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Original poster

What would be fair compensation in this circumstance?

73 replies

AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 09:34

Sorry for the lengthy essay to follow:
Our broadband provider, with no warning or reason, disconnected our broadband and home phone last Friday afternoon. Unfortunately this was the worst possible timing as four out of five of us (incl three primary aged children) were covid positive and stuck in the house.
The following day the fifth member of the household also tested positive, meaning none of us were able to leave the house. Neither of the adults have a smartphone and we were therefore unable to access online shopping, entertainment, home-schooling resources, my emails for my self-employed business or long distance learning resources for a course I am doing. I was also unable to participate in a scheduled Zoom interview for a university place.
I have spent over four hours chasing to get this resolved and the customer service has been very poor. I have been told three different stories as to what has happened and why, and have been told that the engineer was coming out but wouldn't need to come in. Then I was told that the engineer had been cancelled as they could not come in. Then I was told there was no fault but a background issue. I've been promised update calls that have never materialised and have spoken to at least five different people.
Finally, fingers crossed, someone competent is on the case and the broadband will be reconnected on Monday. It has been an extremely trying time with three primary aged children and we have had to rely on phoning friends to act as personal shoppers at their inconvenience.. The person now resolving things has mentioned that once the service has been reinstated I will be entitled to compensation. What is a realistic amount to expect in this situation?

OP posts:
Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:04

@TheRealityCheque

"The adults don't have a smartphone"

Sorry, but GrinGrinBiscuit

I am not lying honestly. Both of us have CAT brand android phones. We only got a telly at the start of the second lockdown. Not everyone is the same you know.
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BarbaraofSeville · 11/02/2022 11:07

a 'CAT brand android phones' is a smart phone, isn't it?

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:13

@BarbaraofSeville

a 'CAT brand android phones' is a smart phone, isn't it?
I'm honestly not lying. I can get radio on it but have no internet access. I'm not in the habit of be dishonest but please keep on questioning my integrity if you like.
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Starlightstarbright1 · 11/02/2022 11:13

I am with Bt. They offer an additional cost if you need to not be disconnected for business. I don't pay this as i could manage quite easily. My teen would hate it mind

TakeYourFinalPosition · 11/02/2022 11:19

Is the background issue their fault?

It's inconvenient (and sod's law!) that you got Covid during the outage, and that you don't have smartphones, but neither are really relevant. Your business usage won't be covered unless you have a B2B connection or pay for the insurance.

So you're really getting compensation for the inconvenience of having to chase them constantly to get it fixed, unless the issue was their fault.

They also helped you to mitigate the lack of connectivity with a hub, even if it's a slower temporary connection.

In that case, I'd agree that a refund for a month is reasonable - that would be in line with the FOS precedents, typically. You could push for a month's refund and a rebate that covers half of next month, maybe.

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:19

Picture of said phone for the doubters among you.

What would be fair compensation in this circumstance?
OP posts:
Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:21

@TakeYourFinalPosition thank you, that is helpful

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GirlInACountrySong · 11/02/2022 11:21

I think they have a set rate for compensation due to lack of services

I vaguely remember it happening to us years ago and was surprised at the small amount ...£8 a day sounds about right

You don't just get to demand a figure you would like

GirlInACountrySong · 11/02/2022 11:21

How old are your kids?

TyrannosaurusRegina · 11/02/2022 11:22

I know it's frustrating but in reality, they'll probably offer you a fiver off your next bill or (at the very most and you'd be lucky) a refund for the month.

AlternativePerspective · 11/02/2022 11:24

Assuming you don’t have business rates how much you’ve lost in your business is irrelevant. And you should be careful not to tell them you use your broadband for business or they’re likely to up your bill not the other way around.

And you really do need a smartphone.it’s virtually impossible to conduct life without one, no online banking/shopping/email etc if your broadband happens to go down as you’ve now discovered

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:25

@GirlInACountrySong

How old are your kids?
6, 9 and 11.
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GirlInACountrySong · 11/02/2022 11:32

Well with young kids off surely you would be looking after them as you would in school holidays?

How can people effectively WFH with all the kids home?

bigbluebus · 11/02/2022 11:35

@GirlInACountrySong

Well with young kids off surely you would be looking after them as you would in school holidays?

How can people effectively WFH with all the kids home?

Don't know where you are but it's not school holidays here. It's the week after next!
girlmom21 · 11/02/2022 11:37

@bigbluebus yeah but the kids are off with covid so she's looking after the kids...

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:38

@GirlInACountrySong

Well with young kids off surely you would be looking after them as you would in school holidays?

How can people effectively WFH with all the kids home?

Erm, not sure where you have been for the last two years but that is what many many people have been forced to do. I also work when they have gone to bed or when they are watching a film etc (which if we had had broadband would have been possible).
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Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:39

There's also another adult in the house. I'm not the default parent...

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GirlInACountrySong · 11/02/2022 11:42

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AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:43

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dancingthroughthedark · 11/02/2022 11:46

Is this BT? The exact same thing has happened to us, I am being constantly fobbed off, the mini hub is useless and they seem to turn it off every few days telling me my services are sorted when they are not and I have now been told we will be back online on the 15th! We too got covid while waiting for it to be sorted ! We have now had no Broadband since the 24th Jan ironically the day they took my DD payment and have no access to services like Netflix or Britbox or B T TV . The lady I spoke to told me that I would get compensation after the matter is resolved she mentioned £5 per day but I am not holding my breath. I have this morning written a long email complaint so will wait to see how that goes. It doesn't take a BT expert to tell me that the internet isn't working because they have for no reason taken away my phoneline but the people on the phone are going from a script and just won't listen I get told the same things every time.

SpaceDetective · 11/02/2022 11:49

I would expect very little if it's a standard home broadband contract. If it's business critical then you need a business account.

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:51

@dancingthroughthedark

Is this BT? The exact same thing has happened to us, I am being constantly fobbed off, the mini hub is useless and they seem to turn it off every few days telling me my services are sorted when they are not and I have now been told we will be back online on the 15th! We too got covid while waiting for it to be sorted ! We have now had no Broadband since the 24th Jan ironically the day they took my DD payment and have no access to services like Netflix or Britbox or B T TV . The lady I spoke to told me that I would get compensation after the matter is resolved she mentioned £5 per day but I am not holding my breath. I have this morning written a long email complaint so will wait to see how that goes. It doesn't take a BT expert to tell me that the internet isn't working because they have for no reason taken away my phoneline but the people on the phone are going from a script and just won't listen I get told the same things every time.
Sounds exactly the same. I think it was to do with the migration to Digital Voice. The having to chase and badger and repeat yourself and then start all over again with a new person the following day is unreal. Sympathy to you.
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CorrBlimeyGG · 11/02/2022 11:54

You can get internet access on that phone, the icon is two beneath the camera. It might only be 2G so would be slow, but it's there if you need it.

Inspectorslack · 11/02/2022 11:58

The compensation rate will be in your contract.

If you need it for business you should really have a business account.

Original poster
AudTheDeepMinded · 11/02/2022 11:59

@CorrBlimeyGG

You can get internet access on that phone, the icon is two beneath the camera. It might only be 2G so would be slow, but it's there if you need it.
Great I'll crack on with simultaneously home-schooling three children, learning from my online documents, running my business and watching disney+ and shopping on it immediately... (it's totally pants and would not cope with any of these things. I could not get any connectivity on it at all when I tried).
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