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[tickmike]

We loss our phone and Broadband in November and had to contact BT faults and they sent an engineer out who found a bad joint on the pole in the lane.
That restored our phone and BB.

Over the next week it was obvious my IP profile  had got stuck at 16db, so I got my ISP to ask BT wholesale to get it un-stuck and they came back and said there was still a fault on the line and could not do anything until it was sorted.

So I contacted BT faults again and said what BT wholesale had said, so yet another engineer came out and he could only find a suspect crimp joint ( which I still have ) from the manhole that feeds that pole with the other bad connection at the terminal box at the top of the pole.

Our bill comes today and there is a 'one of charge of £113.85 for an engineer visit.

There is no way I will pay that.

Anybody else had this.

[chrissie]

Sorry to hear of all your problems Mike.... looks like you will have to fight that bill... bluddy cheek of 'em when it was a line etc fault.  When our line fault happened and we were off for 2 to 3 days I was prepared for them to send a bill too even though it was not "our fault".... luckily nothing came, but I'd have said the same if they had sent.

Hope you manage to sort it... stay focused and don't give in!

Chrissie

[roseway]

BT seem to be getting more trigger happy with these charges. At one time they would give you the benefit of the doubt, but now it seems to be "No fault found = Send bill to customer", regardless of any other circumstances. You'll have to dig your heels in. Good luck.

[Ezzer]

Your ISP stated there was a fault on the line.

and based on this the next visit the suspect wasn't on your curtlage.

No charge to the end user, simple.

[BritBrat]

Yeah you have to be carefull now.

Before phoning them up about a fault make sure it is not your equipment.

Take off the front the BT NTE box and plug a known working phone into the internal socket if it is still faulty leave the cover off and put an hair dryer on it for a while to make sure no moisture inside the box, take photos and leave cover off overnight to make sure it is dry.

Phone BT faults.

Do not admit anything to any questions the engineer asks.

Ask him where the fault was and make notes/record.

Then wait for the bill, no charge no worries.

Charged? ask for a copy of the enginners report.

[tickmike]

Well I decided to phone up BT faults again first of all and tell them what had happened, he put me through to another department who deal with incorrect fault charges.
I explained it all again and this lady said that the second engineer had put that he could find no fault with his 'Hawk'  test equipment, so I asked her about if he put down the crimp joint he replaced and that still have the corroded joint he cut off,
she said he had not put it down. 
She said just pay the other part of my bill for now (which I was going to do ) with out the over charge .
She is going to ask the second engineer why he did not make a report about the crimp he replaced and get back to me in the new year ( I told her since he replaced the joint our phone and broadband have been ok.).
Not once have I at to talk to 'India' call center. 

[oldfogy]

She said just pay the other part of my bill for now (which I was going to do ) with out the over charge .

Do I take it you mean the overcharge of (a 'one of charge of £113.85 for an engineer visit.)

[tickmike]

She said just pay the other part of my bill for now (which I was going to do ) with out the over charge .

Do I take it you mean the overcharge of (a 'one of charge of £113.85 for an engineer visit.)

Yes.
It's due by the 28/12/08 I think it's so we do not get in trouble for not paying anything.

[Ezzer]

if the charge is on a normal bill (the invoice number strts with a Q or M just by your customer account number) the whole balance would have had to be suspended from the normal follow up procedure that is if the same systems in place, I used to be in credit control before getting on to the engineering side, so glad I don't do that any more)

I would have thought she moved everting back to allow her time to contact the engineer and then sort the balance on the invoice before any reminders/restrictions occured on the line.

[tickmike]

Just an update.
1.. I sent a payment (less the £113.85 as instructed by BT ) but on my online BT account there is no details that they have taken it off the bill.
2.. I did notice they have added another fault report on the 23 Dec 08 , but there is no way I can see to read it.
Could this be the last engineer has remembered he changed that crimp ? and he only just got around to making a report when he was asked about it..

[Ezzer]

Faults cannot be raised by engineers the one on the 23rd would have to be generated between your sp and bt wholesale. Openreach can only react to given faults that have been passed on

If I were to miss off any info from the notes on a job then the only way round that would be if bt wholesale called me to double check the details on a job. (also if I put in the wrong clear code or point of intervention then I get a 5 point failure from the auditor)

[tickmike]

Latest update. 

Had BT man phone me this morning with some good news, having gone through the engineers reports they did say that he put it in his report about changing the crimp joint.
So on that they are canceling the fault call out charge of £113.85 

But I will keep an eye on my account to see they get it right.

[roseway]

Great news! That sounds like a result.

[kitz]