I desperately need help with my phone line?

Question

I have a retail gift shop and yesterday my telephone went out. I called the phone company and all they will tell me is that it will be fixed by 6:00pm Dec 24. Help!!! Maybe someone call tell me something that I can do to fix this today since I have no phone or credit card machine. It started with static and then just died yesterday morning. It is still out today but the line is dead. You hear nothing. Weird thing is I can call the number with my cell and sometimes it rings through but when I pick it up it is dead. Also I have no dialtone at all. I tried unplugging all the phones and testing each one seperately but no luck. I even tried it with a phone from home in case they were all fried. Other times I call it I get an error message from at&t saying they are having facility difficulties try the call again later. Any advice so I can have my phone for Dec 24 business. I have called the hpone company twice already and just get the same answer

Answer 1

The problem probably isn't with your phone, as you know. The phone company fixes the line when it gets around to it, and customers are pretty much helpless to speed things up. Businesses do get priority over residential service outages.

This time of year, it's entirely possible that small mammals (mice, squirrels, rabbits, etc.) have gotten into a switchbox or other nested wiring and chewed through the insulation. We've had this problem many times, sometimes with service interruption of 5-7 days.

Answer 2

it sounds like the wires coming in are faulty this happens sometimes after a rainstorm the wires may get wet or just normal corrosion check the lines and jacks the static at the beginning tells me that the lines were probably wet

Answer 3

number one: if this is listed as a business account, thats bull c**p they make u wait that long, businesses are always same day or next morning by noon (at least at Verizon they are...) When U call the phone company, the only way to get a priority appt. is to say its a medical emer. but this is only with a residential account...SO GOOD LUCK!!! Speak with a supervisor next time and explain this is crucial to your business.

Answer 4

do you know if there is a gray box it is Network Interface Device or NID. take a corded phone to the NID with a flat bladed s***w driver and open with the driver. there is a test jack there unplug in and plug in you corded for and see if you have dail tone. if it is dead there it is on the ILEC side I.E. AT&T or Verizon. then if you don't have AT&T or Verizon you will have to call your telephone Company and the will have to get in touch with AT&T or Verizon to come out and fix the promblem. if you have dail tone at the NID there is a problem with you inside wires. if there is more you would like me to help please Email me at [e-mail]

Answer 5

Call the phone company, explain the problem, and they will forward the calls to your cell phone until the wired phone line is repaired.

Answer 6

if your having bad weather like i am that effects your phone service Good Luck and Merry Christmas

Answer 7

sounds like you have done all the troubleshooting that you could... sounds like you have an "open" since the line rings thru and not busy... and since you checked all your phone jacks, it appears the trouble is outside...

you can only wait for them to fix your line outside...

as a business you should have multiple lines, as well as a hunt group...

connect your credit card machine to a diffrent line untill the line is fixed, and have the phone company busy out, or forward the line untill repairs are made..

you may need to call the credit card company and advise them that you changed the line the CC machine is connected to