Telephone cupboard
Has anyone else had ongoing problems with their phone line going dead?
I have had to call out BT twice in two weeks due to this and they have told me on both times that the problem is due to someone putting their stuff in the cupboard in the basement in Institute Place. Next time they will charge me for the call out if it happens again.
Does anyone know who has access to this and using it as their own personal storage cupboard?
Thanks
Stephen
Hi Stephen,
Well I moved into a basement flat (number 35) last weekend and i noticed a cupboard next-door to my flat. I have not personally used it, but is full of assorted empty boxes and junk – presumably someone is using it for storage. Not sure if the BT switch is there?
pri
I was aware that the previous owner (Garreth) was using the cupboard and was asked on many occasions to remove his property. I will drop a note off at the other flats to ask them to remove any items that belong to them. I will then request that Crabtree clear the cupboard and change the lock so that no one else will be able to use it for storage.
However, I would say that it strikes me as unlikely that the presence of junk in the cupboard would cause the phone line to go down? Why didn’t the engineer lock the junction box after he finished? It is wide open today.
BT have been carrying out work in this building last week but I don’t think they had occasion to go over to the Institute Place building.
I also have had new keys cut for the double doors in the basement which should mean that only flats 33, 34 & 35 should be able to get into that area in future. Lets see if that solves the problem.
Siobhan
Thanks for your comments. I spoke to Eda (flat 47) who has just returned from holiday to find that she also has no telephone or internet access. It would be good if the cupboard could be locked so that there is no risk of wires inadvertently being disloged. At the moment I am trying to get compensation from BT for the days (9 in total) when we had no access to phone or internet, but am being told they do not consider themselves responsible for the fault.
Ian (48)
Interestingly, I have just spoken to some BT engineers who are working on the junction box in the Dalston Lane building. I explained your situation and they said that it wasn’t because items had been stored in that cupboard (as they have been over to the I.P. junction box to check) but was more likely connected with a faulty connection between the junction box and the main telephone connection from the street. They have been working on it for days now, I think that the people you speak to on the phone are told to tell people it is their fault regardless of the true situation. Don’t let them get away with it!!
The cleaners have been instructed to clear the cupboard (carefully, just in case!) and a lock will be fitted in due course.
Hi – Philip from Flat 10 here. I just had a BT technician over this Wednesday, as my line didn’t work at all since moving in a few weeks ago.
For what it’s worth, the technician told me that a number of lines were not working properly due to other BT technicians having rewired things improperly upon installing new lines and the like for various tenants of the building.
Perhaps a complaint to BT to sort out the boxes in general, once and for all, would be a good idea?