BT Basic - Beware! call charges

lovelyjubbly

I am on a low income and used to have Bt Light user scheme, when it finished they put me on BT Basic, I hardly ever use my phone, except to phone my Disabled Elderly Dad on a Saturday, we usually chat for about 30 minutes or so each week, on the old Bt Light user scheme all weekend calls were charged a roughly 1p per minute, that is why I only called him on the weekend, Since I was moved onto BT Basic, I didnt realise that ALL calls are charged at 10p per minute + 3p per call, including all weekend calls, I checked online to see how my call allowance of £4.50 per quarter was going, as on my previous scheme, my calls were usually only about £3.50 per quarter, to discover that my last call to my dad was £3.60 for 36 minutes, an the other calls to him were similar amounts, meaning I had used up my quarterly allowance in two weeks, if I hadnt checked my online bill and called him for 30 minutes each saturday, my calls to him alone would have been £43.50!!!!!!
I know it is a scheme for low income families, and I am one but I just wanted to warn people to make sure they realise the cost of this new scheme, I have now asked to be taken off and onto the normal scheme where all weekend and evening calls are included free, it will cost me less in the long run.

Jemma-T

Yeah, my sister got hit with £1 for 9 minutes or so on a local call. She's learned her lesson.

I'm thinking we could maybe bring this to the attention of our MPs? What do people think? I know BT are 'helping' and I know we are aware of the call charges but that doesn't mean we should accept being comparitvely ripped off.

Are we being ripped off? If you make calls yes. I assume people own phones to make calls. Not much point otherwise. I think BT have to profit (they are a PLC) but I reckon they could give the people in the cheap seats a little bit more.

Maybe we are asking too much of BT.

KimYeovil

The plan is not designed or priced for those who regularly make outgoing calls. Why the confusion?

I would say the exclusion of calls to mobile phones and 0845 numbers would be more irritating - it means most people will not be able to use all of their call allowance.

lovelyjubbly

I just wanted peolpe to realise that weekend calls which, ever since I have had a telephone, have traditionally been only 1p a minute are now 10p a minute on BT Basic, I only made 1 or two calls a week on my phone and that is not many, I certainly did not realise the 10p rate was going to include the weekend call, so just be aware, before you run up a big bill.

redux

You might stay on the Basic tariff and use a callback service to make some of the calls. Although the T&C say something about not having other phone services, such as dialling out with a prefix, this is separate and BT won't see it at all.

The way it works is a separate provider's system makes 2 outgoing calls and connects them together, the first to your phone, then when you answer you hear the other one ringing. The calls can be triggered by logging in on a website, or some have a system where you call a trigger number which hangs up automatically then it calls you back with a ringtone (might be worth avoiding this type, so BT don't know)

The Betamax VoIP brands such as Voipcheap Justvoip and DialNow can do this. The first two allow some free calls to their cheapest destinations (about 40 countries): a €10 + VAT credit gets 120 days (so about £3 per month) of free calls with a fair use policy of up to 300 minutes of calls per 7 days. Because you're using callback, the minutes would get used twice as fast, but even so it sounds like it easily covers your use. Then the remaining credit can be used for more expensive destinations if required, or for 2 c/min calls between 2 landlines after your freedays have run out. Their DialNow brand has no freedays, but the rate is 0.5c/min + vat, so just over a penny a minute for the 2 legs of your calls.

I think you'd need to do some sums for your usage level to decide if it's worth using one of these, but it might be interesting. You can make some free trial calls on their websites before you sign up - limited number of calls or minutes though!

lovelyjubbly

the thing is how many people on bt basic will get to the end of their first quartly bill (those not usinng the internet to check their call charges) and suddenly find they have a huge call charge, please everyone on bt basic be aware of the 10p a minute phone charge rate which is for all calls including the weekend, if you were used to bt low user rate of 1p a minute on the weekend you may have a shock!

redux

diamonds, you've boasted on here several times that you don't consider yourself bound by the terms and conditions of use, and intend to blatantly ignore them, with your several other telecom products, such as mobile phones, broadband and tons of free VoIP calls - not an emergency lifeline in your case then

now you seem to be vexatiously engineering for Mr Howell's email address to be harvested by spambots by posting it several times on here

Jemma-T

redux wrote:

now you seem to be vexatiously engineering for Mr Howell's email address to be harvested by spambots by posting it several times on here

Eh? excuse us, but that's our email address as he works for the government and there should be no problem posting it here. OFCOM should be more interested in saving people money rather than their ineptitude of things they've been up to. They make the FSA look like a well run agency.

normanmark

Jemma-T wrote: »

Eh? excuse us, but that's our email address as he works for the government and there should be no problem posting it here. OFCOM should be more interested in saving people money rather than their ineptitude of things they've been up to. They make the FSA look like a well run agency.

Ofcom is an independent agency.

avantra

Do the research first

calling via 0844 861 2525 is 1p/minute + connection charge of 8p

18185 is 8p per call (aka 0p/minute).

diamonds

redux wrote: »

diamonds, you've boasted on here several times that you don't consider yourself bound by the terms and conditions of use, and intend to blatantly ignore them, with your several other telecom products, such as mobile phones, broadband and tons of free VoIP calls - not an emergency lifeline in your case then

now you seem to be vexatiously engineering for Mr Howell's email address to be harvested by spambots by posting it several times on here

Excuse me,

1) Can you confirm or disprove I am not REGISTERED disabled or any other family member of mine to MSE ?

2) When did i boast about terms & IGNORING them ?

I think you find I challenged BT and they backed down on the mobile front as " a disabled person is at risk more so outdoors than in " as per DDA, I did not force BT to allow me LUS with a Orange mobile in my name/address that was not used by me but another family member who could not get credit, I challenged BT & the CEO's office agreed if I was using the mobile ANYWAY under the DDA BT were treating such customer unfairly - BT agreed with me and gave LUS.

Later I wanted broadband & terminated LUS to get Orange Broadband at a later date, I did not get or challenge LUS with BB although I could have easily on the grounds of sign language over internet. BT's CEO office assured me that I had pointed out issue to them on a legal point & it would be addressed in the NEW BT LUS replacement, BT did so - they removed DISABILITY from the BT BASIC remit - ethically should Ofcom have allowed that ? Like I challenged BT, I am now challenging Ofcom on such matters.

A Disabled person whom cannot get Incapacity Benefit gets Jobseekers Allowance rate of Income support - paid with DISABILITY premiums upto the rate of Incapacity. Such DWP claimants QUALIFY for BT BASIC, those on Incapacity paid weekly at the same rate DONT, Severe Disablement Allowance & Disability Living Allowance are excluded - the most poorest of society are those on these benefits WHO CANT WORK, do you think for 1 minute those LEGIT claimants FULL costs as non disabled persons costs are per month are FULLY covered by such benefits ? If you want to paint a room REDUX you go to B&Q, £100 and elbow grease will do it for you, WHAT if you cant do it due to being disabled ?

Disabled persons costs to paint a room are triple yours !

Same with medical conditions where strict diet must be followed, costs easily triple on your weekly food shop !

DISABLED people are constantly left with less than a fully abled bodied person...due to the nature of being disabled.

BT wont help you have a subsidised emergency lifeline in these circumstances.

REDUX your emergency might be DIAMONDS is legally challenging things via DDA, a disabled persons " emergency " can be how do the get milk & a paper today if they cant get it themselves physically, how do I get to council office on Tuesday ? How can they get in the bath, etc etc....

Not just those on Jobseekers " actively choosing not to seek work " & Income support single parents ( WHO choose to have children ) should be treated as POOR & " at risk " - WHO chooses to have a disability that isolates you from society ? under DDA BT and Ofcom are not being equal or fair to the most not only " financial risk " but " physical & mental risk " of society through no fault of their own.


3) Can you again confirm I am or am not DISABLED, HOUSEBOUND or BOTH ?

4) I dont use VOIP, I use Orange Broadband 2nd line/Wireless & Talk - calls are routed via BT and BT bill Orange, the bleeps when you pick up Orange 2nd line are the CPS code routed through BT wholesale but as a 2nd number not your 1st BT line number - CONFIRMED BY ORANGE EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

I have broken no rules as my BT landline is NOT LLU'd or CPS'd out of BT on Basic - therefore as BB is allowed on BT Basic *I* have not broken or neither challenged BT on this, or taken advantage of anything... I have stayed within ALL T&C of my agreements with BT. If indeed I like many others could get BT to make the concerned line BT BASIC ! The line in question is still CPS out as BT refuse to make BT Basic follow the simple standards as BT agreed with Ofcom
( THE UK TELECOM REGULATOR ) to implement such BT Basic product.

5) My numerous Orange mobiles ? I have Orange " your group " why ? free calls between handsets - where 2 parties TRY to help a 3rd party family member out with everything they can to make life as easy as possible for them & as cheap as possible for all parties given extensive calling patterns at organising even the most basic of things yourself Redux takes for absolute granted you can do, like go buy milk & a paper..... I challenged BT on this MOBILE issue on LUS - why do you think the restriction was removed from BT Basic FOR ALL CUSTOMERS, monopoly reasons as I also pointed out to BT CEO office.


6) I was given that e-mail address by a Ofcom employee who I explained the users of MSE problems with BT's basic problem of NOT providing in an orderly fashion THEE agreement BT promised Ofcom for BT Basic. Spambots ? is that what you call the BT customers who have every right to complain to BT's regulatory body OFCOM - the body ALL THESE SPAMBOTS taxes pay for for that public body " OFCOM " to regualte the TELECOMS market. I posted in every relevant thread RATHER than start a new one, is that not logical idea of MSE rather than moderators MERGING such activity.


Round what now Redux ? that you have attacked me & tried to riducule me.

Just as everytime I tell some MSE poster there is a legal term in thier favour, here you come try to squash it.

Today AGAIN you have shown that to be in such disgusting manner FULLY, by attacking someone who may be disabled for using the Disability Discrimination Act in a disabled persons favour & has stayed within ALL T&C as laid down by BT as per our agreement. If at any point I " don't consider yourself bound by the terms and conditions of use " then BT would has kicked my bum to the kirb or taken legal action against me, so please explain to MSE why BT have not done such in the last 3 years Redux.


You have insulted every member of MSE whom is directly or indirectly affected by disability by insisting YOU alone or BT qualify a DECISION what is indeed a " EMERGENCY " line or telephone call.

Furthermore those whom follow & comply with BT's T&C with BT Basic & subscribe to Orange broadband with 2nd line/Wireless & Talk as somehow unethical for doing so when there are no BT Basic T&C disallowing such.

Again you have misrepresented yourself & BT, in legal context:


LUS & MOBILE : DDA protected

LUS & BROADBAND : DDA can protect as internet could be used for sign language communications.

BT Basic : DDA protects disabled DWP claimant customers being excluded


Your whole manner & attitude towards DISABILITY is DISCRIMINATION in its very context. And infact ILLEGAL from the granted ROYAL ASSENT into UK STATUTE by HM.



An apology to board members is surely minimal.


Whilst familiarising yourself with MSE T&C's, here:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/terms-conditions

Directly trying to make me disclose my status as a disabled or non disabled person is bullying and underhand & again NOT tolerated by MSE T&C's.

Whilst you so far refuse I kindly also ask you also provide to MSE board disclosure of your standing in the UK Telecom industry as per other representatives abide by, again from MSE T&C's.