BT Basic Line Rental: Get a landline for £4.50/month

ellielovesem

Hi all! Felt I needed to get myself onto this board as I have just received my letter saying I have to leave Light User Scheme and I'm not eligible for the new BT Basic. This scheme was good as I probably only make about two calls a week! As some others are saying, I saw that BT were changing this scheme about six months ago and was wondering when I would be 'evicted' and that time has come. I have been offered the evening and weekend package which is all pretty reasonable to me but I don't currently have internet. As this new plan ties me to a 12 month contract if I wanted to get internet sometime within the 12 months would this mean that I would have to go with BT? My current line of thought is to go with Sky Talk (I already have Sky tv) and keep BT line rental (as I call an 0844 number every week) and then have the option of the Sky broadband at a later date.

Does anyone have any opinions?

PlutoinCapricorn

Ellie, this is exactly what I have been wanting to know. Eviction is a good word for it.

So the writing is on the wall for remaining BT LU people. Retaining the BT landline if you want Broadband on it may be a good idea, but if people have Mobile BB via a dongle they will be paying BT a lot of money for nothing if they are transferred. Where people really are light users i.e. make as few phonecalls as possible, a PAYG mobile phone is a good idea.

Everyone's requirements and situations are different, but paying Option 1 or similar tariff for a line that you hardly ever use is money wasting.

For people who don't like contracts, the Mobile BB and PAYG mobile phone seem the best options.

ellielovesem

I agree Pluto, the cost for me now will be much more! I will go from paying around £30 per quarter to £11.25 pm plus calls. The thing for me is that I call my sister in Australia once a week so to be able to use the 0844 numbers is a godsend. I can currently call her on a landline but there is a strong possibility it will change to calling her on a mobile only so an override provider will be even more important then so that's why I want to stay on the BT line!

BT_company_representative

Hi clio,

BT has made quite a few changes over the last few months (including the free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers that you mention). The service charges for standard landlines changed on 1 April 09 from £11.50 per month to £12.50 per month, but if you were on paperfree billing and direct debit then the price was £10.27 and is now £11.25.

Cheers,

Stephanie
BT Support

KerryL

I'm currently on the BT's light user scheme, suits me as I only use the line for internet access - I don't have a phone as have no speech to use it, so it only costs me £5.50 a month, which is great - now it doesn't look like i am egliable for the BT basic scheme.

Heinz

KerryL wrote: »

I'm currently on the BT's light user scheme, suits me as I only use the line for internet access - I don't have a phone as have no speech to use it, so it only costs me £5.50 a month, which is great - now it doesn't look like i am egliable for the BT basic scheme.

I didn't think you could have ADSL broadband on LUS.

PlutoinCapricorn

Kerry, I assume that you mean dial-up internet access? Having BT LU means that you are not permitted to get broadband from other companies, and if you ask for BT BB they will move you to a different tariff.

LU is a stoneage tariff, dating from the days when most people did not have mobile phones or home internet access. If they did not make many phonecalls, it was because they were trying to economise. LU meant that they could have a telephone to use in emergencies. Unfortunately later on people started to take advantage of the LU service. I am not surprised that BT are discontinuing it, I am just concerned about the many people who do not make many calls and are on low incomes.

I wonder whether anyone has been transferred automatically to BT Basic, as some people were saying would happen? It is possible to get the LU QUARTERLY charge down to around £11 if you make few or no calls, so any other tariff will cost a lot more.

BT_company_representative

Hi ellielovesem

If you decide to take up the evening and weekend package and agree to the 12 month contract this doesn't mean you have to take your broadband from BT. You can choose to get your broadband from any ISP at any point in the future.

Cheers

Anne
BT Support

BT_company_representative

Hi PlutoinCapricorn

Yep everyone will be moved across to BT Basic at some point depending on whether or not they meet the new requirements

To be eligible for BT Basic the BT Account Holder must be the one in receipt of either

Income Support
Employee Support Allowance
Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
Pensions Credit

Hope this clears things up

Cheers

Craig
BT Support

1carminestocky

How much notice are people getting that their LUS will be cancelled and no chance of Basic due to not receiving a qualifying benefit? Reason I ask is it would be nice if my father gets enough notice to allow me to get him to move to pastures new.