New home, no phone for Shropshire couple
It was meant to be an exciting time for Robert Price and his wife Christine when they moved into their newly built home.
But the couple, who live in Prees, near Whitchurch, have faced more than three months of frustration after being left without a phone line and broadband.
The couple have hit out at BT, claiming they haven't heard from the company for about five weeks and were originally told they would be connected by the end of February.
But BT today said additional work is needed to be done to the property and apologised for the delay.
Mr Price, 65, said: "We purchased the property in Prees as a new building in February/March and applied for a broadband connection, which we were promised would be put in place on February 27.
"But months later we still have no broadband or phone line which is really frustrating. We are at our wit's end.
"We came down from Scotland and rented a property in Wem before this property was finished. After we purchased it we held off from moving in because we were waiting for BT. A guy came around who was quite abrupt and made out as though we were wasting his time because there wasn't a cable present. It was costing us a lot of money, renting one property and owning another, and our lease on the property in Wem was up at the end of April so we had to move in."
Mr Price added: "We were told we needed a surveyor to come out and survey the property.
"Someone came out to survey it and said we needed an underground cable.
"We were then told they were having problems which they passed onto their contractors, and we have been waiting for their contractors to do the job.
"During the next call they said we needed alterations to the cabling and wiring.
"We have never seen progress outside the property.
"We have been facing premium charges because we have had to use a mobile phone and everyone we spoke to wanted an e-mail address which we couldn't give them.
"We have had the stress of retiring and moving out.
"We couldn't contact the outside world very easily and we have had no communication from BT for five weeks now."
Emma Tennant, a spokeswoman for BT, said: "There has been a delay in providing the service to Mr Price.
"It is due to additional works that needs to be done such as more cabling to the property.
"We are sorry for the delay and will try and get the work done as soon as possible."
