Ofcom's advice on your next step

The Internet -
Customer service and Quality service

What is a ‘Tag on the Line’

If you have recently applied for a new DSL-based broadband service (e.g. 1st purchase of a broadband service, or just moved into a new property), you may have been advised that there is a ‘Tag on the Line’ and that it will need to be removed before your order can be progressed.

Tags can occur for a variety of reasons and, in the majority of cases, your new ISP is best placed to investigate and fix the underlying cause of the Tag, on your behalf and, if necessary, liaise directly with BT to have the Tag removed.

In some specific instances, your new ISP will need your assistance in helping to remove the Tag, for example:-

• Incompatible Product -the Tag may exist because your line has an incompatible product already sitting on it (e.g. ISDN), in which case, your ISP will confirm what type of product it is and advise you, as the contract owner, to liaise with the relevant supplier to have the product removed. Please be aware that the ISP will not know who the supplier is, just what the product type is. If you do not wish to have the product removed, you will need to order a separate new line to obtain a broadband service.
• Pre-existing broadband service the Tag may also exist because the line is already carrying a live broadband service (possibly because the previous occupant has failed to cancel their service, or if they did, their supplier may have omitted to cease the service). In this situation your new supplier can tell you the name and contact details of the previous supplier. To remove the service from your line, you should contact the previous supplier and advise them to terminate the previous service. You may need to provide evidence that you are the new owner of the voice line (e.g. copy of latest phone or utility service bill).
• Existing Broadband Service the most common Tag is a broadband service which has been provided since the telephone line was activated. This could be due to someone else in your household ordering broadband without your knowledge, or it could be where you’ve moved into a property that has broadband already set up. Again, the new ISP can advise who the current provider is for you to contact them.
• No Telephone Line one of the main failures of ordering broadband is the lack of a working telephone line. Before you order broadband, you need to ensure that your telephone line is fully installed. Many voice providers will notify you once the telephone line is live and you should wait for this notification before placing a Broadband order.