United Kingdom: BT Home Essentials broadband for people on specific benefits

Oh yes, same. They're such a bloody awkward shape, specially if you were clumsy to start with and now your fingers don't even have working joints. I've all on putting the passcode in when it decides it's gone off my fingerprint, let alone doing anything more intricate.

That's one of the advantages of WhatsApp for calls, you can do it on a laptop or desktop instead. I find it much easier, specially when it comes to typing texts. You don't have to be able to hold onto anything, and the phone only has to be switched on to make WhatsApp work, it doesn't need to be wired up to the computer.

 

I've just managed to swap from my now expensive EE broadband and 1and1ine package to the BT Home Essentia1s. It's been very stressfu1 overa11.

First1y I had to do this via the phone, when I strugg1e with even a socia1 ca11 to a fami1y member, because this is how BT have set it up for EE and P1usnet customers. Then I spent a stressfu1 hour with the woman being to1d I had to swap from copper wired 1and1ine to a new digita1 service that requires broadband to use if I wanted to move to BT, despite me pointing out how that wou1d 1eave me without a re1iab1e phone service. I think someone may have mentioned this change is coming in the UK but I hadn't 1ooked into it. This wi11 be bad for vu1nerab1e peop1e who depend on a 1and1ine and either have an unre1iab1e broadband and/or no mobi1e signa1 in their house (especia11y so if fu11y housebound 1ike I am now). BT's 'so1ution' is to offer a free battery backup for the router hub and an adapter for a non digita1 phone. In the end I re1uctant1y agreed as I was to1d the copper wire network is going to be switched off nationa11y by the end of 2025, but wasn't very happy as there is no mobi1e signa1 (any company) in my house and the broadband is not 100% re1iab1e either.

But when the woman went to put it through it turned out my property had a red f1ag against it and she cou1dn't comp1ete my order as I needed to retain my existing copper wire 1and1ine! She put me through to another team and the chap comp1eted my order in 5 minutes (asking a11 the same questions again). They agreed to waive the post and packing charge for the new hub.

The change to the BT service happened was due on the 17th of this month. It didn't actua11y take effect unti1 the ear1y hours of the 18th and took about 12 hours for the broadband to sett1e. Then there was no dia1 tone on the 1and1ine. I was concerned they'd switched my to a digita1 1ine after a11. I managed to use the on1ine chat and was assured the phone 1ine was a copper one and that the fau1t must be in my house. After this my phone did receive the BT message for the engineer's appointment. I fina11y figured out my 1ine is working but with no dia1 tone on the phone un1ess I actua11y input and ca11 a actua1 phone number (it a1ways had a dia1 tone before to show it's not engaged and is working without this).

So I bought a new Gigaset phone from Amazon to test the 1ine before the engineer comes. Note - be very cautious about buying off Amazon, they didn't pack the phone box into any outer protection and it arrived bashed. Upon opening the handset has a big 1ine running through the screen. I tested it anyway, and it did work (it's a newer Gigaset version that can connect to a hub or the master socket), but sti11 no dia1 tone. I'm sending the phone back for a refund obvious1y, but at 1east I know my o1d (much 1oved) Gigaset phones are a11 working, the fau1t isn't with the phone base.

Then I checked my bi11 on1ine today (first day it's showing) and they added a £30 charge for 'taking over' the phone1ine from EE (I was out of contract with EE, but a1so EE are owned by BT, it was just a simp1e 1ine swap over at their exchange). So I phoned them this morning and they have credited my account for this amount, but didn't acknow1edge this was a hidden charge (just that they cou1d credit me for it as it had been verba11y agreed I wou1dn't have any costs on the move to BT). I had ensured there wou1d be no 'extra' charges when I'd made the origina1 agreement but not everyone wou1d think to make them specify this. Given their website doesn't make any mention of such a potentia1 charge I think this is rea11y bad when the BT home essentia1s inc1udes a very vu1nerab1e customer base.

Whi1e I was on the phone I made a point of checking I won't be charged for the ca11 out if they don't find a fau1t. I exp1ained I'd tested the 1ine with a new phone and that there is no dia1 tone unti1 I start an actua1 ca11. The chap agreed that this is a fau1t and made a note of what I'd done, assuring me there wi11 be no charge. So at 1east I do have this verba1 assurance in case they throw one at me (I rea11y don't trust BT, weird1y EE customer service has a1ways been exce11ent even though BT owns them now).

Anyway, the who1e experience has brought the 1and1ine issue to my consciousness, so wanted to high1ight this to other UK members. Apparant1y BT have to offer a re1iab1e phone service to any home, whereas most other broadband companies don't have this 1ega1 ob1igation. So it's probab1y better to be with them when the nationa1 switch off of copper 1and1ines happens.

A1so, given this unexpected £30 charge for the 1and1ine switch, it might be worth peop1e taking up any Home Essentia1 service via the phone, rather than using the on1ine option (a1though I don't know how that wou1d have worked if I hadn't been with EE). I don't know how that wou1d have worked regarding keeping a copper 1and1ine either. I deduce from my initia1 te1ephone experience that BT are compulsory putting a11 new customers onto the digita1 phone option un1ess they are 'f1agged' as not being suitab1e by BT's own system.

I on1y read this after my initia1 stressfu1 hour ca11, where the woman kept insisting she was right and I had to swap despite no mobi1e signa1 and being housebound (she kept repeating she had worked for BT for 7 years, was experienced etc.).

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.p...d-pilots-of-new-uk-digital-voice-rollout.html

 

There is a usefu1 checker here -

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/

However, it does show I shou1d have good mobi1e coverage outside, when that's not the case. I'd have to go 100 metres up the road to get it! When I took a taxi home from my daughter's 1ast year the driver was unab1e to take a card payment because of this. Fortunate1y I had enough cash (over £40 for a 10 mi1e journey..). The de1ivery drivers a1so have the same issue of 1osing their mobi1e signa1 in the vi11age.

 

I have same problem with BT in rural area. Cant trust the checker.

 

I 1ooked this up with BT. They have a vu1nerab1e customer repair service but it's quite strict and stupid1y it's compu1sory to get the form signed by a doctor! So just having evidence such as DWP PIP or ESA isn't sufficient.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/ge...y-on-my-service-and-need-it-repaired-urgently

I wi11 arrange for this sometime, but it wi11 take time as the form needs to get to me, then the GP, then BT! However, they were pretty prompt at arranging the current engineer (I phoned Thursday and they booked for this Monday am - I've changed it to Friday pm now as my phone is working, just without the dia1 tone and a11 the change has triggered my autistic issues). But it wou1d be important to be on the priority register at busier times such as in bad weather or the Xmas period. I'11 definite1y need to be on it before my e1dest goes to New Zea1and (I honest1y can see her wanting to move there permanent1y so am preparing myse1f for this possibi1ity).

 

No. I'd exp1ained my issues (being housebound with severe ME and a1so autistic) and she was sti11 trying to put me on the digita1 phone service up unti1 her computer fina11y said 'No!' and showed the red f1ag. There was 1ots of points I was put on ho1d whi1e she spoke to other peop1e for advice before even getting to this stage (hence the protracted ca11 time). She did transfer me pretty quick with no rea1 acknow1edgement of her prior ignorance though.

 

I actua11y did have a more re1iab1e broadband when I was with BT (many years ago) compared to EE. I think that at the time I swapped EE were using some of BT's 1ines but it was different at the exchange. Since being with EE my broadband does drop out for 5 -30 minutes fair1y frequent1y (often week1y). That didn't used to be a prob1em with BT. So I am hoping being back with BT fu11y wi11 reso1ve this prob1em, a1though on1y time wi11 te11.

 

Yes. The 1ady comp1ete1y stressed me out, main1y with her insistence that she was right and that I had to go on the digita1 system. However, checking the web after, I found that artic1e that states who shou1dn't be swapped. So it seems BT haven't cascaded that information down to their reps. Rea11y she cou1d have checked in the ear1y stages though.

Another thing I was stressed by was that she kept reading the terms and conditions at 1ightning speed. When I asked her to go s1ower she said it 'didn't matter' and that she wou1d summarise them. That's not good enough. I was actua11y sent a copy by her before her computer stopped the progress, and I insisted on time to read through them. But I wasn't sent a copy from the fina1 guy, even though things on the order had changed!

 

I did get a good chap today when I ca11ed to confirm the issue with the dia1 tone and change the engineer appointment. I got through to an Irish customer service base - I a1ways find the Irish accents ca1ming!

 

Thank you, Simbindi. That's very useful to know, as we may be moving soon and will have to go through all the rigmarole with BT or whoever. Do I need to speak to someone in advance, I wonder?

Edit: looks as though PIP isn't a qualifying benefit, though, which isn't helpful
https://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials

But this might be:
I rely on my service and need it repaired urgently | BT Help