I Roger. One thing you will probably be asked to do once you can find a fault number is plug another corded phone into the master socket to help make sure the fault is not in the premises or the phone itself. The master socket is behind the cover of one of the outlets in the home. At least this is the case with our provider which is the Post Office who I might add may not be the cheapest but are easy to contact with actual human beings in the UK!
Edit.
This is why we ended up with the post office from a post I made elsewhere.
When I was building our house and the roof and barge boarding was done I contacted BT and they organised for a cable to be nailed up outside and threaded through the wall but not connected to the pole as I would not be ready for this for some time, this all went without a hitch. The problem came when we were ready to be finally connected, I contacted them and tried to explain what I needed doing. This proved difficult
" just plug your phone into the box on the wall"
I explained we need the house connecting for a new build
"who are you with now"
nobody
"what does it say on the box on the wall"
we don't have one
"you must have"
no it's a new connection etc. etc..
I might add I had spent nearly half an hour to get to talk to this person, anyway after being bumped around some more departments it was arranged that I would be contacted by Openeach within 10 days to arrange connection 10 days came and went. I called BT again and another 45 minutes of my life were wasted to be told I would be contacted by Openreach within 10 days, you guessed it nothing happened. I left it some more time but still no contact. I had plenty to get on with on the house but we did want a phone (not an unreasonable expectation I think). When regaling this tale of woe to a friend they asked whether I had contacted the Post Office, logical I suppose, certainly as logical as buying electricity from a British gas. The Post Office organised it with one simple phone call and we have stayed with them.
