Horsham businessman laments ‘complete nightmare’

Lee Fowler said he signed the contract to set up his business, an IT company called EOS Solutions South Limited, four months ago.

But the communications company’s delay in setting up phone lines at the site in Newdigate, Surrey, means Mr Fowler and his business partner have lost months of potential business.

However, BT has apologised for the delay and stressed ‘every effort is being made to complete the engineering work as quickly as possible’.

Mr Fowler said: “The whole thing is a farce - it has been a complete and utter nightmare.

“We are losing £250 to £300 a day, we are waiting for a major contract to be signed and we can’t sign it.”

He added that it is only since the Surrey site’s landlady contacted her local MP that progress from the international communications company has been obvious.

He said: “The landlady has got her MP involved, and that has got the wheels turning.

“But everything we are chucking at this seems to be going wrong.

“There has been no sense of urgency by BT. We signed on the dotted line on June 1.”

Mr Fowler, who has been in discussion with the company’s Senior Complaints Team, also insisted BT ‘should be bending over backwards’ to allow him to set up the company.

A spokesperson for BT told The County Times: “Engineers need to install a new section of underground duct and cable in order to provide communications services at this new business address.

“We apologise for the delay, which is due to the scale of the engineering work involved.

“Every effort is being made to complete the engineering work as quickly as possible.”

Mr Fowler says that business opportunities are being harmed, partly because he has no landline number to offer customers, and mobile phone numbers look ‘less professional’.

He added that the company could be looking into compensation in the future.

Since they released the statement, Mr Fowler said BT has informed him of further delays.

Mr Fowler was set to hear from them again regarding progress of the engineering works today (Thursday September 26).