Liability of line repair after sub-contractor cut the wrong dropwire...
A little explanation for this one is needed first, as it's a bit long-winded...
Last year, a new telegraph pole was put in outside our house to replace the old and apparently rotten one, it was done by a sub-contractor working on behalf of Openreach (I wish I could recall the name, which has now washed off the notice stapled on the pole), and they went round shortening the lines to the houses aswell as re-routing some via the mains cabling poles, and the house next door which my uncle was about to move into had two dropwires going to it, the one leading upstairs where the NTE5 Master was, the other leading to bare ends about 8 inches from a pretty screwed up, plaster-filled, ruined and far from usable LJU2/1A Master.
I explained to the head monkey that my uncle was moving into the house shortly and the upper wire was the one to leave, but his sub-monkey cut it anyway and removed it, and the excuse for this, ahem, "error" (I prefer something that rhymes with muckup) was "Well BT will see that socket there so it doesn't matter", except had the sub-monkey tested the dropwire, he'd have found it to be disconnected, so by "seeing" I guess he meant looking through the window at rather than probing with the fancy gadgetry the actual OR guys use...
After seeing the thread on a line-only account with Madasafish, it got me thinking...
The extension wiring from the NTE5 is still in place, as is the NTE5 socket, to re-instate that specific socket, who is liable to cover the cost given that I spoke to the sub-contractor head monkey to cut the right wire and they cut the wrong one? As it's not my uncle's fault, and I did notify the sub-contractor on the day they replaced the pole, then charging for a new line installation or whatever wouldn't be fair when it was a bad job done by people who frankly should have known better, hence my question...
Last year, a new telegraph pole was put in outside our house to replace the old and apparently rotten one, it was done by a sub-contractor working on behalf of Openreach (I wish I could recall the name, which has now washed off the notice stapled on the pole), and they went round shortening the lines to the houses aswell as re-routing some via the mains cabling poles, and the house next door which my uncle was about to move into had two dropwires going to it, the one leading upstairs where the NTE5 Master was, the other leading to bare ends about 8 inches from a pretty screwed up, plaster-filled, ruined and far from usable LJU2/1A Master.
I explained to the head monkey that my uncle was moving into the house shortly and the upper wire was the one to leave, but his sub-monkey cut it anyway and removed it, and the excuse for this, ahem, "error" (I prefer something that rhymes with muckup) was "Well BT will see that socket there so it doesn't matter", except had the sub-monkey tested the dropwire, he'd have found it to be disconnected, so by "seeing" I guess he meant looking through the window at rather than probing with the fancy gadgetry the actual OR guys use...
After seeing the thread on a line-only account with Madasafish, it got me thinking...
The extension wiring from the NTE5 is still in place, as is the NTE5 socket, to re-instate that specific socket, who is liable to cover the cost given that I spoke to the sub-contractor head monkey to cut the right wire and they cut the wrong one? As it's not my uncle's fault, and I did notify the sub-contractor on the day they replaced the pole, then charging for a new line installation or whatever wouldn't be fair when it was a bad job done by people who frankly should have known better, hence my question...
It might be worth checking out the Post Office. I'm not sure of the present situation with getting a telephone line installed by them, but a while back I looked into it for someone and found that they didn't charge a line installation fee and there was no lengthy contract required - i.e. you could leave after 30 days.
So if it looks like your uncle will have to pay for the line to be installed (and providing the PO still offers the above), he could place his order with the PO, then move to another provider after 30 days (30 days notice - so give it immediately).
Note that this was for phone service only, so he would have to order an Internet service after changing providers if required - but as he would be next door to you I've no doubt he will have other options for his Internet.
So if it looks like your uncle will have to pay for the line to be installed (and providing the PO still offers the above), he could place his order with the PO, then move to another provider after 30 days (30 days notice - so give it immediately).
Note that this was for phone service only, so he would have to order an Internet service after changing providers if required - but as he would be next door to you I've no doubt he will have other options for his Internet.
Quote from: RobPN but as he would be next door to you I've no doubt he will have other options for his Internet.
Yep, the big option being he doesn't use it as he can't read or operate a computer effectively due to dyslexia...
Though when my brother visits, he stays next door and my D-Link DIR-615 WiFi router reaches through the walls nicely, so yeah, internet service next door isn't required...
Quote from: twocvbloke
Though when my brother visits, he stays next door and my D-Link DIR-615 WiFi router reaches through the walls nicely, so yeah, internet service next door isn't required...
Nor would a phone line be required if you fixed your uncle up with a free / cheap VoIP service over your Internet (probably be better over Ethernet than WiFi though)
I have thought about VOIP services, but I'm still not convinced it's the way to go for reliable telephony, that and drilling holes between the houses to route telephone or ethernet wires would likely be frowned upon by both our landlords...