BT Bashing the low incomers ?

Bigted_3 · 19 February 2007 at 11:25PM

Hi, I just received a letter with my quarterly BT bill stating that if I don't make a set number of calls through BT each month, I will be charged £1 a month for the use of the 1571 service. I make all my calls through a cheaper provider. So I will be cancelling the 1571 on my number. Secondly but more infuriating is that if I have a quarterly bill from BT and do not agree to set up a direct debit or a monthly payment plan BT will charge me £4.50 per month. What a set of greedy ............! The reason I have a quarterly bill is because being disabled and conseqently being on a low income I can not always guarantee that I would have the funds in the bank to cover any direct debits.

How do they get away with this poor bashing ! :mad:

clark1982 · 19 February 2007 at 11:38PM

so ur disabled, u can still pay by dd. My gran is disabled and she does!

MarkyMarkD · 19 February 2007 at 11:41PM

If you don't have the funds to pay by direct debit, how are you going to have the funds to pay by quarterly invoice at a higher rate?

They've always offered a DD discount. Paying by other methods is less convenient for them and there's no reason why they shouldn't make a charge.

You are also losing them money by taking line rental and passing no calls through them ... and you expect extra services like 1571 for free as well?

Heinz · 19 February 2007 at 11:49PM

Bigted wrote:

Secondly but more infuriating is that if I have a quarterly bill from BT and do not agree to set up a direct debit or a monthly payment plan BT will charge me £4.50 per month.

That's £4.50 per quarter actually (50p per month more than is already the case).

OTOH, I remember paying 4s 9d (approx. 24p) for a gallon of petrol!

Bigted_3 · 19 February 2007 at 11:52PM

I can only assume you didn't understand the end part of my post ? I said the reason I don't have a direct debit set up is because can not guarantee that I will have the funds available in my account to cover it at the time. Low income - strapped for cash - sailing close to the wind - not a lot to play with - how else can I put it. If my account does not hold the funds on the day of the direct debit - nice fat bank charge at the end of the month. Or I am I missing your point - explain.

utilitybroker · 19 February 2007 at 11:55PM

Their is already a longish thread on this subject here.;)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=342453

MarkyMarkD · 20 February 2007 at 12:13AM

I can only assume you didn't understand my post as well!

As it's more expensive to pay by quarterly invoice, how can you possibly have the money to pay that quarterly invoice, but can't manage to have a smaller amount available in three monthly chunks?

Bigted_3 · 20 February 2007 at 12:20AM

I didn't ever ask for the 1571 service for free, BT offered it for free and I accepted ! BT have now moved the goal post's and decided to charge for what has been a free service.

Please bare that in mind.

Bigted_3 · 20 February 2007 at 12:34AM

Again - you just don't get it. Three direct debits per quarter is three occasions per quarter where I might not have funds in the account on that particular day to meet the direct debit withdrawl. Potentially three overdrawns per quarter. Some times you have to prioritise and pay the most urgent bill first. I envy people with a healthy balance in there accounts it's a nice place to be in. I was once in that place and due to failing health after working all of my life, I am no longer.

MarkyMarkD · 20 February 2007 at 9:04PM

Re 1571, just because something is provided for free for a period of time doesn't mean that it must be provided free forever. And re direct debits, I understand your point about three times as many times the money has to be there. But equally well it's CONSIDERABLY LESS overall so if you'd been paying by DD for any length of time, you'd have enough money in the account to cover the entire amount of the next monthly payment just from the amount you'd have saved.

Bigted_3 · 21 February 2007 at 12:28AM

I think that we will have to agree that we see things from a different perspective and I can only assume that perhaps, from the thoughts you have expressed and the way in which you have expressed them, you may be in a different postion than me financially. When you live in fear of the next unexpected bill, when that car exhaust decides to fall off, when that washing machine decides to go pop, I think then and only then, you probably may just realise why you need absolute control over when your money, leaves your hands. It,s truly wonderful and a luxury to have the cushion of a bank balance that can always accomodate that next direct debit withdrawl. As I said previously, I am not in that enviable position.

Good luck to you.

BT Bashing the low incomers ?

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