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Openreach Fault Care Levels - Response times & cost

Openreach Fault Care Levels - Response times & cost
Openreach Care Levels & Time Related Repair Charges - Policy (TRCs)
We understand that when something goes wrong with your phone line, you want it resolved as quickly as possible. That’s why we offer additional BT care level packages to help give you the peace of mind that if you do experience any issues with your phone line, we’ll be on the case in no time at all.
We always do our absolute best to try to help you eliminate any local problems over the phone when you have a problem, and we can test your line right up to the telephone line box in your home. However if we can't find a fault or fix the problem over the phone, we'll give you the option to book an engineer appointment.
When you get in touch, we will run a test on your line from the exchange right up to the telephone line box in your home. If we find a fault, we will immediately raise a ticket with Openreach. In some instances, they may be able to fix the fault without attending your premises. If the fault can’t be found or fixed without a visit, we'll give you the option to book an engineer appointment. Bear in mind that Openreach keep office hours, so faults reported after 5pm will not be picked up until 9am on the next working day. Check your care level for an estimate of the expected response time.

Before booking an engineer callout

Openreach charges all providers in the same way - If the fault is found to be with BT’s infrastructure outside the property, Openreach will cover the cost of any repairs, however, If the fault is found to be inside your property with your equipment, cables, damage or wear and tear, you will be expected to pay for the engineer’s time and any equipment he replaces. Charges will also apply if the engineer is unable to find any faults when tested or if the engineer finds damages due to dampness/water, lightning, electrical surges, theft or loss/removal of Openreach equipment within the customer’s premises including the Network Termination Point (wall socket).
Fault on my BT Line
This assessment will be made by the engineer on site as he is the qualified professional. By booking the appointment, you agree to be bound by the Openreach decision and liable for any charges they invoice. Our engineers will not book an Openreach callout or site visit unless it is authorized by the customer or the point of contact first, accepting the potential costs involved in doing so. If it is clear that the visit will be chargeable, we will require upfront payment for the engineer call out. If it is unclear if a visit will be chargeable, we will await the engineering notes and we will not make a charge unless Openreach make the charge to us, at times this can occur much later than the date of the visit, due to delays in Openreach's billing systems.

BT Openreach fault repair - care levels and response times

Care Level is the term Openreach use to define their expected response times in the event you report a fault on your line.
A response does not always mean that the fault will be fixed. For example, if there is a storm and a pole or line is physically damaged the fault may take longer to rectify. The response is just an initial assessment of the problem by the Openreach engineer and, where possible, their estimate of when it will be sorted. Obviously, if it can be fixed at this initial assessment, it will be.

Openreach Care Level 2

Respond/Fix by 23.59 next day, Monday to Saturday, excluding Public and Bank Holidays.
For example, fault reported Tuesday, respond or fix by end of day Wednesday.
2
FREE on all call plans from June 2021
Old call plan - Upgrade
level 1 to level 2 for £1.50 per month. You can also upgrade to a new call plan with Care Level 2 included.

Openreach Care Level 2.5

2.5 takes priority over level 2.
If the engineer is busy, he will look at faults on Care Level 2.5 first. Respond/Fix by 23.59 next day, Monday to Saturday, excluding Public and Bank Holidays.
For example, fault reported Tuesday, respond or fix by end of day Wednesday.
2.5
One off yearly cost
£25.00 including VAT

Openreach Care Level 3

Report by 13.00, Respond/Fix by 23.59 same day. Report after 13.00, clear next day by 23.59. Seven days a week, including Public and Bank Holidays.
For example, fault reported Tuesday before 13.00, respond or fix clear same day by 23.59.
A response does not always mean that the fault will be fixed. For example, if there is a storm and a pole or line is physically damaged the fault may take longer to rectify.
3
Monthly cost
£5.99 including VAT

Some of the most common telephone problems we have found

Batteries in cordless phones
Old or faulty batteries can give a busy tone on both inbound and outbound calls. Change the batteries or remove them for a few minutes, and then replace them back into the handset. If this clears the problem, replace them as soon as you can. We also recommend rebooting the base station as well.
Flat phone batteries
Just check make sure the cordless phone you are testing with is fully charged. All to often you think you have placed the phone correctly in the charging dock, but it’s not fully seated. It is also worth noting that cordless telephone batteries have a life expectancy of up to three years. After three years, you may find that the handset no longer holds charge, and the battery will need replacing.
Faulty extension leads
If you are using a handset plugged in to an extension socket, remove it and plug the telephone directly into the main telephone socket to see if you have a dial tone. If you do have a dial tone, replace the extension socket and any interconnecting cables. Be aware that poorly fitted extension leads can cause wear and tear on the BT socket, which would not be included under the Openreach repair agreement.
Ringer switched off
This is easily done, just make sure the phone is not switched to silent or the ringer is switch off.
Telephone unplugged
Again, this is easily done. Just make sure the telephone is still plugged in to the telephone socket, and the connector is all the way in.
Cordless phone out of range
We have had several instances where customers have reported a noisy line, and dropping calls, which we found to be caused by the end user exceeding the range of their cordless phone. The range of cordless phones can reduce with age as the batteries degradate and no longer output as much power.
Personal Care Alarms
We have had numerous cases where the Personal Care Alarm has locked up, which caresses the telephone line to become engaged or out of service. We recommend rebooting the alarm unit and/or removing it entirely and plug the telephone directly into the master telephone socket.
Faulty handset
One of the most common causes for reported issues. Telephone handsets do go wrong, and a lot more often than most people realize. We strongly recommend testing with a new handset before calling an engineer out, as this would be an expensive way of finding out you need to buy a new handset.

Our lines are provided and supported by Openreach, thus we can test your line right up to the telephone socket in your home.
 
We do recommend looking at this informational video just to check you have preformed all the checks before contacting us, as this will help determine if the issue is with your equipment.
 
If you are already Simple Telecoms customer you can report a fault through the following link; www.simpletelecoms.co.uk/report-a-telephone-line-fault or by telephone on 0330 122 0000 - 24/7 service.

Telephone faults frenquently asked questions

How do I report a problem or fault with my service?
If you are already a Simple Telecoms customer you can report a fault through the following link www.simpletelecoms.co.uk/report-a-telephone-line-fault or by telephone on 0330 122 0000 - 24/7 service.
 
It will help if you can give us a detailed description of the issue. Some examples of questions to answer: Do you have a dial tone? Does the phone ring? Do you notice the fault on inbound or outbound calls or both? Is the line noisy? Does the call cut off? Is there one way audio? Can you see any physical damage? This information will be passed to one of our engineers to run some line tests from the exchange to see if we can locate the problem. Please note: If you report a line fault, and you are found not to be a Simple Telecoms customer, we will not be able to respond or report this for you.
What are Time related changes (TRCs)?
TRCs are raised to recover the cost incurred by Openreach engineers repairing faults not covered under the terms of the standard Openreach service. They also apply to work carried out beyond the Network Terminating Point (NTP), and for providing or rearranging services or equipment where standard Openreach charges are not available. Examples of what they cover:
 
✘ Engineer is unable to find any faults when tested
✘ Repairs to customer-owned wiring (i.e. any wiring within the boundaries of a customer’s premises, i.e. beyond the NTP)
✘ Repair to network wiring within a customer’s premises if the fault was caused by damage to that wiring
✘ Repairs to customer-owned equipment (e.g., extension sockets and "Star wiring" in the case of broadband)
✘ Line plant re-arrangement  
✘ Time spent familiarising customers with Calling & Network Features
✘ Time spent working outside of normal working hours.
✘ Cables, damage or wear and tear on the NTP
✘ Engineer finds damages due to dampness/water, lightning, electrical surges, theft or loss/removal of Openreach equipment.
✘ End user miss-operation of their equipment.
✘ End users equipment is faulty.
 
The charging rate varies, depending when the work is done (i.e., during weekday business hours, outside normal business hours, Saturdays, and Sundays or over public holidays).
Can I change the Fault Level on my telephone line?
We will always work with Openreach to get all faults resolved as quickly as possible. Care levels can be changed to a higher level after the initial order but NOT while there is an existing fault report open. Bear in mind that the time frame for changing care levels is 5 working days.
I need the fault repaired urgently?
First and foremost, If you have a chronic long-term illness or disability, we would strongly recommend moving to a higher fault repair level if you need a faster response time. You may qualify for the Openreach Priority fault repair scheme, which gives you priority over other customer reported faults. Please be advised though that in order to make sure that the service reaches the people who need it most, Openreach has a rigid set of criteria that needs to meet to qualify. Services into Sheltered Accommodation, Nursing Homes, or Care Homes are not eligible for this priority scheme. Please do not rely on this scheme, as you may be accepted on one fault, but not on another, as this is looked at on a case by case basis, and we have NO control over this.
What payment methods do you accept?
We only accept Direct Debit for monthly service payments. Our Direct Debits are collected by GoCardless which are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Authorized Payment Institution. Your payments are protected by the Direct Debit guarantee. Direct Debits are set up directly via our website or by email. No more filling out paper mandates and posting them back. Services and paying via Direct Debit are subject to status and or credit checks.

 
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