Anyone Joining From BT Broadband Been Told Only Their Landline Is Switching?

[woodface7]

Has anyone else moving to VF had the wierd notification from BT that only their landline is moving, and their broadband is staying with BT???

18 hours after being fully accepted by Vodafone in a simple like-for-like fibre + landline switch, promised a router and given an activation day, BT emailed us:
"Another provider has told us you want to move your phone line over to them on 09-Oct-2017. So your service with us is due to stop on that date.
What will happen with my broadband?
By moving just your phone line, you break up your phone and broadband bundle with us. We'll put you on a new broadband-only plan called BT Infinity Option 2 for £42 a month."    

If the appalling Vodafone website hadn't restricted the 'Track My Order' checker to mobile business only, we'd all be able to see what VF actually have planned.
And what they would have therefore told Open Reach. I would then know to blame BT for the (potential) mess.

[Tash]

I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way @woodface7.

Should you change your mind, please follow the steps provided by @Colleen.

Once we receive your details we'll be happy to raise your query to our dedicated team, who can then assist you further.

[johnniegif]

woodface7, yes, this has happened to me too ... well to my elderly widowed mother who is trying to switch from BT to Vodafone Fibre 38. How did you get on in the end?

I placed the order for my mother on 16th September, while visiting. She received a similar letter from BT dated 17th September saying that another provider will be taking over the LINE and as it breaks her broadband package, she'll be put on a special BT Option 3 broadband only package from 24th October, costing £36/month!

When I visited the following Saturday (23rd) I called Vodafone's helpline and was told that their system showed a "simultaneous provide" has been requested. We waited to hear from BT, but nothing came.

When visiting last Saturday, I thought "enough is enough" - only 10 days until the day of switching, so I did an online chat with BT on behalf of my mother. They called and put us through to the BT Options team in the UK, who checked BT Openreach's system and explained that only a new line had been ordered by Vodafone and that we should call VF and ask them to instruct BTOR for an "advice of transfer" to acquire the broadband in a separate request.

We called the VF helpline again and explained, but were told "everything is fine" ,"I can tell you 100% that both services have been provisioned". I pointed out that as BT have received no notice from VF, they will carry on billing my mother for extortionate broadband and I will expect VF to pick up any excess charges due to lack of/late notification to BT. The lady was helpful and polite. Spoke to her team leader a couple of times and even sent my mother an email to say that VF were taking over the line AND broadband, in case BT needed notice, and too avoid any issues with the data protection act.

This hasn't resolved the issue. The fact is that BT is oblivious to my mother moving broadband on 24th October as no request has got through to them. ARGHH! What I wanted was for VF to contact BTOR and verify all was well, not simply check on their (VF's) system. I explained that I live some distance away and only visit once a week and my mother does not understand the technicalities of changing supplier. The best advice I was offered was to call BT the day after the line and broadband transfer in order to check that the BT broadband is not still active. If it is, ask them to cancel it!

By this time, BT customer services had closed for the day, so I emailed a complaint to them (BT), detailing the issue and asking them to accept notice of intent to move broadband supplier as it is not my mother's fault that VF/BTOR/BT have mucked this up. No response yet, and if they call my mother, she won't understand what they are on about.

Today, she received an email from BT saying that the price of her discounted broadband package would be increasing from 24th October. She passed it on to me saying "is this the information we are waiting for?  I was annoyed to be in the position to explain that it was not.

I've been going around in circles and am extremely disappointed at the "ease" of this switch.

Can someone from Vodafone, as the gaining supplier, please help us?

Thank you in advance. Reposting as my message appears to have been removed overnight.

[woodface7]

Welcome to Hell.

I would urge you to not to say anything to BT that would make them think you want the broadband cancelled. You (or your mum) must keep paying to keep the connection alive. If it ceases, VF will have a perfect excuse to cancel the order or charge a fat 'new line' payment, and maybe lose her number. Pay, then recover all the costs (including goodwill for the hours we spend fixing this for them) from VF - more on this later. 

BT retail may be able to tell us what work to our lines Openreach has notified them of, but have no power to aid the takeover of the line. The system is 'GPL' - Gaining Provider Led. The firm gaining the line is responsible for the accurate and effective instruction of Openreach (an independent entity which may be owned by BT but does not answer to them). 

The utter incompetence of VF's lousy Indian 'broadband team' is impressive. Such as the disastrous advice to 'cancel direct with BT', which I was also given. They have so little knowledge of the process, it's no surprise so many orders are mis-managed. Even simple like-for-like phone / fibre transfers. It is not the mistakes that enrage. It's the constant lying about action that will be taken and promises of confirmation that will follow.  That never come.  It is the lack of an escalation process, whereby in most firms some senior people who have the power and knowledge to intervene can resolve screw-ups by the $10 a day 3rd world temps they farm everything out to. Including the blame.

There is a page (only because Ofcom forced them to!) which details how to complain:   www.vodafone.co.uk/about-us/code-of-practice

I expect to be using it tomorrow (the 18th) when our latest promised transfer day will doubtless pass with no move (and no communication from VF). BT say there is no such request, no 'tags' on the line which they would have seen if Openreach were planning anything.

The page lets you send an email for them to copy-paste a 'sorry(not sorry), go away pleb' reply. We may well both end up using the Ombudsman listed there if VF don't pay up. It may be fruitful to send formal letters of complaint to the senior executives at VF Head Office. Starting with UK Commercial Director Glafkos Persianis and UK CEO Nick Jeffery. Vodafone UK are already on Ofcom's naughty step over customer service failings, so may actually ACT when we enclose the dossier we plan to send to the telecoms regulator.  You need to detail every mistake, quote every lie, every broken promise, every hour and day wasted trying to get THEIR mess sorted. Timed and dated, with names where possible. Make notes after every call. One reason I prefer online chat to helplines - you get transcripts. And don't get told the next available assistant will be with you in three and a half hours. 

Be sure to pass a copy to Watchdog and the newspapers. Most have consumer pages with real teeth , including Guardian, Mail and Telegraph, often in the personal finance section. They like stories about big businesses mistreating vulnerable people like your mum. 

Finally, having spent some years as the 'spokesperson' for an elderly (and latterly confused) parent, I would recommend you look into having your mum grant you power of attorney. This would aid you in speaking for her with all sorts of organisations so scared of the Data Protection Act they refuse to let relatives help. Money Saving Expert, Age UK, Citizens Advice and others have lots of useful guidance. You may not need a lawyer. Good luck for the 24th!

[johnniegif]

Thanks very much for your advice and recounting your experience, it is helpful and much appreciated. As a normal human being, I understand that mistakes happen. The problem we're having with Vodafone is how the hell do you get through the nice people on their Helpline, who will not escalate the problem? I have yet to be treated to their Indian call centre, but am not looking forward to it. 

I hope your issues are fixed soon and you can finally enjoy your broadband & line rental service, while clearly knowing who is providing it.

Like yourself, my post is a desperate plea to Vodafone to say "something is very wrong here and it needs to be escallated and fixed immediately. PLEASE HELP NOW BEFORE THE PROBLEM MATERIALISES." I see from this and your other posts, that you are beyond this stage and should be live now with VF broadband, but are not. It is an extremely poor experience Vodafone are giving to customers, when THEY have caused the mistake themselves. It seems not everyone has this problem - lucky them. But the Helpdesk should be empowered to fix problems, not politely fob customers off.

Ironically, I've been an IT Consultant for around 30 years, with a degree in Computer Science, worked for IBM and myself. But I'm used to working on solid facts & an informed gut feeling, not fibs and fob offs from call centres. As you'll know, you can look at reviews for any ISP and see many complaints. For VF I put most of them down to its poor fibre router and firmware, which regularly reboots and thus BTOR's DLM regularly lowers the connection speed; customers distance from the 'local' cabinet; their line quality; available bandwidth, together with inevitable BTOR mistakes. I did not expect to add Vodafone's ordering process to that list. When things go wrong, there seems to be no discernible help, other than tea and sympathy.  It appears that the Helpdesk are not empowered to refer issues upward; or to BTOR, which is appalling when something is so clearly wrong.  I was going to move to VF myself on their £24 78/20 deal, but they pulled their deal 10 days earlier than advertised and I was unable to get an order date in before my end of contract with BT. I'd ordered a stable 3rd party VDSL2 router for the job. Hey ho. You might say "lucky escape" ... and could well be right, but in 2017, ISPs should provide a basic, competent standard of service, without being a complete shamble when things go wrong. HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS OR LOSE THIER BUSINESS FOR ALL YOUR PRODUCTS.

Thank you for the Vodafone links. I will complain via their email, and perhaps physical mail too. Time is pressing and I want things fixed. I will be spending the afternoon & evening at my mother's on 24th October to set things up. I have absolutely no faith that Vodafone will provide anything other than the line on the day, and as a consumer, that is disgusting position to be in. Shame on you Vodafone.

Thanks also for your point about Power of Attorney. We had enduring PoA for my late father and unfortunately had to invoke it due to his Parkinson's. My brothers & I have continuing PoA with my mother, but so far, she is sharp as a nail, so we’ve not needed to invoke it. Frankly, she from a generation who did not grow up with computers. She knows how to use them for the purposes she wants to, but has no idea how they work, or how to fix things when they go wrong. Many of us are the same with our cars, and that is OK. But Vodafone, there is indeed something very wrong with this transfer - and it sounds very similar to yours woodface7. Many companies allow my mother to pre-nominate me as an approved, named helper, so I can call on her behalf and be verified as fit to do so. Vodafone Customer Services, is it possible to get this arranged with my mother ASAP? We can provide all the details you need, contract, address, telephone number etc.

I'm grateful you took the time to document your issues, as it will help others.

Do remember that you have 30 days to leave VF from the date of activation if you are unhappy with their service ... but define activation, if your line has been moved but not your broadband. Arghhh.

As you said, document names, times. details etc. 

WE SHOULDN'T NEED TO REGULARLY COMPLAIN TO VODAFONE FOR THEIR ERRORS. THEY SHOULD WORK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND RESOLVE ISSUES, ONCE NOTIFIED. Being an ostrich and burying your head in the sand will not help customers one iota, nor you reputation.

Rant over. And I really needed that. But we do need to move forward and get Vodafone to fix our issues, because BT, as the losing provider, can’t.

[Alex]

@johnniegif I'm sorry to hear about the experience you've had regarding our broadband service. 

I've read through both of your posts, however we'd be unable to assist you further on this thread, as we'll need to access the account. 

So we're able to do this, please contact us directly using the link in the private message I've sent. 

We'll then be able to help and work towards getting everything back on track 🙂

[johnniegif]

Thanks for the PM Alex. I have filled in the form and sent off a request for help.

We need VF to contact BT Openreach - regardless of what your system says - because the broadband switch and notice has not been transferred to BT.

[johnniegif]

Well I filled in the form with my Mother's contact details and the following notes:

In brief, the issue is that VF have not placed the order correctly with BT Openreach. Hence my mother’s existing supplier, BT only know the line is moving, NOT her broadband. They want to move her on a special, expensive broadband package from 24th October.

I have spoken with two of your helpdesk advisers, Luke & Sam, with my mother’s permission, who say the VF system shows both will be provisioned on the day. BUT due to a VF mess-up, and you’ll see from the forum link, I’m not the only one, BT have not been given any advanced notice that my mother’s broadband is being taken over. This HAS to come from VF as the gaining provider via BT Openreach. We need VF to contact Openreach with a request for the broadband – even if your system shows it is actioned, it is NOT.

We placed our order on 16th September, so BT should have been given notice over a month ago. Any excess charges incurred for BT not receiving 14 days’ notice as per the Ofcom switching system, will have to be reimbursed to my mother’s account by VF – this is NOT a BT mistake.

I will be visiting my mother on 24th October but I am concerned she will have no broadband on that day or for some time after.

Please help us. Be pro-active. Contact BTOR and put this right.

Thanks for your help, we look forward to hearing from you.

---------------------

Today, my mother received the following email response from Vodafone:

Hi Johnnie,

We unfortunately don't deal with any broadband issues through our team.

What can be done is arrange a time to call your mum to pass her through to the Broadband team.

This would be between 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Alternatively we can pass her details to the team to contact her to discuss the issue.

Let us know how you want to proceed.

Thanks

Matthew
Social Media

Vodafone Limited
Vodafone HQ, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN
Registered in England No 1471587

------------

So another useless waste of time.

Why are Vodafone NOT proactive, customer-focused and willing to put right their mistakes?

The router turned up today and I have plugged in the router, with the exception of the RJ11 'internet' cable and left clear instructions for what to do before she goes to bed the night before as she's not an early morning person! I will come over in the afternoon on 24th November and see what service has been provided. 

What still hasn't been done, is Vodafone has not bothered contacting BT Openreach and ask them to contact the losing supplier, BT, to give them an advice of transfer of my Mother's broadband. 

Just to add to the mix, she is currently on ADSL2+ and moving to Fibre 38 on Vodafone, so I can only hope the broadband goes live on Tuesday. I can't keep taking time off work to sort out Vodafone's mistake.

Waste of time writing all this as nothing gets done by VF.

[eezyrider]

JohnnieGIF

The email reply is the same one that I received, a standard response no doubt.

I replied to that email outlining my problems and to be fair Matthew and the team appear to have resolved all my issues. It has taken 8 days and 13 emails exchanging information but I am now well on the way to getting what I was owed.

I would recommend following up the option that Matthew has offered.

[woodface7]

Number of days since date of promised phone/fibre migration: 14 
Number of services migrated: Zero 
Number of hours wasted trying to fix this for Vodafone: 45
BT costs to be recovered from Vodafone: £49 and rising 
Number of updates / information from Vodafone: Zero
Number of apologies / even vague expressions of regret from Vodafone: Zero
Number of transcripts of contact with clueless / misleading Vodadrones: Eight 
Number of official complaints logged which will be ruthlessly pursued: One
Number of dossiers soon heading to OFCOM to expose Vodafone's failed promise to fix its customer service procedures: One 
Number of senior Vodafone UK Directors to receive account of the above shambles: Three 
Number of shares held in Vodafone Group plc: Quite a few      Next AGM: July. 

@Johnnie: Good luck with your mum's move tomorrow. At least it looks unlikely that the phoneline alone will migrate, based on our experience.
I hope you will pursue the complaint even if the 'broadband team' somehow accidentally manage to complete your order. The absurdity of a system where the only product of our wasting hours of effort on their forum is just another call with the same incompetents (who ignored all our previous contacts) deserves to be punished. On the BT and TalkTalk forums, moderators are actually empowered to get things fixed. 

[johnniegif]

Thanks for your good wishes woodface7. I'm disgusted that after 2 weeks and many compaints, VF still haven't got BT Openreach to migrate you. It is very clear where the blame lies - and not with BTOR.

I'll post an update later on today. I hope I don't have a wasted journey and upset mother on the arranged migration day.

I will be calling Vodafone if there are any issues and I'm expecting to be there until midnight, and angry. It would be great if I'm proved wrong. Even IF her landlne & broadband transfer, BT will still continue charging her for Broadband Option 3, as Vodafone have failed to place a correct transfer of landline & broadband with BT. And yes, I understand this is painfully familiar to you.

Mostly irrelevrnt, but I decided to move from BT Infinity1 to Plusnet Fibre Extra (80/20). Placed the order on 16th September via Topcashback, selecting earliest installation date as 9th November., because the last day of my minimum contract with BT is 8th November. All was quiet, but fine until  last Saturday, when I received a text and email from someone at Plusnet saying they would be creating a dual provisioning request and would let me know my installation date. Later they sent a text and email to say it would be on 6th November and within seconds, I received a threatening email from BT saying they would be charging me for my router and some minor early termination charges, because I'm leaving them before the end of my contract. So I called Plusnet customer services and when I got through after a 35 minute wait, explained. Guess what, they helped me instantly, saying they would amend the order to the 9th. Great. I came home and there were several emails confirming this and one saying "we've cancelled your line rental, if you'd like to sign up again at any time, please use our website". I was a little surprised as I'd paid for 1 year line rental up front, together with the first month for the broadband. So I logged into Plusnet, sent them a message to ask what was going on. No reply. On Monday afternoon, I received an automated text to my landline from BT saying "another provider is trying to take over your service. Press 1 to find out more." So I did, and was immediately put through to a helpful, but sales-driven BT employee. I asked what date she had as the move, and it was 9th November. Then she candidly told me, Mr Giffin, there is a problem with your new provider's order - you'll lose your telephone number. Some **** at Plusnet had made and "advice working line takeover" - typically used when someone first moves into their home,  instead of an "advice of transfer". So I called Plusnet and explained. They checked, admitted their mistake, apologised and will place a new order for me on Tuesday.

Now this is akin to a modern day comms parable. My new supplier will listen to me, check their system - which shows real world information - and correct any mistakes before they switch me. They have no issues speaking to BT Openreach. And BT, as my current supplier, have no issues telling me the truth about exactly what they can see on their system, with regard to what is happening with my line & broadband ... or my mother's.

So why does Vodafone cause its customers such frustration by listening, but not taking any action? It is simply not good enough.