to 'builder needs to finish the installation. :rolleyes:

I know it's all bull - I know that the past 10 weeks are pretty standard, but my question is 2 fold:

Why is this shoddy level of service acceptable?
What can we do about it?

The story is repeated with each of my neighbours - all have gone through the same steps, all have come down to Openreach incompetence / dis-interest. We don't accept having no gas / electricity / water - I know it would be disingenuous to argue that Broadband is the same, but I do feel it should be afforded a similar level of importance - especially as my wife's livelihood depends on it!

So:

I'm seriously tempted to launch a small claims court action against openreach for the extra cost of the EE dongle I've had to use as a result of their incompetence. Can anyone suggest a good forum where I can find people in a similar boat where I can muster a bit of a ground swell?

I will, obviously, go through Offcom / the ombudsman - as well as shouting at Sky on a daily basis - why they aren't taking on Openreach for the loss of trade I do not know! It must be costing them millions, I know they have already lost about £70 from me and I honestly don't expect this to be fixed much before Jan / Feb next year :mad:

Any other suggestions? I have time on my hands so if nothing else I want to offset the seething rage I feel with a little pleasure taken from becoming a royal PITA to those failing to provide an adequate service!

Caged · 26 Nov 2013 at 20:44

You can't take any action against Openreach because you don't have a contract with them.

cavemanoc · 26 Nov 2013 at 21:08

Technically true (arguably), but I can still pay the cash and take them to small claims - I'd guess at worth the punt only because many big firms can't be bothered to answer the case and you then get summary judgement - effectively a nuisance lawsuit that serves little purpose but to make me feel better!

Caged · 26 Nov 2013 at 21:40

Yeah but what would you be claiming for? Breach of a contract that doesn't exist?

You're better off focusing on trying to get Sky to give them a hurry on.

cavemanoc · 27 Nov 2013 at 08:18

I'd claim for the extra cost of the EE mobile broadband vs Sky which they have directly caused - plus phone calls, loss of revenue, time etc...

I'm not claiming breach of contract, that's for Sky to fight, I'm claiming for the damages their actions have caused me.

Caged · 27 Nov 2013 at 14:19

Speak to a solicitor first because you're going to lose that one. It would be like trying to sue the council for some roadworks causing you a delay in getting to your job interview so you were forced to charter a helicopter and then didn't get the job because you were stressed so you want compensation for what you could have earned.

Small claims is only for people who owe you money, Openreach don't owe you anything. If you try to take them to big boy court you are going to end up with a spectacularly huge bill.

cavemanoc · 27 Nov 2013 at 14:45

More like someone parking their car on the hosepipe that fed my automatic sprinkler system and causing all my plants to die. No contract, but I can show a direct cause and effect between their negligent action and my incurred cost.

Caged · 27 Nov 2013 at 14:47

Well be sure to let us know how you get on

Tunney · 5 Dec 2013 at 12:00

We had a very similar experience. New build property, no phone line installed.

BT were utterly inept and their system simply can't deal with phone line installation jobs. We went through all kinds of escalation managers and they were all useless. It took us six months and ten engineer visits before it was finally sorted. It was only sorted because the developer contacted the head of Openreach directly.

Once we got through to someone who could actually override BT's ordering system (a 'level 3 escalation manager', apparently) did anything happen. Suddenly "the job will take four weeks" turned into "we'll do it tomorrow" and "no, the system won't let us do that" turned into "yes, we'll do that immediately".

On the plus side, BT refunded us the money we spent on mobile broadband (£300), gave us £200 cash as an apology and gave us free phone line rental + Infinity option 2 for a year. This only happened after my partner pushed them really hard though.

.Griff. · 5 Dec 2013 at 12:30

lol at taking Openreach to court.. Please..

What evidence have you got for these "bogus" faults or "mystery" exchange work? Have Openreach actually told you this or has your CP (Sky?) told you this?

marmalade · 5 Dec 2013 at 20:52

You have no contract with BT or their minions/open or short Reach et al. Your main line of complaint should perhaps be to Offcom / the ombudsman . Then not to say of course your 'uman Rights being violated! Good luck. But then nothing works in the UK absolutely nothing. The country is one great expensive shambles. Have you see the third World railways but with the most expensive fares in the World?

cavemanoc · 5 Dec 2013 at 23:51

Tunney said:
We had a very similar experience. New build property, no phone line installed...snip

On the plus side, BT refunded us the money we spent on mobile broadband (£300), gave us £200 cash as an apology and gave us free phone line rental + Infinity option 2 for a year. This only happened after my partner pushed them really hard though.

Thanks for that - I may well try that with Sky in the first instance and then if I get no joy go after Openreach direct. I would, of course, lodge a complaint via the ombudsman and OfCom - but a short sharp trail of UOMes then a dirty moneyclaim direct could be an amusing way to spend £40 - might even get a result.

.Griff. said:
lol at taking Openreach to court.. Please..

What evidence have you got for these "bogus" faults or "mystery" exchange work? Have Openreach actually told you this or has your CP (Sky?) told you this?

Loving the aggression -

just a few quotes:

"The builder needs to complete the duct work, no cables can go in until he has..." I was standing on the duct cover at the time just for comic effect!

I have been through 3 cycles of 'your builder needs to complete work with them - no argument between who did what with which cables - pure and simple Openreach install faf because they refused to believe the work was done - what was really frustrating is that all 4 of my neighbours have previously had the same fight - even had openreach out and had to get the builder to show them the ducts in person before they would believe they were there - I get that the 1st time - but every house on the street :confused:

Super special given that some of us share the same ducting!

Bottom line - Openreach incompetence has cost me a significant amount of money - I'm prepared to do the legwork to claim some of it back.