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

herald188

My mother is also still on the light user plan, she also received the letter with the tear-off slip which we didn't return.

If she isn't automatically migrated on to the new BT scheme I shall sign her up for Post Office home phone. She doesn't claim benefits but makes few calls.

BT will also charge extra for paper bills and non direct-debit payments, whereas the Post Office scheme doesn't (as long as billing is quarterly) and she can pay her bill in person down the PO. They also have a UK based customer service centre, rather than one in India where BT have seen fit to base theirs.

I changed to PO home phone (in my case with broadband) over a year ago and have been happy with the service. Calls between home phone users are free any time (like TalkTalk I believe).

Herald188

ellielovesem

The Post Office certainly offers a very reasonable deal for people getting off the Light user plan and not wanting broadband etc.

I'm just wondering if I've shot myself in the foot by mentioning that I'm still on the Light user plan, the BT representatives are lurking...!

claretblue

I've spent the past two days trying to request an application form for my 85 year old mother. On the RARE occasion my call was answered, someone took all her details and THEN, informed me that I was connected to the WRONG department. (I was calling 0800 783 1675). It was very nice that she would patch me through to the correct department, but then nothing but endless ringing with the occasional update.
Just HOW do you get one of these forms?

Graham1

0800 800 864

claretblue

I've been trying that number too, yesterday AND today.
Still no answer!
Wouldn't it be much easier to download it from the website???
Or is that TOO obvious?

ellielovesem

Phoned last night to get changed onto the weekend plan so I can move to Sky. Not wanting to join an endless moan about Indian call centres but spoke to an unbelievably rude gentleman who refused to accept that I'd already registered an email address and received my bills by email. He told me to call another number before hanging up on me. Anyway I called again and spoke to a nice lady called Belinda who sorted it for me there and then. Good service in the end :-)

Graham1

claretblue wrote: »

I've been trying that number too, yesterday AND today.
Still no answer!
Wouldn't it be much easier to download it from the website???
Or is that TOO obvious?

Telephone only as far as I know. Then they send you the form pre-printed for your account. Can only suggest you keep trying.

claretblue

I finally got through on Tuesday and everything was handled very quickly.
Application form on its way. :j

Bogof_Babe

I checked my account and calls list online yesterday and was horrified to find I'd been switched from LUS to Basic three months ago, without any notification, and consequently had a string of calls @ 10p per minute + 3p connection charge.

Anyway this morning I had an email to say my bill was ready, and on looking at it I find they have credited back £34.35 due to something to do with advance charges already paid on the LUS. This makes the bill cheaper than it would have been on LUS!

I'm not complaining, but am completely confused as to what that's all about. I'm now changing to the Anytime package as I can't be doing with all this muddle. (I'm not on benefits so goodness knows why I was on LUS in the first place .)

PlutoinCapricorn

If I were in your position, I would stay with BT Basic, but only if you do not need to make many calls.

In the past, people were offered BT LUS if they were low users, it was assumed that they must be low income too. Benefits did not come into it.

There may be a few confusing charges at the changeover: 3 months ago you would have been charged 3 months' advance rental of BT LUS, that is what is being refunded as they put you on BT Basic around the same time.