The Great BT Customer Bank Raid

Dunworkin

If you're a BT customer, read on .....

I've just received my BT phone bill, and noticed it was about £11 higher than usual. A look at the small print revealed the reason:

"Your current bill and rental period dates are different. This charge, for rental up to this bill date, will bring them in line in future. For detail see leaflet or call 0800 345 7306".

In my case, the rental charges had previously run from the 1st of the month, whereas the bill has been dated on the 26th of the month. So, in BT's eyes, I was paying only 5 or 6 days in advance, and the majority of it in arrears.

The net result is that I, and I suspect every other BT customer, now has a one-off "adjustment" charge of 25 days worth of rental, on top of the standard monthly rentals which will now run from the bill date.

So that's effectively a "windfall tax" by BT of around £11 on every one of their customers.

BT did not include the leaflet (easily done, especially when you're trying not to bring attention to a raid on your customers' bank accounts), as a call to the above 0800 number will reveal via an automated message. I was told that the BT rental agreement states that charges are payable in advance, so BT have the right to do this. And of course they're "not charging me any extra - just adjusting the payment dates in line with the rental agreement".

And no, you can't opt out of their new billing system. All you can do is exercise your right to walk - of course if you do, then BT would reap the arrears element anyway in the final bill.

I see this as nothing more than a cynical, mean, exploitative charge by a large, greedy company on its customers, at a time of national financial difficulties for families.

Outrageous or what? BT deserve a national exodus of their customers for this. I'd also like to think that that 0800 number will be buzzing for weeks .....

topherxp

What a numpty, get over yourself, there is nothing exploitative about it, Tiscali did something similar a couple of years ago.

Your not paying anymore for your service, it's just a change in how the rental is billed to you.

BT don't reap the arrears if you close your account as any rental billed in advance is refunded back on the final bill.

It's not every other customer that gets 25 days worth of rental, it just depends on when your bill is produced, so could be 1, 4, 7 or 25 days.

All new customers have been billed this way now for over a year and there just aligning everybody else.

The new billing system is a requirement from OFCOM.

Dunworkin

tosserxp wrote: »

What a numpty, get over yourself, there is nothing exploitative about it, Tiscali did something similar a couple of years ago.

A numpty eh? Well thanks for your constructive and considerate contribution. Not exploitative? In your view, as someone else has done the same, then this is OK. Not in my book - so I suggest you "get over yourself" instead.

Your not paying anymore for your service, it's just a change in how the rental is billed to you.

I know I'm not paying more for the service - they've just decided to bring the payment and bill dates in line in a way that suits them, and brings in extra cash and revenue this month. You clearly find nothing unacceptable with that. But then your use of "your" rather than "you're" casts doubt on your intellect. And you sound just like the pre-recorded BT message.

BT don't reap the arrears if you close your account as any rental billed in advance is refunded back on the final bill.

Which is exactly what I said. From which I deduce that irony and sarcasm aren't particularly prominent in your list of personal attributes either.

It's not every other customer that gets 25 days worth of rental, it just depends on when your bill is produced, so could be 1, 4, 7 or 25 days.

That's alright then - they just grab varying degrees of cash from their customers this month.

All new customers have been billed this way now for over a year and there just aligning everybody else.

Do you work for BT, by any chance? ......... Oh, and its' "they're" rather than "there" BTW.

The new billing system is a requirement from OFCOM.

Well I phoned Ofcom, and the person I spoke to didn't mention this. But you clearly know this for a fact, so I bow to your superior and condescending intellect - sigh.

You missed the key points that:

a) they omitted to include the explanatory leaflet - which I find surprising and somewhat suspicious

b) at a time when people are struggling with utility bills, the timing is unbelievably crass.

You may have deduced that I don't appreciate "smart alecs" who flame other posters in this way - so I trust you'll respect my right and desire to defend my original post.

Fortunately, most posters in this forum are helpful and constructive, as is the site itself. And as a result of the helpful, positive advice available from posters other than yourself, I have now registered with 18185 and have programmed the code in my phone. So from now on, BT will get my £10.50 line rental each month, and nothing else. Power to the consumer! Up BT, and up yours!

syko29793

its just an adjustment your not paying for anything more than what you getting. the change is probably due to BT migrating you to wlr3

Heinz

Dunworkin wrote: »

Fortunately, most posters in this forum are helpful and constructive, as is the site itself. And as a result of the helpful, positive advice available from posters other than yourself, I have now registered with 18185 and have programmed the code in my phone. So from now on, BT will get my £10.50 line rental each month, and nothing else.

Don't forget there are some calls which, at times, are cheapest on BT (please see the HERE link in my signature below).

topherxp

I do respect your right to defend yourself, but my god don't you like to moan. On top of which, you turn out to be one of those annoying people who correct peoples grammer.

All that is happening, in the end of the day, is BT are going to bill every customer exactly the sameway for their rental, instead of everybody being billed differently for their rental.

As for the points you mentioned, about 120,000 customer won't receive the leaflet due to a print shortage, a problem there will take 2 weeks to resolve.

When is there a good time? The new IT system and the bill system is compulsory and the transfer of customers needs to be completed by 2010 and is not something that has just been decided, which by most media reports, when the 'credit crunch' will still be around.

As for most people being helpful on this forum, 'unlike me', and the reference to 18185, which part of this thread was about call charges because by any means if the thread was about that I would have mentioned 18185.

Miroslav

I received this today too, sending me into a little shock!

I wish they had forewarned me longer than the 8 days before my billing date , but I do have a little pot for minor surprises which will be used in this case.

I understand that things must be brought into line, but in none of the BT Updates that I have received, was this mentioned and communication is always a useful tool.

I shall be using Heinz's link to see where I can save on money.

I am currently on the unlimited weekend plan, but barely use my phone other than for internet connection and the odd call. My monthly usage cost excluding line rental is often less than £5. Am I on the right plan, or is there a low usage plan?

Gray-Fox

£5 is low usage, what more do you want?!