Free BT installation deal discussion

Heinz

Annamac wrote: »

I have spoken to BT this morning and have been told that I have to take out their full package which costs £10.70 a WEEK! and also a £45 deposit - this package included a load of stuff: broadband, wireless home hub, digi box, HD ready box..... I asked if i could just have the line rental and broadband but was told this was not possible if i wanted free connection!!! He was also pretty annoyed when i asked for this!!! I am now very confused! Do I try again or just stick with my Virgin package..!

I have previously replied to someone who was told the same that they were being told nonsense as, indeed, you were.

I have since learned, however, that, although agents can offer the 18 month offer for free connection to anyone who asks for it, they are not allowed to pro-actively offer it, but can use it as a sweetener so to speak to try and get folks who might take out the broadband and vision tv service, which, with all three services, is known as a triple provide.

Clearly, you were misinformed, but there is so much pressure on agents by those above to sell the vision products that some are going to any lengths to hit their targets because they are threatened with disciplinary action if they don't. Bear in mind that many agents are 'disposable' agency staff.

Agents get a bonus for all the products they sell and, obviously, the "triple" is the golden globe. Although bonuses have been drastically reduced recently, it used to be the case that a triple provide (a new provide of a line by an engineer visit or stopped line takeover with an anytime or evening and weekend plan [not the free 12 month renewable though and certainly not just weekend plan], an option 2 or 3 broadband and a BT vision sale), a bonus of £30 was achieveable. That's more likely to be closer to £10 now.

Call again and ask for the Customer Options Team and, when you get through, ask for the free instalaltion offer.

MissGolightly

I've just recently moved house, called on Saturday past and explained we had a line previously, which had been cancelled while we were in temporary accomodation, and would like old number and account transferred to new address. When I mentioned the free installation he chuckled and said "oh, another one of them", was thoroughly pleasant considering he was stuck in a call centre on a saturday morning!

Now I've just noticed that you have to make 10 bt calls a month, however, we are planning on changing over to sky talk, as it is same line rental, but you get a fiver of sky broadband. Will sky pay off the whole contract for us, or will this result in us not being eligible for the offer and having to pay the full connection fee? Sky have told us that it is ok to change over to them if your line has just been connected, as long as it is a minimum of 5 days.

Heinz

Sky is telling you the truth - but is conveniently forgetting to tell you you will be in breach of contract with BT and will be liable for penalty charges.

MissGolightly

oh dear. do you have any idea what the charges are?

hostman

itselliebell wrote: »

oh dear. do you have any idea what the charges are?

In the order of £6-7 per month for every month remaining on your contract.

MissGolightly

balls, probably best staying with bt then. oh well, at least we got our line connected for free

not worth paying the £6-7 penalty per month to save a fiver a month on broadband!

pat100

My sister recently moved house to where there was a “dead” TalkTalk line. Tisacli (her then line supplier) and TalkTalk said they could not supply her as she wanted to keep her number. She decided to go with BT for broadband as she would need a new line.

“Leave it all to us,” they said. “We will even sort out Tiscali for you,” they said and sold her a BT Broadband account for 18 months and a BT line for 12 months with unlimited evenings and weekends calls.

She just accepted what they said as she did not even know that there WAS an 18 month contract available. After all, if there WAS an 18 month line contract available why on earth would they be selling her a 12 month one at the same time as selling her an 18 month BT broadband contract.?

Now I see why!

She is an OAP, living on her own, and was sad to be saddled with a £122.50 bill for a new line. Especially as it now transpires that she did not need to pay this at all!

“Leave it all to us they said” And she trusted them!

(And she then got a bill from Tiscali as BT hadn’t “sorted out Tiscali for you” - of course they couldn’t! She needed to cancel that contract herself. Tiscali repaid that - which I thought was decent of them considering that she had not cancelled that account.)

Heinz

I suspect parts of the penulimate paragraph in post #494 came into play there Pat.

Brian_The_Lion

Does anyone know if this offer has ended or not? Spoke to 3 different agents at BT today and was told the offer had expired but earlier on in the thread someone has said it has been extended to Dec 31st?

Heinz

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25357153&highlight=extended#post25357153

But I'm sure BT company representative will be along shortly to give the official confirmation.

EDIT - or perhaps not.