Complaint against BOTH Otelo and BT - your suggestions, please!

Suzkin

Dear All,

Both BT and now Otelo have let me down: I've had problems with BT from the very start in August 2007 when the re-connection engineer broke my phone. After being threatened with disconnection when I phoned the call centre to ask about the progress of my complaint, and mentioning that I was refrerring this matter higher...to cut a very long story short, BT eventually coughed up the reconnection charge for me, by way of a refunded.

Then, from January 2008 (I think, if not, before then), BT began charging me every month for both Caller Display and BT1571. I NEVER requested Caller Display, and do not even possess a phone to provide this. For BT1571, I never received notification of their new charges.

Eventually, after getting Otelo on board in the early part of this year, BT paid me £99 - which included compensation and costs charged to me. In addition to this requirement, I asked BT to remove the BT1571 facility and maintained that I have NEVER needed, requested or wanted Caller Display.

On receiving Otelos Final Decision, BT immediately removed BT1571 facility, BUT....

BT did not respond to Otelos final decision - even after their statutory 28 days grace. The evidence I have, is that BT are STILL charging me for Caller Display and BT1571.

I have written letters / emails to both Otelo and BT. For the September 2008 bill (where I was charged £15.00) M Cruddas (BT Investigations Officer) sent me a £15 cheque. However, for October 2008, I have been charged £15.30 yet again.

I received a phone call from BT yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, to clear up a duplicate entry on my ebilling account. However, this BT Advisor says that this has NOTHING to do with my 'profile', settings, or bills!

Since receiving the cheque from M Cruddas, I have received no response to my other letters/emails for him/her.

After another email to BT (copied to Otelo) and a phone call to Otelo this afternoon, Otelo say that they wrote to me on 17th October 2008 (It is 20th October, and I've yet to receive it...), asking BT to REFUND the £4.30 difference to my BT account! I am livid!!

A straight refund of £4.30 is not good enough - especially when M Cruddas refunded me the full £15 last month (September).
I have lost total confidence in BT and so would want a tangible cheque - not more potential errors on my account.
Otelo has let me down: they are my last resport and are supposed to advocate on my behalf, and yet they are not.
BT has IGNORED Otelos Final Decision: 3 months after Otelos Final Decision and the 28 days grace.
BT is continuing to take money from my bank account for services I do NOT have.
Both are seeming to ignore that I am absoluetly distressed about this state of affairs: every month since August 2007 to date, I have experienced - and am continuing to experience - problems.

I would leave BT, but am holding out for a resolution on this matter.
I have written to the Guardian and the Times newspapers (their Consumer sections) to see if they can pressure Otelo and BT on my behalf.
I told Otelo I wanted to lodge a complaint against themselves as well, now. They told me to write to the 'Independent Assessor' and gave me the address. Later on, I phoned Otelo again, asking for a SAE, and was told that this was NOT the address/person to write to, but to their Chief Opertaing Officer - both addresses are at Otelo....and I was given the wrong information/advice from the first Advisor.

The second Otelo advisor mentioned something about Ofcom - who can fine BT: However, it is ME who is demanding financial compensation - for all the reasons above, and for the distress it is causing me.

CAN ANYONE ELSE RECOMMEND ANY OTHER ACTION I COULD TAKE?
I AM ABSOLUTELY SICK OF BT - AND OTELO.

Thanks.

System

1. If you haven't already, register to access My Account online at bt.com.
2. Check on-line what calling features bt.com thinks you are currently signed up for.
3. Cancel any you don't want, and note the reference number(s) you get.
4. When you can access your next bill after that, check that the calling features have been cancelled, and correct amounts credited for what you were charged in advance on the previous bill. (Remember that the amount net of VAT appears on your bill, and VAT is then added.)
5. Then and only then, use the "query my bill" on the website to remind BT of Otelo's finding that they should never have been charging for (enhanced, I assume?) BT 1571 and caller display, and ask for
(a) refund of all the amounts incorrectly billed, bill by bill, plus VAT (but not the basic "line rental", which BT were always entitled to charge)
(b) compensation of (say) £20 for each month they got wrong since they knew of Otelo's finding.
6. If you ask for a cheque refund as opposed to a bill credit, it will delay matters. Pragmatically, probably better to accept a bill credit. If you do then decide to leave BT, and your final bill is in credit, you should then get a prompt cheque.
7. Sorry, from your post I don't see what you think Otelo has done wrong. They cannot compel BT to do anything. You are only due a refund of the incorrect charges for unrequested calling features, plus compensation for the botheration.

topherxp

Just call BT if those services are on there and ask for them to be removed.

As for all the compo, oh please, expecting to be entitled all this money for a couple of calling features on top of what you have already been awarded.

As for asking for a stamped address enevolpe to complain about OTELO, how tight are you? Which by the way, the first peron you spoke to gave correct info, the independant assessor is Roger Jefferies and information is on their website.

Suzkin

Topherxp: I have already asked for the services to be removed - twice plus to or more letters, and they are still there - even when BT claim to have removed them.

Your tone appears rather tiring....re. the SAE it's not a matter of being 'tight' as you assume: whilst (BT) are continually making errors and not correcting them, it is not only the principle - there are practically reams of correspondence over this, and I have extremely low savings.

If you cannot say anything constructive, then please don't taint my thread asking for helpful suggestions.......thanks.

topherxp

Suzkin wrote: »

If you cannot say anything constructive, then please don't taint my thread asking for helpful suggestions.......thanks.

Why? Are you going to ask me for compensation and a SAE? If you can't take critisism then you should reconsider creating threads.

syko29793

i dont mean to sound negative but it seems like you enjoy the arguement and seem to see it as looking to win something. as you stated you mentioned money. if the problems sorted why should you have a cash reward over what you have been charged and what the services cost

Suzkin

Please would people advise - I am at my wits end. I would be so grateful.

1) For over a year, BT have been charging me (and taking money every month out of my account) for a service I have NEVER had (i.e. BT Caller Display).

Otelo asked them to remedy this as part of their Final Decision to BT - and gave them 28 days to do this. This was in August 2008. BT have STILL NOT corrected this, and are continuing to take money from my account.

Otelo asked BT to give me some compensation for this delay (as a gesture of goodwill for their ongoing mistakes), but BT REFUSED.

2) As part of Otelo's Final Decision, I asked for the BT 1571 service to be REMOVED from my account (as they were making billing mistakes here, as well).

BT removed this service instantly BUT are continuing to bill me for it: every month they have been taking money from my account - even though I no longer have this service.

I have written NUMEROUS letters and emails about this to an 'M Cruddas' at BT, and also to Otelo. Is it a criminal offence for them to take money from my bank account for services I do not have??

BT are not keeping me informed about anything, and whilst I am constantly talking with Otelo, they say they can only 'chase the matter up'.

MY QUESTION: Who else can I contact to resolve (a) the technical matter of them overbilling me for TWO services I do not have; (b) further compensation for them not complying with Otelos Final Decision and taking money from my account without my consent?

BT have told Otelo that they are 'looking into their systems' BUT this has taken over a YEAR. I also think BT are fobbing Otelo off, so they can keep taking money from my account.

I have already written to the Guardian and the Times, but my case was never taken up by their consumer panel.

Is there anyone lese I can contact about this matter? I need some support, but Otelo appear to be doing very little, and the perpetrators BT are doing NOTHING.

Heinz

No, it's not criminal (although I can imagine it's very annoying).

I don't think you have any option at this stage except to go to the top - the CEO.

[EMAIL="ian.livingston@bt.com"]ian.livingston@bt.com[/EMAIL]

Suzkin

syko29793 wrote: »

i dont mean to sound negative but it seems like you enjoy the arguement and seem to see it as looking to win something. as you stated you mentioned money. if the problems sorted why should you have a cash reward over what you have been charged and what the services cost

The problems have NOT been sorted!!! Please see my latest message.

Paul_Varjak

Suzkin wrote: »

Otelo has let me down: they are my last resport and are supposed to advocate on my behalf, and yet they are not.

OTELO are not advocates - they simply adjudicate - just as a court would in this matter.

If BT have still not resolved the issue you can take them to court, using the OTELO adjudication as evidence. Or, you could make another complaint to OTELO as BT are still making mistakes.

Another alternative is to use BT to make the necessary calls each month so that you get 1571 and CLI for free. That would usually mean using BT to dial 0845/0870 numbers.

Yes, OFCOM can fine BT but OFCOM is not the next step in your claim against BT - that would be the County Court.

lcharm

Umm, surely it would be the Small Claims court not the County Court?

Also my understanding is that Otelo is the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution Service) appointed by Ofcom so although Ofcom isn't the next step in complaining to BT surely you could contact Ofcom to complain against Otelo although like everyone else says I wouldn't recommend it.

Usually these things go to some sort of Arbitration process after wards and I'm sure if you rang Otelo they would talk you through this if you've not done so already.

I stumbled across this site, not sure if you've been on it already www.btcomplaint.com

The guy seems to be quite helpful on the site and it inspired me to create my own blogsite to help people complain to the Three network who also have poor customer services!!