PKea v The Phone CoOp

[Paule]

Ok following my fall out with BT, in which they lost, I changed my Line Rental to the Phone CoOp.

Now there is a fault on my line, in which you cant hear incoming callers due to crackling/fuzz on the line.
This also affects my broadband connection which constantly drops out.

I have done all the tests, master socket etc, even bought new phones but to no avail.

So the story so far

The interference gets worse in bad weather as well, which BT, on their website, say is a Line problem

Report 1) Told no problem, so took it as that

Report 2) Told no problem again, They said they can get openreach to come and test the line, but told me about all the charges that it may cost if its my problem.
I said go ahead with test, but they will need to contact me to gain aces inside my premises.

Report 3) emailed them, asked what they had done, problem still there etc, not had any contact from Openreach, even put quotes from BT website to help them

Here is their response today

have conducted another line test which has returned as no fault found. I have also read the notes on your account from the previous fault reports and it states that Openreach were not to visit your premises without your expressed permission. I believe you are also aware of the potential call out charges associated with reporting a line fault when no fault has been found. If the fault is proved to your equipment or property i.e. caused by damp, rodents biting through the lines, loose mortar causing the line to detach or trees on your land interfering with the line. The charge that Openreach would pass on to you for work carried out if the line failure was generated due to these circumstances would be a call out charge of £90 + VAT plus £55 per hour for any work carried out.
Being a small company, we do not have a complaints procedure. However, if you do wish to make a complaint please send me the email and I will forward it to the relevant person.

Our terms and conditions can be found here: http://www.thephone.coop/documents/t...conditions.pdf

This is going to be my response

On my last call to report this I was told that you were getting Openreach to look at the fault, and I told your operator that they would need to contact me to get access to inside my premises as I am at work during the day.

Can you confirm what the outcome of this Openreach external visit was.

Although your recent test may show no fault, I can tell you that there is something wrong with this line as we cant hear people due to the crackling / fuzz, as well as my broadband not being able to stay connected.

We have done all the tests recommended by yourselves and our broadband provider, so far as to buying a new phone, which all had no effect.

I would be grateful if you can provide me with details of what tests you have done on the line and the reports achieved for my line, so if necessary I can pass these onto an independent engineer, if I need to take this case further.

Once I have got details of the outcomes of the 3 tests your company has done as well as the report from the external visit by the Openreach engineer, I will be able to provide you with my full complaint

If needs be, I will send a Data Protection Act Subject Access Request to obtain all this information.
Please can you give me the correspondance address for your company's Data Controller

I also feel that the way you word the charges for an Openreach visit are aimed to intimidate people into declining a visit, therefore saving your company the expense.

I look forward to your swift response to settling this matter

Any opinions or advice???

PKea

[Curlyben]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I assume that you have tried a Quiet Line Test and told BT of the results of this: Quiet Line Test - BT - LoP-UK: you've just landed!

[Paule]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

Thanks CB

Will give it a whirl when I get back

[Paule]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I assume that you have tried a Quiet Line Test and told BT of the results of this: Quiet Line Test - BT - LoP-UK: you've just landed!

Right, done the text and the line is still bad and crackly,
so any opinions on the letter from anyone

PKea

[argentarius]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I think you're being unnecessarily aggressive and provocative.

You haven't fallen out with your current supplier, yet, so why start doing so without due cause?

They are quite right to inform you of the cost of an abortive engineer's visit - any customer would complain if they were charged for such without due warning.

It sounds like your

they will need to contact me to gain aces inside my premises

which is pbvious, and would apply for any engineer's access to your premises has transmogrified into

it states that Openreach were not to visit your premises without your expressed permission

Now - be honest - have they misinterpreted what you said, or did you say that to them on first contact in an aggressive way too? Asking Openreach not to visit your premises without your expressed permission, when you want them to test your line, would be silly. Asking Openreach to give you advance warning of such a visit, so you can ensure you are there and avoid inconveniencing them, would be helpful and thoughtful of you.

So, apart from the above, I would cut all of

Once I have got details of the outcomes of the 3 tests your company has done as well as the report from the external visit by the Openreach engineer, I will be able to provide you with my full complaint

If needs be, I will send a Data Protection Act Subject Access Request to obtain all this information.
Please can you give me the correspondance address for your company's Data Controller

I also feel that the way you word the charges for an Openreach visit are aimed to intimidate people into declining a visit, therefore saving your company the expense.

as it's unncessary and provocative, and simply wait for the results of the Openreach engineer visit before even thinking about complaining or winding them up.

[Froggy]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

Argentarius what would you write to them under similar circumstances and the action being taken?

[Paule]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

You haven't fallen out with your current supplier, yet, so why start doing so without due cause?

over half a year of a sub standard telephone, is enough cause for me.
Arent I the customer? If they cant provide a decent service why shouldnt I make a fuss.
I pay them every month without fail for the provision of a telelphone line.
Is it too much to ask that it actaully allows me to make a decipherable call?

They are quite right to inform you of the cost of an abortive engineer's visit - any customer would complain if they were charged for such without due warning.

Yep, fair enough letting me know the charge, but his response is to repeat what he states i have already been informed, plus add some more to it

Now - be honest - have they misinterpreted what you said, or did you say that to them on first contact in an aggressive way too? Asking Openreach not to visit your premises without your expressed permission, when you want them to test your line, would be silly. Asking Openreach to give you advance warning of such a visit, so you can ensure you are there and avoid inconveniencing them, would be helpful and thoughtful of you.

After the 2nd line test, which was done while on the phone to them, which they said there was no problem. They told me about the Openreach visit.
My home has external wiring i.e telegraph post so the engineer can do external checks on that without entering my house. I told them that they can do that anytime and if they needed to enter my house they would have to call to arrange so someone could be in.

simply wait for the results of the Openreach engineer visit before even thinking about complaining or winding them up.

Ive been waiting for that visit since my 2nd reporting of the fault.
And Ihave already said I will make a comnplaint once the fault is sorted

Do you know how annoying it is when you cant hear people on the phone, especially when they leave answerphone messages and all you get is garbled fuzz. I spent about an hour and 6 phonecalls trying to find out which person called me yesterday as it was an important message relating to a Police incident. Thats not including the Good hour my wife and I spent repeatedly listening to the message trying to ascertain snippets of words.

If i sound provocative and pee'd off, its cos I damn well am.

PKea

[argentarius]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I'm not seeking to minimise the problems you are having, simply to suggest ways that you can seek to resolve the problem.

And writing letters in an angry way is rarely the best way to resolve a problem.

It sounds like they are already perceiving you as a difficult customer given the way they translated your instruction for the Openreach engineer to contact you to arrange entry to your property.

I stand by my suggestions for the wording and that you should seek as much as possible to get them on your side to resolve the problem.

[Paule]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

Iand that you should seek as much as possible to get them on your side to resolve the problem.

Sorry, I was under the impression that as I am their customer they should be sorting the problem as quick as possible, so that i can use the service that I am paying them for.
Didnt realise I just had to sit here with my crackling phone line thinking that must be normal cos they say there is no fault on the line.

The bottom line is that there is a fault on the line, which has been reported 3 times now, and because they think its fine they wont attempt to do anything else off their own back.

If one of my customers had complained about the same fault, I would be inclined to look a little deeper as there is obviously something we arent seeing.
Its called customer service.

PKea

[Sapphire]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

Are you sucking eggs yet Paul :rofl:

[argentarius]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I haven't said that at all, PKea.

I acknowledge that there is a fault and they need to sort it out. And getting Openreach in to investigate is the right way forward.

I just don't see any merit in being stroppy with them at this stage.

[WendyB]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I can sort of see what Arg is getting at, but also you are quite right to be peeved off PK.

a bit of rewording might help

Thank you for your recent email.

I would like to point out that this problem has been ongoing since xxxxx date, when I first reported the fault. In my last conversation with yourselves I advised your operator that Openreach would need contact me for access to my premises as I am at work during the daytime. I realise that there may be charges associated with the Openreach visit, but again reiterate that I wish the visit to go ahead, with the proviso that Openreach contact me prior to attending in order to gain access.

Can you confirm what the outcome of this Openreach external visit was.

Although your recent test may show no fault, I can confirm that there definitely something wrong with this line, illustrated by the fact that two way conversation is hindered by the constant crackling/fuzz on the line, also the broadband connection does not stay connected for any lenght of time.

We have carried out all the tests recommended by yourselves and our broadband provider, even to the extent of buying a new phone. None of these tests have had any effect.

I would be grateful if you can provide me with details of what tests you have done on the line and the reports achieved for my line, so if necessary I can pass these onto an independent engineer, if I need to take this case further.

Once I have got details of the outcomes of the 3 tests carried out by your company as well as the report from the external visit by the Openreach engineer, I will be able to provide you with my full complaint

I look forward to your swift response to settling this matter

[Amy]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

I think a succinct version is all they need, as they have already said they are a small company without a complaints procedure. Although, quite why they then go on to say "However, if you do wish to make a complaint please send me the email and I will forward it to the relevant person." makes no sense to me.

I have previously been informed that the fault with my line, which was originally reported on................., had been passed to Openreach for further investigation. I also informed you at that time that Openreach would need to contact me with the date they would be attending my property if they required internal access.

This has not happened.

Neither have I been informed of the results of the external tests, or indeed if they have even been carried out.

Would you please, therefore, kindly send me the results of any tests carried out so far on my line.

I look forward to your response.

[argentarius]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

WendyB - your re-wording is excellent.

Amy - I think that they think that PKea is a complainer and that's why they've put that bit in. And based on the letter PKea wanted to send, I think their judgement was right!

[Amy]

Re: PKea v The Phone CoOp

WendyB - your re-wording is excellent.

Amy - I think that they think that PKea is a complainer and that's why they've put that bit in. And based on the letter PKea wanted to send, I think their judgement was right!

I'm not sure exactly which "bit" you are referring to. What I am sure of is that PK asked for comments and advice on his letter not criticism. He also wrote an email not a letter, email is a lot less formal than a letter as is posting on a forum.

I'm sure you know what I mean.