BT Caller Display price rise

Stonk

Jemma-T wrote: »

It's never been free. The problem is 'free' has been used by many long term members here again and again when all the time it wasn't. It's like a 'free' mobile phone but only if you sign up for 18 months and to a contract for £300. That is not 'free'.

BT's caller ID is less 'free' than it's ever been and if it gets any less 'free' it'll... errr....not be 'free'.

I understand "free" to mean something you don't pay for, either in terms of financial cost or contractual commitment.

In that sense, Caller Display (in the Privacy At Home package, at least) is indeed free to most BT users. The commitment to make 2 calls a month is virtually negligible.

As you say, "free" mobile phones are not free, because there is a contractual commitment. There's no similarity.

Jemma-T

Stonk wrote: »

I understand "free" to mean something you don't pay for, either in terms of financial cost or contractual commitment.

In that sense, Caller Display (in the Privacy At Home package, at least) is indeed free to most BT users. The commitment to make 2 calls a month is virtually negligible.

As you say, "free" mobile phones are not free, because there is a contractual commitment. There's no similarity.

You contradict yourself and repeat a continuing claim of a service that is 'free'. It is not and people here should know better than to repeat that word. I find it bizarre longterm members are living this lie.

If it was free then it would be advertised as "This is free." With a full stop.

It is patently not free so please stop the BS smoke and mirrors which actually makes people complain about BT. And they've done nothing wrong.

Skippy4u

Stonk wrote: »

In common with many others on here, I have BT line rental and send my calls through another provider. I know I should make a couple of calls through BT per month to avoid being charged for Caller Display, but usually I forget and get charged - I can't complain about that.

However, I do have a complaint. Caller Display rocketed up from £1.75 to £2.50 per month on 1 April 2009. My recent bill for 5 February to 10 May charged me £7.50 for Caller Display (i.e. it's listed as £6.52 excluding VAT in the One-Off Charges section). But two-thirds of my bill was for the period before the price rise, and I have been charged the increased price for the entire bill period.

Sure enough, Customer Services agreed and gave me a refund. I'm virtually certain it would be overly charitable to expect that, having been notified of this error they would apply it to everyone whom it affects!

So, if you pay this charge: please check your bills, call them up, get a refund. It's only a couple of quid, but just do it on principle!

Now that the price of Caller Display has gone up so much, I will also be making damn sure I make a few 1280 calls!

In today's Sun is an item on BT Business package Phone and Internet all in for £30 with Option 1 , can a private customer use this offer, I don't see why not ?

ps/ DON'T FORGET THE MORRISONS VOUCHERS

Leblanc_2

I contacted BT re the £7.50 caller display charge, and requested a refund for the excess, for the period to 1st April.

However, I was told that the £7.50 was a charge in advance, and that if I made 6 BT calls before the 12th August that the £7.50 would be refunded.

My bill date was the 14th May.

The advance date for BT Privacy at Home was 13th May to 12th August, and was a zero balance.

Am I being misled here?

jove

In email exchange with BT customer services I've just been told the following:
however, these charges have been agreed by the Ombudsman

This sounds a little strange to me, however does anyone know if this is really the case, that all BT's charges are approved by the ombudsman before imposing them?

My searches have not found anything on this, can anyone point me at this information?

WhoKilledBambi?

BT is obliged to notify changes to Ofcom under the terms of the Communications Act 2003 being a provider having Significant Market Power - http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/RegulatoryandPublicaffairs/RegulationsintheUK/index.htm
You'll find these notifications here - http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/public/homepage.htm

bargains83

This is yet another disgusting premium charge by BT for what should be a standard feature. Granted its 'free' with privacy at home and if you make inclusive calls with BT. However Caller Display should be included as part of standard line rental. Why is it that Caller Display has been a standard FREE feature on mobiles ever since the digital cellular networks became popular?. Yet you have to pay for it on a landine?. It was never even an extra on Pay as you go phones its always been a standard feature.

£2.50 a month to show the number on the recieving phone is outrageous. Particularly when it is obviously being sent anyway as ringing a mobile from the landline shows the landline number unless it is pre-blocked.

It's a network feature and it should be included as part of line rental!. Period!.

I am convinced BT like to make things complicated and confuse customers.

damienuk

I agree that it should be a standard feature, and I actually learnt something here which I believe pretty much borders on being mis-sold to me previously? I never knew that the privacy at home 'feature' had a minimum outbound call requirement!

That's quite alarming, since although we don't route calls via another landline provider, we also don't make a large number of calls (at all, but especially via landline). Seems to be a bit extreme considering the ease and minimal (if any?) cost of providing the feature as stated.

Also they wonder why people are using mobiles/voip more than traditional landline (i.e. even when at home with the choice of using any of the 3 for example), yet they abuse the virtual-monopoly they (used to?) hold... of course customers prefer the better-value and more feature-rich services offered by some of the alternatives! When will BT realise this and start competing in the marketplace properly?