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Easy-to-follow steps to test and report faulty phone lines
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Unless there is a citywide outage, it is the customer’s responsibility to alert a phone company that a line is faulty. This wikiHow guide will show you how to submit a report.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Testing Your Phone Line

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  1. If it is a landline, listen for a dial tone with the dial button is clicked. Check to make sure the base is plugged in and the phone is charged before you move on to the next tests.
    • If it is a cell phone, try calling a number in your contacts since you will not be able to hear a dial tone.
  2. If you have to find a new phone to do so, you will want to keep the receipt so that you can return it if your old phone isn’t faulty.
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  3. You can also go on your computer and use an online calling system, such as Skype.
  4. If the call doesn’t go through, despite a dial tone, you may have a problem with your line.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Reporting a Faulty Phone Line

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  1. Look for a website for customer service. You can also go directly to a search engine and type in “Report a fault” and the telephone company name.
  2. Type your phone number into the space provided and the phone system will check to see if there are problems with the line. [1]
  3. You will need to submit a form that will result in a service call.
  4. Opt to call the customer service line on your phone bill using an online calling service or another person’s phone in order to report directly that your phone line is fault. Request a service order so that they will be sure to respond to your service call promptly.
  5. If you still have problems, call the customer service number again.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    My phone line works for the telephone but not the internet. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Call your service provider, they will walk you through a few steps before sending an engineer to investigate.
  • Question
    My elderly mother's landline isn't working and she has no other method of communication. How can I report the faulty landline?
    Community Answer
    Call your mother's service provider and report the problem on her behalf. You may want to get her a mobile phone - you can get a nice senior citizen mobile that is basic, has larger programmable number buttons and a emergency red button.
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      Things You'll Need

      • Phone bill
      • New phone
      • A friend’s phone/pay phone/Skype

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