Software, Software Development and other Atrocities

British Telecom one of the biggest broadband, phone lines and mobile products, digital TV, web hosting, online security and networked IT services for home.... providers in the UK have been giving me various headaches lately. And this is the story:

I recently moved to a new place in the south of England, and of course needed a telephone line and broadband connected to be able to work from home. I ring BT (after finding out that other providers aren't that good, or at least other broadband providers needed a BT line installed... so I decided to go for the whole package with BT.) Give them my new address and tell them I want a telephone line and broadband. They say they will get back to me.

Two days after: someone rings and says they cannot connect my line because it has been taken by another provider and they didn't know who. So they asked me who? And of course I didn't know (although I tried to find out before asking our state agents, but with no success.) Thing is I would have to pay the price of a "reconnection" £125 (aaahhhh). I say Ok I needed a line and broadband quickly. They book a technician to visit me in 10 days. (!!!!!!)

Ten days after: the technician comes. (During those 10 days I went to a local coffee shop and local library to use the internet.) The technician connects what he has to connect inside and outside the house. Then comes back to me and says. There is a problem. Your broadband should be working but the telephone line isn't. There must be a fault in the "exchange" and he was going to report the problem. So I connect my BT Hub which arrived that same morning and Yes the broadband was working! :)

Being able to at least work from home I was not bothered that much by the telephone line (not yet) and I decided to wait until someone contacted me with news.

Five days after that: my broadband stops working. I reset the HUB and nothing happens. Then I get a call from BT: "we are sorry to inform you that your broadband hasn't been fixed yet. We found a problem in the exchange and we had to disconnect your telephone line too. We will be able to fix everything in 20 working days." (that is a month!!!!). I tell them, hey it's the other way around, my broadband was working and the telephone line wasn't. You disconnected my broadband! They just listened and said in any case we have disconnected both your services and we will repair them in 20 working days.
AHHHHHHH

I thought on possible solutions. I couldn't think on going back to the coffee shop/library routine again. Too slow connections and too uncomfortable. I went to THREE and bought a Mobile Broadband USB Modem. A pay-as-you-go one. Not contract one. I did want to use BT broand still because I though it was more reliable. A pay-as-you-go broadband thing would enable me to work from home at a relatively low price. £50 for the USB modem and £15 for a top-up 3GB for one month. Which I could use during these 20 working days. I have to say that that was a temporary solution only. The 3 broadband network isn't good at all. I got disconnected all the time. And it was slow.... but at least I could do my job.

Ok, what happens next? BT ring me days after and tell me that my telephone line will be fixed in a weeks time and the broadband in 2. So I say thanks. The lady, tells me her name, Patty and gives me her direct telephone and asks me to ring her if I had any questions or problems. Nice.

So, I forget about BT and continue normal life. One day I get a call from BT, someone new. He tells me that I have to approve a disconnection otherwise the next disconnection period will be in more than 1 month time. :s I ignore the call and ring Patty and tell her the story. She said it was a mistake. She was dealing with my case and that my lines will be repaired in 1 and 2 weeks.

On the specified date my telephone line starts to work. Yahoo! Good. Then I just need to wait another week for broadband. I think I was too optimistic. I get another call from BT. Someone told me that my line will take a few weeks to be repaired. And I say thank you for the information. I ring Patty (and use the line that apparently wasn't working!) and she says, see these people are in call centres in India. They don't read all the information. I am dealing with your case don't worry. And I ask, so then why do these people keep on calling me, giving me the wrong information??? Misleading me!!! She just says, do not trust them. Just talk to me :s
Waiting, waiting, a week after that I didn't have broadband. So I ring Patty and asked her what was happening. She says she just placed an order for my broadband, that it will take another week. (too late!!!) Ok I say.

The day after that: my telephone line stops working, again! I ring Patty and she says there isn't a problem. She asks me to check my plug, cable, handset. I do everything plus bringing another handset and nothing worked. I ring again and say, it isn't working. They say they will send a technician, but if the problem was on my side, that is, I did something wrong, used the wrong equipment they will charge me £160!!!! At that point I got a text from BT saying:

Fault investigation underway on ***mynumber***. We will update you when we have more information. If internet access is possible go to www.bt.com/fault.

I was sure it wasn't my problem. So I say send the technician. They book one for me to come in 2 days. Next day, I get this text:

BT Fault Update for ***mynumber***. We are aware of your fault and aim to address in by (date:tomorrow 17:00). We will advise if we need to visit your premises.

and the technician comes after lunch time (this is weird, he comes earlier than specified!) he checks everything again. And yes, there was no problem in the inside. He goes outside to check the cables and comes 3o mins after. He says, it's fixed. I tried to use the telephone and it worked! :) and then he says, try your broadband, and yes IT WORKED it F**** WORKED!!!!! :)

And of course I got another text:

BT Update ***mynumber*** Your Fault has been fixed, sorry for any inconvenience. Please contact us within 48 hours. If you need further assistance.

And now I am just sitting here, using BT broadband to write this post and wondering what will be the next episode in this saga.
Should I ring Patty and tell her that my broadband is working 4 days before the date she told me?
Should I go for another broadband provider?

----------------------------------------
If you are wondering. For all calls I made to BT I used my mobile phone. BT's number I called were 0800 numbers which are supposed to be free if you are calling from a landline but they charge you if you are using a mobile!!! For each call I was left on hold many times, I think the longest call was 30 mins. So now I am not looking forward to receiving my mobile bill.