BT Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan free?

pepsi_max2k

Hey all, just been on the BT site looking at call prices and saw that both the BT Unlimited Weekend Plan and Unlimited Evening & Weekend are both showing at £0, with the latter being subject to a 12 month renewable contract. The order page doesn't show any other costs either, so what am I missing? Surely there's an extra charge somewhere for being on evening & weekend over just weekend?

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25499

https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerOrders/control/termsandconditions?docId=25000&pageTitle=%20About%20your%20Calling%20Plan

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/dynamicmodules/pagecontentfooter/pageContentFooterPopup.jsp?pagecontentfooter_popupid=24641&s_cid=con_FURL_calls_dealterms

KimYeovil

The extra charge is you are committed to a 12 month contract. The weekends only plan is a one month contract.

jhp

KimYeovil wrote: »

The extra charge is you are committed to a 12 month contract.

Plus its a renewable (rolling) contract.

"Available to eligible new and existing residential customers signing up to the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan on a 12 month renewable contract. The contract is subject to a 12 month minimum renewable period. At the end of each 12 month minimum period the contract will be automatically renewed for a further 12 month minimum period unless you tell us otherwise. We'll write to remind you when your contract is nearing the end of a renewable period."

wakeupalarm

The Terms and Conditions say:
You cannot downgrade during the minimum period or any renewable minimum period.
If you do not wish to renew, all you need to do is let us know before the renewal date. If you choose not to renew your contract with us, you will then start to pay the standard monthly price for the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, currently £2.65 per month plus line rental.

So what happens if you don't want to renew after the 12 months, are you allowed to change to the weekend only plan at £0.00 per month and then cancel at anytime after that? The T&C aren't clear to me on this point.

will-in-estoril

Prevention is better than cure: if you haven't already signed up for the BT evenings and weekend package then don't do so, as you will be limiting your options within the 12 month period of the self-renewing contract.

The alternative recommendation, which Heinz and others make, is a much better option.

Pay your line rental to BT, but get your free evening and weekend calls through Primus, which will give you the same benefits at the same cost, but without the tie in to a long contract. This keeps your options open should another call provider come along and offer a better calls package.

wakeupalarm

But I don't plan on changing from BT in the next 12 months but may do after that so need to know if I can downgrade to the Weekend only plan at the 12 month renewable date or not? The T&C don't seem to be clear and if anything sound as if they don't allow you to downgrade.

With todays anouncement of inclusive 0845/0870 calls the BT W&E package looks more enticing then Primus.

JustPassingBy

wakeupalarm wrote: »

But I don't plan on changing from BT in the next 12 months but may do after that so need to know if I can downgrade to the Weekend only plan at the 12 month renewable date or not? The T&C don't seem to be clear and if anything sound as if they don't allow you to downgrade.

Does this help?

http://bt.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bt.cfg/php/enduser/cci/bt_popup_article.php?p_sid=HJLFopnj&p_faqid=10757&cat_lvl1=345&cat_lvl2=350&cat_lvl3=361&p_cv=3.361&p_cats=345,350,361

With todays anouncement of inclusive 0845/0870 calls the BT W&E package looks more enticing then Primus.

Primus don't offer inclusive text messages from a landline phone either.

wakeupalarm

JustPassingBy wrote: »

Does this help?

http://bt.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bt.cfg/php/enduser/cci/bt_popup_article.php?p_sid=HJLFopnj&p_faqid=10757&cat_lvl1=345&cat_lvl2=350&cat_lvl3=361&p_cv=3.361&p_cats=345,350,361

Not really because of this line in the T&C of the W&E plan.

If you do not wish to renew, all you need to do is let us know before the renewal date. If you choose not to renew your contract with us, you will then start to pay the standard monthly price for the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, currently £2.65 per month plus line rental.

No mention of being able to downgrade to the weekend only plan.

will-in-estoril

wakeupalarm wrote: »

But I don't plan on changing from BT in the next 12 months but may do after that so need to know if I can downgrade to the Weekend only plan at the 12 month renewable date or not? The T&C don't seem to be clear and if anything sound as if they don't allow you to downgrade.

With todays anouncement of inclusive 0845/0870 calls the BT W&E package looks more enticing then Primus.

The answer to your question is 'yes'.

Remember that the default position is automatic 12 month renewal, year on year.

(A bit like being in a room where the door only opens once a year and from where you can only exit if you tell the doorman just before he opens up!)

• Do nothing: will renew contract for another year at £0.00 per month
• Telling BT you will not renew, but still wish to have a monthly contract with evening and weekend calls: will cost you £2.65 a month
• Telling BT you will not renew and wish to downgrade to the weekend call option, then signing up for Primus evening and weekend: will cost you £0.00 per month and not tie you in
• All above exclude BT line rental

Whether or not this plan is better than Primus depends on how many weekday evening calls you make to 0870/0845 numbers; weekend calls will be included in the BT weekend package, available to Primus users by dialling 1280.

JustPassingBy

wakeupalarm wrote: »

Not really because of this line in the T&C of the W&E plan.

If you do not wish to renew, all you need to do is let us know before the renewal date. If you choose not to renew your contract with us, you will then start to pay the standard monthly price for the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, currently £2.65 per month plus line rental.

No mention of being able to downgrade to the weekend only plan.

That's simply saying you will start to pay for the Unlimited E&W plan if you don't renew the 12 month contract. It does not imply you cannot change plans. In fact, the link I gave says you can.

wakeupalarm

Yes, thanks to both of you, I can see what you mean. Can you still access 1280 from primus? I'm coming from Talktalk who have blocked it.