Kitz ADSL Broadband Information
adsl spacer  
Support this site
Home Broadband ISPs Tech Routers Wiki Forum
 
     
   Compare ISP   Rate your ISP
   Glossary   Glossary
 
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: BT fault reporting  (Read 4378 times)

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
BT fault reporting
« on: August 27, 2016, 09:43:00 PM »

My phone line is dead.   Broadband fine, but no dial tone and incoming calls don't ring, though caller hears ringtone.

All of which is fine, we have mobiles for emergency, faults happen in any technology,BT phone faults are pretty rare, I've no complaints that I'm just the unlucky one.

What irked me a smidgen was trying to report the fault... Pretty much every online link I followed on BT pages  ended with just one option... I was being forced to 'register' with BT, which I refuse to do, just as I refuse with other utilities.  Doing so invariably means agreeing to T&C I haven't time to read, as well as disclosing my email and either reusing a password, or creating another password that I'd have to write down.     :(

Eventually, on a BT page from Google link for 'how to close a fault' I found the number to call, 0800 800 151.   That number did thankfully allow me to report this new fault too.   It is now in process and I've no reason to doubt will be expertly handled.

But... Happy to be proven wrong, did I miss something obvious in the fault reporting instructions, where that number was disclosed?  I'm pretty good at missing things, so it's certainly a possibility. :-[
Logged

roseway

  • Administrator
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 43467
  • Penguins CAN fly
    • DSLstats
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2016, 10:50:42 PM »

Is BT your phone line provider?
Logged
  Eric

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2016, 11:13:39 PM »

Is BT your phone line provider?

Yes, of course, why else would I be reporting a fault to BT?
Logged

gt94sss2

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 1281
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2016, 11:35:15 PM »

The number to report a fault to BT has been 151 for decades - just like 150 is their general queries number (though if you call that there is an option re: calling about a fault)

As such 0800 800 150/151 also work.

I actually prefer reporting faults online as that means I don't have to deal with anyone to lodge the issue.

But... Happy to be proven wrong, did I miss something obvious in the fault reporting instructions, where that number was disclosed?

If you select 'Contact Us' on BT's website you end up at https://www.bt.com/help/home/contactus

Half way down that page is heading "Select a topic from the list below to get in touch"

Choose landline and 'I have a problem or fault'. This produces some "helpful links" but also the telephone number and a webchat facility under "Do you still need to contact us?"

Edit: But, yes - not as easy to find as it used to be..
« Last Edit: August 27, 2016, 11:42:50 PM by gt94sss2 »
Logged

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2016, 11:56:17 PM »

Half way down that page is heading "Select a topic from the list below to get in touch"

Choose landline and 'I have a problem or fault'. This produces some "helpful links" but also the telephone number and a webchat facility under "Do you still need to contact us?"

Edit: But, yes - not as easy to find as it used to be..

Many thanks.  On my iPad at least, I see a large box with white on blue text saying 'chat is now closed' but there is indeed, in smaller grey on grey text, the elusive phone number, which I had clearly missed - my fault.  :-[

Re '151' I do indeed remember it, from happier times, being the number to call for faults.

But my dilemma was, since my landline was dead, would '151' work from a mobile?   Subsequent web searching for various combinations of 'BT fault' and the digits '151' were what led me to the conclusion that 0800 800 151 was the answer.   Though I also gratefully accept, with better eyesight, such searching may not have been necessary.   :)
« Last Edit: August 28, 2016, 12:04:32 AM by sevenlayermuddle »
Logged

burakkucat

  • Respected
  • Senior Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 38300
  • Over the Rainbow Bridge
    • The ELRepo Project
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2016, 01:24:44 AM »

I believe it was at the time when all figure telephone numbers came into existence (mid 1960s) that 151 replaced the ENGineer dialling code for reporting faults.
Logged
:cat:  100% Linux and, previously, Unix. Co-founder of the ELRepo Project.

Please consider making a donation to support the running of this site.

gt94sss2

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 1281
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2016, 02:37:23 AM »

Yes, the numbers could be easier to find online. The relevant contact numbers should also be in the Phone Book.

When 0800 calls were chargeable from mobiles, BT also introduced  0330 1234 150/1 for individuals to contact them for the price of a normal call. I suspect these still work as well though they are not advertised as heavily now.

It may also be helpful to have the BT Smart Talk app installed on your mobile for circumstances like this to make outgoing calls charged to your BT account - especially if you have a BT call plan - though you can't set this up without a working landline - and you would need to register on their website as well

« Last Edit: August 28, 2016, 02:39:37 AM by gt94sss2 »
Logged

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2016, 09:52:40 AM »

I believe it was at the time when all figure telephone numbers came into existence (mid 1960s) that 151 replaced the ENGineer dialling code for reporting faults.

I too remember ENG, but I would not have been of an age to be permitted to use it. :D

Talking of all-figure dialling, at the time it was introduced I was living in Glasgow in an area served by the IBRox exchange. I remember feeling quite privileged as, while many of my friends elsewhere in town had to learn their new numbers, the code assigned to those served by Ibrox was 427, which is the same dial locations as IBR.   But I wonder how common was that privilege and, if not common, why not? :-\
« Last Edit: August 28, 2016, 09:55:23 AM by sevenlayermuddle »
Logged

tbailey2

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 1245
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2016, 10:29:15 AM »

FWIW see:

http://rhaworth.net/phreak/tenp_uk.php

http://rhaworth.net/phreak/tenp_01.php

I remember our London number at that time was Rodney 2500, the Rodney (Road) exchange serving Walworth and Camberwell. That got 702 for ROD but the zero doesn't really match (but capital O wasn't on dials then) , the other two do though.

The above does note:

Quote
About 1966 the letters were abandoned in favour of all digit numbers because:

Certainly in London, they were running out of codes which could be made into meaningful names.   (I suppose you could have stretched 688 to be MUVver but what could you do with 555?)

International dialling demanded digits only. At that time for overseas operators rather than subscribers.

(I think) Even in the UK, away from the Director Cities, phones did not have letters on their dials.



« Last Edit: August 28, 2016, 10:32:05 AM by tbailey2 »
Logged
Tony
My Books!
Plusnet 80/20 - DSLstats - HG612/TG582n - ECI

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2016, 11:22:14 AM »

Thank you Tony, for these interesting links.  :)
Logged

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2016, 08:52:54 AM »

Back on topic, service restored not long after 8:30, confirmed by a call from an engineer out at the cabinet.

When I reported the fault on Saturday, pretty sure the automated message quoted two working days to investigate.   In fact, since it was a bank holiday here, it's been just a few 'working minutes'.  Full marks to BT for this one, then. :)
Logged

aesmith

  • Kitizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 1216
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2016, 08:52:09 AM »

But my dilemma was, since my landline was dead, would '151' work from a mobile? 
Almost 100% certain it wouldn't.

My pet hate was the IVR.  Calling from home with a noisy line fault the system wouldn't recognise any of my key presses, so with no mobile coverage and no Internet it was effectively impossible to report the fault unless you could somehow bully the system into putting you through to a real person.

The plus side with BT was they always fixed the faults without needing to go to the house, mile better than when the line was with Plusnet or Pulse8.  Not sure whether the current processes are changes within Openreach, or the way that faults are dispatched by the provider.
Logged

sevenlayermuddle

  • Helpful
  • Addicted Kitizen
  • *
  • Posts: 5369
Re: BT fault reporting
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2016, 09:22:34 AM »

My pet hate was the IVR. 

Actually, in intervening few weeks since starting this thread I've had another fault.   This time I reported in normal working hours and so got through to a human rather than the IVR.   Trouble was, the human was in an Indian call centre, following one of these intensely scripts that took several pointless minutes to reach the conclusion that 'It appears that there is a fault on my line'.   Yes I know, that is why I'm calling you.   :D

IMHO, the IVR is a far better option than the Indian call centre, much quicker to report, and no need for endless duplication of details.

The IVR also gave me an option to play a useful message to callers saying words to effect of 'this line is out of order, the subscriber is aware'.   The call centre offered no such option. :(
Logged
 

anything