T-Mobile Pay As You Go is costing me an arm and a leg, because even when calling customer service lines, I get billed per minute at my standard rate, since it is not a land line.Since I also want broadband, and the best way to get that here is still over DSL, and I also want a POTS line to dial emergency numbers that will actually work when the electricity is out and doesn't overlpoad as quickly as the mobile towers, I am calling British Telecom for a landline. Cheapest plan, it is a 'line rental' and then free weekend calling: 11 pounds a month. Of course, since I only have my mobile to make the call to order this, those 15 minutes on the phone cost me ten pounds or so. There are four jacks in my new flat already, but no dialtone. BT confirms the line has been disconnected and they will need to send out a tech to reconnect it. 125 pounds. Great.
The first available appointment is on April 2nd.
No, serious. A full month away to dispatch someone to reconnect an existing line. The customer service rep, whose accent that I have a terrible time understanding over the phone I think is Scottish, suggest I call up from time to time to see if there has been a cancellation. No guarantees.
Ok, so broadband will wait. But I am switching to a month-to-month SIM Only mobile ontract with O2 ASAP.
A month. For phone. What the hell? This is one the most respected telecom brands in the world.
