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Is it possible to speak to a person at BT about my landline problem?

(12 Posts)
Alie2Oxon Tue 17-Oct-23 20:20:39

Three days ago my landline phones (3 extensions) started acting up, with noise all the time on the line, crackling and humming. Yesterday my sister let me know by mobile that she can't get through to me at all on the landline, it just rings once and cuts off. Doesn't ring at all here.
I can make calls but it's quite stressful with all the noise.

I've spent time today looking at BT online to find a phone help line, and going round and round not even finding a chatbot.
Nothing seems to be relevant.

I'm 83 now an having difficulty doing new tech stuff.
There used to be a free number!
Any suggestions welcome please!

welbeck Tue 17-Oct-23 20:32:16

www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/technical-support/landline

welbeck Tue 17-Oct-23 20:34:43

click on the above and scroll down to
Message Us
and
Call Us
sections.
worked for me last week, and problem solved now.
good luck.

NorthowramGran Tue 17-Oct-23 20:38:18

Try calling 0330 1234 150. We’ve had an ongoing issue withBT recently and this was the number we used. Hope this helps!

Wheniwasyourage Tue 17-Oct-23 20:47:18

Yes, I would agree eith NorthowramGran. We have phoned this number twice recently for help with our account and both times have had very helpful women, based in the UK, who sorted out our problems to our complete satisfaction.

NotSpaghetti Tue 17-Oct-23 22:50:47

Could it be the phone itself?
Do you have another one you could plug in to try it?

Bodach Tue 17-Oct-23 23:20:53

Maybe BT has moved you over to their digital system, whereby your landline becomes defunct, and your 'landline' calls are made and received via the internet. If so, you should have received notification via email from BT to tell you when this is happening, and what you have to do to make it work. It worked fine for us, but one of our neighbours - who never reads her emails - was completely taken by surprise when her landline phone started having the same sort of problems as you describe before stopping working altogether. I went next door and unplugged her phone from the wall socket and plugged it in to the special green socket on the back of her BT router. Hey Presto!

welbeck Wed 18-Oct-23 00:24:39

they send letters about switching over to digital voice, so that's unlikely.
i even tried doing that re-plugging, but no good; it was something in the street that was wrong.
reported sunday pm, engineer phoned today, now working.
they sent me a ?hub which i didn't want, haven't opened, and arrived about the same time as the engineer was fixing the problem.
i was out at the time.
now i have the bother of sending it back.

Oopsadaisy1 Wed 18-Oct-23 08:15:22

Wellbeck I’m assuming your new Hub is the up to date replacement for your old router. Best to plug it in and use it as the old one will soon be obsolete.

welbeck Wed 18-Oct-23 09:32:42

no. it is a mini hub sent because my broadband was not working.
it has to be sent back.
i never send anything anywhere, so am annoyed at the inconvenience BT have imposed on me.
i might ring them . . .

Alie2Oxon Mon 23-Oct-23 17:28:39

I don't know what happened to the answer I put in before saying thanks - it doesn't seem to be here!
I said I had another number, tried both and got nowhere!
I eventually got a message that it might be fixed by the 25th....

Well, I came in from a library trip today and found an Outreach van outside, spoke to the man and yes it was for me.

They tested everything over about an hour, went up the pole and down a manhole...and do seem to have fixed it. I just phoned my friend and got her to phone back (part of my problem being no-one could phone me) and yes, she got through. Big relief.

We aren't digital yet but I suppose it's on the way. Thanks all.

Alie2Oxon Sun 29-Oct-23 11:37:01

It's fixed.