This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jul/27/bt-broadband-two-months-without-service
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
BT broadband: family pulls plug after two months without service | BT broadband: family pulls plug after two months without service |
(4 months later) | |
When a Hertfordshire family was left without broadband for two months they finally decided enough was enough and cancelled their BT contract. Now the telecoms giant has threatened them with debt collectors. | When a Hertfordshire family was left without broadband for two months they finally decided enough was enough and cancelled their BT contract. Now the telecoms giant has threatened them with debt collectors. |
Despite suffering a catalogue of errors that first left them without the advertised internet service over many months, and then cut them off completely for seven weeks, BT has sent repeated demands that they must pay almost £500 in contract charges and late payment fees. | Despite suffering a catalogue of errors that first left them without the advertised internet service over many months, and then cut them off completely for seven weeks, BT has sent repeated demands that they must pay almost £500 in contract charges and late payment fees. |
Consultant Kevin Judges, who lives in Letchworth with his wife and teenage children, says that when the sixth engineer failed to reconnect them to BT he decided to contact Virgin to install a phone and broadband service, which happened faultlessly within a few days. | Consultant Kevin Judges, who lives in Letchworth with his wife and teenage children, says that when the sixth engineer failed to reconnect them to BT he decided to contact Virgin to install a phone and broadband service, which happened faultlessly within a few days. |
Judges wrote to BT cancelling the household's contract, stating that he felt he had given the firm a reasonable chance to fix it. But BT has insisted Judges must continue to pay for the phone and broadband service. | Judges wrote to BT cancelling the household's contract, stating that he felt he had given the firm a reasonable chance to fix it. But BT has insisted Judges must continue to pay for the phone and broadband service. |
Judges is not alone in having problems with BT's superfast Infinity service. A look at the Infinity thread on BT's online forum shows it has plenty of unhappy customers, with falling speeds a particular complaint. | Judges is not alone in having problems with BT's superfast Infinity service. A look at the Infinity thread on BT's online forum shows it has plenty of unhappy customers, with falling speeds a particular complaint. |
BT Openreach is the separate company with responsibility for the overall network on behalf of most phone companies – although Virgin, with its own cable network, is not reliant on it – and it seems it is experiencing connection delays of up to six months. | BT Openreach is the separate company with responsibility for the overall network on behalf of most phone companies – although Virgin, with its own cable network, is not reliant on it – and it seems it is experiencing connection delays of up to six months. |
The Judges' problems go back to September 2012 when he complained that the broadband speed he was receiving was closer to 1-4Mb rather than the 37Mb service he had been promised | The Judges' problems go back to September 2012 when he complained that the broadband speed he was receiving was closer to 1-4Mb rather than the 37Mb service he had been promised |
"It would freeze all the time when watching iPlayer on a laptop. An engineer was sent to investigate, but rather than improving matters he made them much worse and we were left with no broadband at all. | "It would freeze all the time when watching iPlayer on a laptop. An engineer was sent to investigate, but rather than improving matters he made them much worse and we were left with no broadband at all. |
"This situation continued for nearly eight weeks with many calls to the BT call centre and multiple visits from engineers who were unable to fix the problem. You don't know how inconvenient it is to be without internet access until it is taken away for so long. When the sixth engineer failed to fix it, I decided enough was enough and called in Virgin," he says. | "This situation continued for nearly eight weeks with many calls to the BT call centre and multiple visits from engineers who were unable to fix the problem. You don't know how inconvenient it is to be without internet access until it is taken away for so long. When the sixth engineer failed to fix it, I decided enough was enough and called in Virgin," he says. |
BT offered the couple a £43 refund for the lost service period, but has refused to allow them to leave. | BT offered the couple a £43 refund for the lost service period, but has refused to allow them to leave. |
Judges took his case to the Ombudsman Service for the telecoms industry, but it found in BT's favour after concluding the company had acted in good faith. | Judges took his case to the Ombudsman Service for the telecoms industry, but it found in BT's favour after concluding the company had acted in good faith. |
The ombudsman added it would not take into account the Sale of Goods Act that says goods and services must be fit for purpose and as described. BT is now insisting the couple pay for the service it failed to provide. | The ombudsman added it would not take into account the Sale of Goods Act that says goods and services must be fit for purpose and as described. BT is now insisting the couple pay for the service it failed to provide. |
Ian Cummins from Romford is also trying to extract himself from a BT contract after suffering poor service. He has spent the past month trying to fix his internet connection. One engineer turned up at his house but couldn't fix it. This week, Cummins says, he spent two hours on the phone to the company to no avail. | Ian Cummins from Romford is also trying to extract himself from a BT contract after suffering poor service. He has spent the past month trying to fix his internet connection. One engineer turned up at his house but couldn't fix it. This week, Cummins says, he spent two hours on the phone to the company to no avail. |
"When I tried to cancel I was told there was nothing I could do except pay the £184 – still for no service. It's just so frustrating and time-consuming trying to get it sorted out," he says. | "When I tried to cancel I was told there was nothing I could do except pay the £184 – still for no service. It's just so frustrating and time-consuming trying to get it sorted out," he says. |
David Foster, a partner and head of litigation at the Surrey-based law firm Barlow Robbins, says that while the law is very much on the side of consumers like Judges, making big firms deal with the issues reasonably can be difficult. | David Foster, a partner and head of litigation at the Surrey-based law firm Barlow Robbins, says that while the law is very much on the side of consumers like Judges, making big firms deal with the issues reasonably can be difficult. |
"I have handled many cases against BT over the years and it is a seriously dysfunctional company to deal with when conflicts like this arise. It has a reputation for fighting the matter up until the last minute and then giving in just before they are due in court. | "I have handled many cases against BT over the years and it is a seriously dysfunctional company to deal with when conflicts like this arise. It has a reputation for fighting the matter up until the last minute and then giving in just before they are due in court. |
"Generally, if a company is failing to provide a service and you have given it a reasonable chance to remedy the problem, the contract is deemed invalid," he says. | "Generally, if a company is failing to provide a service and you have given it a reasonable chance to remedy the problem, the contract is deemed invalid," he says. |
Money asked BT at what point, if it has failed to provide a service, it will let its customers out of a contract – but we are still waiting. | Money asked BT at what point, if it has failed to provide a service, it will let its customers out of a contract – but we are still waiting. |
Instead, a spokesman says: "We are always disappointed when we cannot come to an agreement with a customer, but we do follow the Ofcom-prescribed process carefully to ensure that customers can refer the matter to Ombudsman Services: Communications. We always abide by the ombudsman's conclusions in full. On this occasion the ombudsman agreed with BT's position on the matter." | Instead, a spokesman says: "We are always disappointed when we cannot come to an agreement with a customer, but we do follow the Ofcom-prescribed process carefully to ensure that customers can refer the matter to Ombudsman Services: Communications. We always abide by the ombudsman's conclusions in full. On this occasion the ombudsman agreed with BT's position on the matter." |
Meanwhile, Judges says he has no intention of paying for a service he has not received and will happily let the matter go to court. "The debt collectors have gone away after we told them the debt is disputed. We've been treated disgracefully," he says. | Meanwhile, Judges says he has no intention of paying for a service he has not received and will happily let the matter go to court. "The debt collectors have gone away after we told them the debt is disputed. We've been treated disgracefully," he says. |
• In the past few weeks we have been receiving many complaints about BT and have been sending them on to Warren Buckley, head of BT customer services. His office is now looking into them and we will report back when he responds. | • In the past few weeks we have been receiving many complaints about BT and have been sending them on to Warren Buckley, head of BT customer services. His office is now looking into them and we will report back when he responds. |
An ombudsman in the spotlight | An ombudsman in the spotlight |