Do I need an engineer visit? Line Reactivation?

[#1]

Hi, 

I was thinking of getting a fibre broadband deal with Plusnet in the new flat that I am moving to in the next couple of weeks. 

While I was checking other online deals including Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and EE, I noticed that only Plusnet requires a visit from an engineer to install a new phone line while the others say that there's no need and that they will activate it remotely? 

I phoned Plusnet customer service and they told me that the phone line in the new flat is cancelled and need to reactivate it that's why there's a need for a visit from an Openreach engineer and therefore a charge of £49.99. TalkTalk for example state that there's no need for an engineer and will reactive the phone line remotely. 

Does anyone here have similar experiences? 

Thank you in advance.

All the best,

Chris

[#2]

Welcome to the forums, @chrkou . If you have a physical line into the property, the engineer doesn't have to visit you, but he will have to make connections in the exchange and at your local fibre cabinet, which is where the charge comes in. I don't know, but I would imagine the other providers you quote would also pass that charge onto you?

[#3]

Hi,

Thank you for your response John. Yes, I am not sure either. TalkTalk for example just says this: 

"We will reactivate this line which means you won't need an engineer visit and you'll receive a new telephone number in the post. We'll send you a new router before your go live date, along with a step-by-step router installation guide." 

This means no engineer visits or installation fees etc. 

Plusnet thinks that I need an engineer visit? I do want to sign up with Plusnet but waiting for an engineer and an extra £50 charge...it seems a bit strange. 

Christos

[#4]

Christos - Unfortunately, because the line is ceased at your new property, I think TT would pass the re-activation fee on to you. I have a feeling that information assumes you already have a working phone line.

Plusnet is not that clear, but the engineer visit they refer to is the one to the exchange.

Is this information generic, or have explicitly told them there is no active line at the property?

[#5]

@chrkou Is the following a quote from Talk Talk or your interpretation?

This means no engineer visits or installation fees etc. 

Plusnet regularly confuse people with this clause. If there is already a connection to the property but the service has been stopped then the 'engineer visit' is actually to the exchange and/or street cabinet, not your property.

As for the £50 charge, this still stands with Plusnet. I would advise that you double check with other providers. I note that EE for example charge £50  if you need a 'new line'. Is reconnecting an existing line counted as a new line by EE? I have no idea.

[#6]

@Baldrick1 @jab1 TalkTalk on their website have said no installation fees would be required as they can re-activate the line remotely, they just need to send a router. I wonder why Talk Talk, EE and other companies (BT have also said this) can do this remotely but Plusnet needs to send an engineer to re-activate the line.

[#7]

I think @Baldrick1 (and others on here) will back me up when I say you are being given slightly wrong information. If the line is stopped, there is a good chance it will need manual intervention, as the connections in the exchange/cab could have been switched to another subscriber.

[#8]

OK fair enough. Plusnet says this when I enter the address of my new flat: 

"What you need to know:
Installing a new socket
    You'll need a BT socket before we can get you connected.
    An engineer will need access to your home to install one for you at a cost of £49.99.
    You can choose a preferred installation date before checkout and your broadband will go live on the same day."

So maybe is not exchange/cab after all?

[#9]

@chrkou 

You are just not listening!

Activating the service from the cabinet/exchange is connecting you remotely from your property. All you have to do with any of these suppliers, including Plusnet, is to just plug in the hub.

Talk Talk might well not charge you for re-establishing the connection. It's their choice whether to pass on all or part of the charge that Openreach will levy on them for reconnecting the line.

Edit

Posts have crossed here. You have now opened the debate whether or not there is actually a stopped line at the flat. If there is no existing line then the others are not going o be able to install a new line remotely!

[#10]

If there is a stopped line, then any charge depends on whether it is currently a BT line or an LLU line. There is no charge for restarting a stopped BT line but the £49.99 charge still applies to restart an LLU line, since an engineer must go to the exchange and change the jumpers. Other suppliers may choose not to pass on this charge.

[#11]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Fibre to My Order

[#12]

@MisterW 

Thanks for the clarification on when Plusnet levy the charge, I had missed that nuance.

[#13]

@MisterW  I thought that the charge always applied to FTTC because an engineer has to go to the cabinet to connect the jumpers to the DSLAM, you seem to be referring to phone line changes because of LLU.

[#14]

I thought that the charge always applied to FTTC because an engineer has to go to the cabinet to connect the jumpers to the DSLAM, you seem to be referring to phone line changes because of LLU.

I am referring to the possible phone line charge, You are correct, an engineer will go to the cab to activate FTTC. AFAIK there's no charge for this. Either OR dont charge anymore ( included in initial annual costs ) or Plusnet dont pass it on anymore.

[#15]

@MisterW  If your explanation is correct it would appear that I was incorrectly charged when I re-joined Plusnet back in 2019 unless changes have happened since then.

I got the stock Welcome e-mail incorrectly stating that an engineer visit to install the phone service was required. I pointed out to Plusnet that it was a stopped line and was previously with Plusnet so definitely not LLU. There was then an inexplicable problem with the phone number on the stopped line not being available to order which even had our resident wizard Gandalf puzzled. It wasn't really a problem as the same number was used.

I wonder if it is a bit late to ask for a refund of the installation charge?😁