Relocating residential cable anchor point?

AlanF

Morning all

<excuse semi rant>

I have arranged for my 40 year old barge boards to be replaced.The
problem is that BT (or GPO I suspect)when originally fitting the line
took the easy way out and mounted their old fashioned anchor point on my
wooden barge boards which obviously will be disappearing into a skip,
rather than the bricks.

Having gone through the hell of BT's phone system - they are apparently
"very busy" (all the time)and I have literally spent hours queuing
waiting to speak to a human, who then has no idea what a barge board is
(I guess they don't have many in India). Note to BT have you considered
employing some additional staff?

Anyway having at the fifth attempt finally reached the correct
department (Line plant Re-arrangement Team on 0800 0121 387) they now
want to charge £100 to move their anchor point approximately 6 inches.

Their line is that the previous owner of the house gave his implied
consent to the positioning of the line in its present location and
therefore I must pay for it to be changed.


A relative had their barge boards replaced approx 5 years ago and BT
re-sited the cable without charge acknowledging that it was a poor place
to site it. This has no doubt changed as they need to maximise their
revenue.

Has anyone found a successful line of attack to get BT (or which ever
company now is responsible for the cable infrastructure) to re-site
their equipment. An approach to Chairman's Office ( of whatever the
company is)

Worse case scenario is that I will do it myself (yes I know all the
usual warnings about naughty me touching BT kit etc.)

I might have been more relaxed about paying if they had been charging a
reasonable rate but I consider £100 for a 10 minute job nothing less
than extortion by a monopoly.

TIA

A

John

"AlanF" <a@b.com> wrote in message
news:O96dneeKPN6_QNbanZ2dnUVZ8sSrnZ2d@giganews.com ...
> Morning all
>
> <excuse semi rant>
>
> I have arranged for my 40 year old barge boards to be replaced.The problem
> is that BT (or GPO I suspect)when originally fitting the line took the
> easy way out and mounted their old fashioned anchor point on my wooden
> barge boards which obviously will be disappearing into a skip, rather than
> the bricks.
>
> Having gone through the hell of BT's phone system - they are apparently
> "very busy" (all the time)and I have literally spent hours queuing waiting
> to speak to a human, who then has no idea what a barge board is (I guess
> they don't have many in India). Note to BT have you considered employing
> some additional staff?
>
> Anyway having at the fifth attempt finally reached the correct department
> (Line plant Re-arrangement Team on 0800 0121 387) they now want to charge
> £100 to move their anchor point approximately 6 inches.
>
> Their line is that the previous owner of the house gave his implied
> consent to the positioning of the line in its present location and
> therefore I must pay for it to be changed.
>
>
> A relative had their barge boards replaced approx 5 years ago and BT
> re-sited the cable without charge acknowledging that it was a poor place
> to site it. This has no doubt changed as they need to maximise their
> revenue.
>
> Has anyone found a successful line of attack to get BT (or which ever
> company now is responsible for the cable infrastructure) to re-site their
> equipment. An approach to Chairman's Office ( of whatever the company is)
>
> Worse case scenario is that I will do it myself (yes I know all the usual
> warnings about naughty me touching BT kit etc.)
>
> I might have been more relaxed about paying if they had been charging a
> reasonable rate but I consider £100 for a 10 minute job nothing less than
> extortion by a monopoly.

As long as the dropwire from the pole to your barge boards will not fall
across a road when you let it down, then just undo the pigtail, unscrew the
bracket and resite wherever you want. Like you say, 10-minute job and no-one
the wiser.

John

Ant

"AlanF" wrote:

> I have arranged for my 40 year old barge boards to be replaced.The
> problem is that BT (or GPO I suspect)when originally fitting the line
> took the easy way out and mounted their old fashioned anchor point on my
> wooden barge boards which obviously will be disappearing into a skip,
> rather than the bricks.

I've just had my boards and guttering replaced, together with the
roof. I never even thought about contacting BT. The roofers fitted a
new mounting bracket and refixed the cable without me having to ask -
and a very good job they did, too.

Bill

In message <cJKdncbHWdp-DdHaRVnytAA@brightview.co.uk>, Ant
<not@home.today> writes
>I've just had my boards and guttering replaced, together with the
>roof. I never even thought about contacting BT. The roofers fitted a
>new mounting bracket and refixed the cable without me having to ask -
>and a very good job they did, too.

My parents just had a similar job done and for the cost of one

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/10309/...Shield-Anchor-
Eye-Type-M8-90mm-Drill-Size-14

http://tinyurl.com/38qanv

and 30 minutes time getting the ladders out the job was done. The
guttering guys wouldn't touch the job though so I did. Only thought
about contacting BT for about 5 seconds and then discounted the idea!

>
>

--
Bill