Landline not working

[Wonderful]

My landline had message check phone line on 25 October and I reported it. Nothing has been done. I've rang Sky twice since and they say they can't contact Open Reach who are due to fix it. How on earth can I get through to someone to get it fixed. Virtual Assistant useless.

[Daniel0210]

@Wonderful 

You can't contact Openreach. They will only speak to the ISPs (like Sky). They should be able to ask OR for an update unless there's a technical issue preventing it.

Sky usually quote 2 WORKING DAYS as a potential fix time as this is the service level agreement in the UK between ISPs and Openreach for fixing a fault. Openreach claim to be successful within that timeframe in about 85% of cases. Some repairs take longer, for example when Openreach need to dig the road up (after getting permission from the local council).

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This link explains the Ofcom agreed auto compensation scheme which Sky operates for when there is a TOTAL loss of Sky Broadband or Sky Talk for UK customers.
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/auto-compensation

If you have a total loss of service and it isn’t fixed after two full WORKING days from when Sky are notified of the fault, you will become eligible for it.

From Ofcom’s website:~
If your broadband or landline service stops working, you will have to report the fault to your provider. If the service is not fixed after two full working days, you would not need to ask for compensation or contact your provider again, as your provider has systems in place that mean you will start receiving compensation automatically if the repair takes too long.

This auto compensation is applied 30 days after the fault has been repaired and will come in the form of a credit appearing on your Sky account (from 01/04/25 the new rates are £9.98 per day)

▫️There is no equivalent scheme in place for customers in the Republic of Ireland.
▫️There is no automatic compensation for TV services affected by a broadband problem.
▫️I’m not aware of City Fibre being part of this scheme.
▫️Sky broadband being discussed here is a domestic service therefore whilst it's fine for customers who work from home to use it for that purpose they won't receive additional or quicker support.

[Wonderful]

Thanks for response. I know all about compensation etc.  I spoke to Sky yesterday and I asked if they could contact Open Reach, she said no.  This seems ridiculous  as Sky are the ones who will have to pay compensation It has now been 7 working days. 

[Daniel0210]

@Wonderful 

I would suggest trying again and if you get a similar response ask what the problem is in contacting Openreach.

[Mark39]

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@Wonderful wrote:
My landline had message check phone line on 25 October and I reported it. Nothing has been done. I've rang Sky twice since and they say they can't contact Open Reach who are due to fix it. How on earth can I get through to someone to get it fixed. Virtual Assistant useless.

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If the fault has been reported to Sky, the time it takes for Openreach to fix it is outside Sky's control. If the repair involves digging up footpaths etc it may take a while as Openreach have to seek permission from the local authority before putting spade to the ground.

It appears from previous posts that Openreach rarely provide interim updates to Sky that they can pass on to you. I'd be very surprised if there's any person to person contact between Sky and Openreach for them to be able to seek an update. Almost certainly faults are reported electronically and updates provided in the same way.

[Wonderful]

Again, thanks for response.  Seems I'm stuck. Mobile signal rubbish round here too.  Ridiculous situation.  

[Wonderful]

Yes, I'll give it a few more days then try again.