Free BT installation deal discussion

dr_smokey

Hi guys just rang Bt again and this time they put the order through, i am an exsiting customer and i'm getting a second line installed for free but obviously you have to pay another line rental of 12.50 a month. Had to keep reading of the deal that's posted on martins web site, but got in the end so keep trying if ur've had no luck so far. Good luck.

ProfessorX

BT are idiots anyway. They should be offering free connection to any house within the UK, if they intend to remove the local call boxes which seems to be their long term aim.

I've complained to them for years that line-rental without some free 'local calls' at least has been unfair as when it started you got provided a phone, which was part of the 'rent', as only they could supply them in their Monopoly years. In the current economic climate they should offer more to increase their customer base or else they'll go out of business. Their bosses don't deserve big bonuses for going bust either.

I've suggested that if they offered a line and Unlimited Broadband for £20 a month, like the French had at 20Mbps (as well as cable TV channels), a couple of years ago, then they could get £250-300M a month as their income. That should be enough to cover the installation of Fibre Opitc cables nationally so we can get 50Mbps like Virgin are offering in their 'cabled areas'. Didn't the UK invent fibre optics??

So maybe no one should take this offer up, or else everyone should complain about the poor levels of customer service we constantly put up with in the UK. I was in the USA in 1993 and the rental house had free local calls from the phone, all those years ago. We need to demand more 'bang for our buck' like they do.

karate_kid_2

I have elderley parents who moved home on 6/4/09, and were charged £122.50 for a new line connection. After seeing the post about free line connection I contacted BT on their behalf and spent one hour and forty minutes on the phone being passed to seven different departments, none of whom could help me. Each department had their own different criteria as to who was eligible, which is worrying as you would expect there to be one standard criteria across the entire company. One department told me the offer was only available to new customers, another department told me it was up to the advisors in the order department who they offered the free connections to. Another told me you had to sign up to an 18 month contract, which as my parents have been BT customers in excess of 25 years, they would have been happy to do so if only they had been told of the criteria. All in all a really poor service from BT which I found incredibly frustrating. If they do not honour this deal for my parents, who are in their 80's, I will certainly leave BT and look for another provider.
Anyone else have similar problems?

oulondo

Well, after 3 phone calls and approx 1h 20m of phone time I got the deal.

Apparently the deal is only intended for customers moving from cable service to BT but they are willing to offer it to new customers if you quote the offer. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my existing order and start a new one which meant I lost my Friday installation date and it got moved to Tuesday instead.

Still, £120 in my pocket is worth a couple of days annoyance.

Matari

My son tried this and was told he didn't qualify unless he had received a letter from BT, so the briefing has not worked.

meinnit

I received a letter earlier this month and signed up shortly after with no problems. Without me having mentioned the offer I was asked whether I got a letter from BT recently to which I said yes and I had no problems taking up the offer.

I would suggest ringing the number on the letter (0800 100 444) rather than the number quoted by Martin in his article (0800 800 150).

Dunx69

briefing:rotfl:

andyinyorkshire

Be warey of the 24 month (not 18 month) trap if you wish to change after 18 months!!!

If you sign up for the free evenings and weekends ( or anytime ) plan they are fixed 12 month (renewable) contracts HOWEVER in the offer it states...

"Customers must remain on their chosen Calling Plan for 18 months..."

Therefore if you choose the 12 month fixed contract you will need to carry it for 24 months for the £122.50 reduction... unless you go for the Unlimited Weekend plan!

koru

The notice linked by Martin says that the Evening and Weekend plan costs £14.20 with this offer (if you opt for direct debit and paperless billing), whereas it is £11.25 for other customers. Therefore, if you want this plan, you will pay an extra 18x2.95=£53.10 over the 18 month period. This reduces the net saving to £69.40.

stopthespends

im interested in going over to BT as i dont have a BT line at all......

i want the broadband £5 deal from sky....can that be done with needeing bt calls??????