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Inglorious BT

My Sister-in-Law had BT install a phone and a extension about 20 years ago. Thursday last her phone is dead, no dial tone. Unable to help her out until today.

Has anyone ever tried to report a phone fault to BT. It's a nightmare. You try 0800800150 or 151. Go through a automated process only to be told at the very end there is nothing wrong with the said land line. To add insult to injury the cheeky sods tell you it will cost you £120+ if they come out and they find there is a fault with the internal wiring. Which BT installed originally as well as 2 BT standard issue phones.

So BT don't want you to contact them and actually speak with another human being or fix your phone when it's faulty, they are only there to take your hard earned money off you and do S.B.A.

No wonder BT are such a DEAD LOSS.
 
I presume you have taken the phone itself directly to the test socket to check that the dial tone is dead when entering the property itself and not just a problem with her internal wiring?
 
As Martin says, the first port of call is usually to plug a phone into the test socket of your master socket (behind the faceplate) without anything else connected and see if you get the dial tone. Ideally I'd recommend one of the old analogue phones for testing as you'd thus also be ruling out any potential issues with the handset because it would be remote powered by the line.

If it still doesn't work and the ADSL link can't connect (sometimes the data link can still work even if there's no dial tone) - assuming she uses the line for broadband - then generally the only choice is an SFI engineer visit. In theory they'll only charge you the £120 fee if the problem is within your home but it's usually in BT's realm, although that doesn't always stop them from charging you for work that they're supposed to cover.. so make sure to keep an eye on them.
 
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Did BT master sockets have test sockets 20 years ago?

Yes they did I moved back to BT after years with Virgin media same house the engineer didn't change the master said it was the same as they use now. I have lived here 27 years this year and my BT socket is a NTe5.
 
Thanks all,

I did take our old analogue phone with me to use in the test socket. It was like the DODO completely dead no dial tone. My sister-in-law only has a phone connection, no B/B.

I actually managed to get through to BT help line and actually spoke to someone a very long way away. I pointed out most forcefully that BT had installed everything i.e. the phones and the extension socket upstairs and that she would not entertain making any payment what so ever if anything was faulty, I think he got the point.

If BT install everything including extension sockets how can you be liable if they develop faults. Beware the rip off factor.
 
If BT install everything including extension sockets how can you be liable if they develop faults. Beware the rip off factor.

How is this a rip-off? 20 year service, which appears from what you have said has been fault free until now, seems good value for money.

However, can I point out that sister-in-law would have had a BT Update magazine some years back that stated that the contract with BT was formally being moved to the back of the master socket (as it enters the house), as agreed with OFCOM, thus handing the internal wiring over to the customer. The internal wiring therefore can be fixed by anyone with the skills, without breaking a contract with your telecom's company.

However, if the line is dead at the point of the test socket, then BT being unable to find a Disconnect in the Network seems a little odd. Arguing with BT, forcefully, really is not going to help you establish a reasonable fix, IMHO.
 
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Hi Martin,

I do not think there is anything wrong with the internal wiring. The problem lies out side, either the drop wire or a disconnection in the cab.

I would not pay £120+ just to have a engineer repair any internal wiring. It's way too much. It would be cheaper to buy a couple of cordless phones, that's why I think it is a rip off.
 
Why would the cordless phones work if your primary fixed line is dead? Confused.
 
If a problem turned out to be in the internal wiring, which I never thought it is.

If I ever found problems with any internal wiring that would be my first thought. Solve problem with cordless phones.
 
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