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Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

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TW
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Registered: ‎15-05-2013

Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

I have recently had a failure with my telephone/fibreTTC line.
Plusnet arranged for its repair and all is now fine.

However it was said that the BT repairers would not necessarily contact me..and they didn't.

Yesterday I noticed that a section of cast iron guttering had been removed, adjacent to what I imagine is a telephone connection box. (see pic).
The property is always occupied (I am 'mobility challenged') and the bit of gutter is in full view of the main road.

The corner section of the gutter is not to be found and there is no damage, just a neat removal.

Replacement corners are £50+ and then the fitting.. so not peanuts.

Is it likely to have been BT?
Is there anyway to ask?

Any views..or just tough, one of life's little mysteries?

23 REPLIES 23
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Thanks for getting in touch @TW

From reviewing the engineers notes they don't explicitly state that the guttering was removed but given the location of said guttering it's unlikely to be an coincidence.

We can raise this as a complaint to our suppliers but I'm afraid I can't gurantee what they'll be able to do or offer.

If you want to go ahead with this just reply to this post

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 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
TW
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Thank you Matthew,
I'd like you to see what the engineers have to say please ... in the unlikely event of a contribution to the cost of replacement being offered it would be welcome..

Any 'next time' will see the CCTV switched to record....

The guttering is well maintained but nearly 100 years old so quite an odd profile I'm told...never-the-less a second hand piece has been located.
When it arrives there's just the fitting to arrange.....

BTW the last time BT were here they left a hammer in much the same place...but they remembered to come back for that in a few weeks!

John

SammyM
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Hello @TW,

 

Thanks for getting back to us we really appreciate it. Before we raise a complaint to our supplier, is it possible this was caused by the recent storms we have been having? Given the time frame since the visit, we would need to be certain the damage was caused by our engineer before raising a complaint.

 

When raising the complaint with our supplier, it is unlikely they would be able to arrange for someone to fit this for you. However we can look at the options available at that time should the complaint need raising.

 

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 Sammy M - Sheffield Team
 Plusnet Help Team
TW
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Registered: ‎15-05-2013

Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

I can see your need to avoid frivolity in complaints however I did say "The corner section of the gutter is not to be found and there is no damage, just a neat removal"  so, in the absence of debris, I think storm damage can be ruled out.

Which leaves theft or BT as possible choices I think.

Because of CCTV coverage and the sites exposure to the main road (and what would be a reason to take the risk?) I think theft is unlikely.

BT is ruled in in my book...proving it is of course impossible...but I will regard any further visit from them with more wariness than hitherto and so I should be grateful if you would, on my behalf, voice my concerns and ask for their comments (if they didn't need to venture onto the premises in their investigation then there must be another, more mysterious, explanation......).

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Thanks for getting back to us.

After speaking with a colleague I'm afraid it's not possible for us to report this ourselves but you can do this yourself by calling  0800 023 2023 and then options 1 then 2.

Let us know how you get on

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 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
RealAleMadrid
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

@MatthewWheeler  This is beyond belief, Your supplier's "engineer" appointed by yourselves has removed a section of gutter and taken it away (probably because it fell and broke) and you are unable to even report the incident to your supplier. That is not acceptable.Angry

TW
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

@MatthewWheeler
I regret that Plusnet is not prepared even to explore the possibility of error having occurred
during a repair to my service, instigated by themselves.
I thought that having support from Plusnet was the whole point of obtaining services under your umbrella.

Disappointing.....


@RealAleMadrid
I am grateful for your post but it must be remembered that it is purely conjecture that the missing bit of gutter is associated with BT repair, the absnce of the gutter corner having only just been noticed.(repair was about the second week in June)

Looking back at my 'question' with Plusnet they said "Please be aware that although it is not required at this time, our suppliers may wish to send an engineer to the premises at a later date, we will notify you should this be the case".
No message was received.
Later Plusnet said "BT have confirmed they have resolved a fault on the underground cabling".

It must be said that I can only get outside on a rare occasion and then examining the gutters is never a priority..... so the time lapse before my complaint is understandable.

I shall complain as @MatthewWheeler suggests but, as an individual without 'clout' or evidence, I do not expect much of a response.
I have now learned to leave the CCTV recording however....

198kHz
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Worth a look?

https://www.resolver.co.uk/companies/openreach-complaints

Murphy was an optimist
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TW
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

@198kHz
Thank you for drawing 'Resolver' to my attention, it was very useful in clarifying complaint options.

In a nutshell, Plusnet should be involved if it is a service issue (it is not) otherwise Resolver recommends:
'....if during an installation Openreach cause damage to your property or you feel the staff may have not met the professional standards that you would expect then you should raise the issue with them through Resolver'.

So the direct approach suggested by Plusnet is correct although whether, in the absence of clear evidence, it is worthwhile is debatable.

I shall make my point however, if just to let OpenReach know 'we are watching them'

198kHz
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

@TW   Aye, might as well give it a go - nothing to lose.

Murphy was an optimist
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Marksfish
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Seems strange to me that we are constantly being told Openreach are non customer facing, but you are being told to contact them yourself, as it would be OR that supply the engineers. I would have thought that under consumer law, your contract is with PN, therefore you should complain to them and then they should pass it on. Seems to be a bit of buck passing going on here.

Mark

billnotben
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

Looking at my cast iron guttering the long lengths are screwed to the wood board while the corner sections are bolted to these. The only way a corner section on mine can be removed is by undoing the two bolts. The only other way is for a long length to fall down snapping off and taking a corner section with it which is very unlikely. There's no way a corner section "falls" off on its own without help.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

On looking at the OP's picture you have to ask yourself what the person was thinking when they mounted a junction box there in the first place, quite lax if you ask me and if you don’t ask it’s still lax.

The cable itself isn't correctly fixed in place within the junction nor looped and anchored and there appear to be wires exposed as well!

TW
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Re: Phone repair, missing gutter corner....

@Anonymous, @billnotben, @Marksfish, @198kHz, @RealAleMadrid

You have all been very helpful, thank you, it is good to know that I'm not just being pernickety...

I shall approach OpenR (via Resolver - though I find it hard to believe that PN won't even ask on my behalf) and use your arguments to press my case.

A family member (a builder) has done a temporary fix for me but was unable to source the exact corner piece (it being so old) so a good bit of gutter across the gable end was replaced to make it fit.
He remarked that getting the bolts out must have been quite a job and (in the process) loosened the sections of gutter leading to the corner.

I shall comment on the apparent poor fixing of the cable too.

I will post when/if I get a response from OR...breath holding is not advised...