BT Final Bill scandal - “One-off” charges - beware

Seans_dad

Forgot to add that whilst I am in dispute over my final bill, that hasn’t stopped BT issuing me with a final reminder, threatening me with ‘my credit status being affected’ and the details being sent to an independent debt collector. This is if I don’t pay in full (total bill £330) within the next 10 days.

So they are threatening me with the heavies and also maybe not being able to get another mortgage. How these big faceless organisations like to bully the small person – even after 18 years of paying every bill on time and in full. I can’t put into words how disgusted I feel about BT currently.

Baz_2

Dear me, I have nothing to add just to say its disgusting they can do this. It really is.

Seans_dad

Thanks Baz for your support.

I’ve just informed my wife of BT’s latest update today from the ‘Chairman’s Office’ (as per post #31 above). Unfortunately it is her name on the account and she is astonished and upset that BT are still pursuing this grossly unfair bill.

Her comments are that no-one with an ounce of sense would have agreed to those level of repair charges. I can only hope that the Ombudsman’s office turn out to be fair and decent in this matter. Reading ste_coxy’s post above, I am hopeful on this front.

brewerdave

Hope you have a successful outcome Sean's dad.
What this thread did do, was make me look at my cables on the outside of the house. I found one that ran from the incoming external "box" to the lounge on the outside wall which had become detached from the wall and entangled in the branches of a shrub. I have now cut it free and carefully reattached it to the wall....there but for the Grace of God !!!!!!

Seans_dad

Thank you all again for your comments and help.

I have emailed Ian Livingston at BT again and included a link to this thread in the hope he will re-consider his company's decision on this matter.

I may well take up your advice, Arenaman and write to the local press. I was also considering writing to my MP, however I'm unsure if they would look into consumer disputes like this. Has anyone else tried their local MP for similar issues ?

FannyHill

This isn't to do with telephones but is still relevant to this thread.
I used to live in a block of four with me having bought my flat and the other three flats still being council.
One day they came along and cleaned the leaves out of the guttering after the upstairs neighbour complaining to the council that the guttering was blocked.

I knew nothing of this but a few weeks later got a bill from the council for about £100 which was one quarter of £400 which the council said was the cost of cleaning the guttering.
It's a small block of four and the upstairs neighbour said two men arrived in a council truck and were there about 20 mins.

The point is I was able to get the bill cancelled as they were supposed to advise me of the charge by letter before they commenced the work.

They can't just bill you for something you know nothing about.

I actually contacted a couple of companies who do things like clearing the guttering of leaves and their quotes were about £60-80 certainly nothing like £400.
This happened in 2000.

The final letter from the council said they had done everything properly and above board and were not admitting any liability but as a gesture of goodwill were cancelling the debt.

They also said they had tried to contact me unsuccessfully before they started the repair.
I work from home so am in most of the time although obviously not when they came to do the guttering.. No one called at the door no one phoned me and no one wrote to me.
Councils are also capable of telling lies and making things up to cover their behind.

There is no longer any honesty or fairness from councils or businesses.


I have also had BT via Openreach bill me for an outside fault which I refused to pay. This was to do with my broadband.
The name of the game is for Openreach to try to bill for the visit if they can any made up excuse will do.
I got the bill from my internet provider ( not BT ) who got it from BT and my provider was very helpful and we got it cancelled.
I am a very long way from the exchange and the BT broadband checker says "may not get broadband as the line is very long".
I also have electric fences nearby to keep the pigs in as I am surrounded by fields.

I'd have gone to court if necessary and I think I'd have had a very strong case.

Openreach and BT know if they threaten most people will back down and not fight them.
That's why they do the debt collection agency and bad credit report thing.
It's all bullying tactics to extort money from you even if you are not liable.


By the way I eventually cancelled my BT line.

Seans_dad

Thanks FannyHill for that tale. I am really heartened that I am not alone in my fight against BT.

I have taken the advice of Arenaman and contacted my local evening newspaper about this matter - and also included a link to this thread. I'll let you know if I get any response.

Blaz

Hi Sean's Dad,
Sorry to hear about your rough times with BT! Thats why im on here. Not as bad as your situation though i must say that is absolutely disgusting!

I recently moved in with my girlfriend in our new flat, Im a student so money aint to good for us at the moment. Anyway, we wanted a phoneline as i need Broadband for Uni. We phoned BT .... £125 connection fee!!! For a new connection!! (we live in one of the oldest streets in lpool so surely there has been a phoneline here before) Anyway they kindly offered me a deal of a free connection if i signed up to an 18 month contract ... seein as they own all phonelines i had no choice! But this came with strings!! I was on the weekend calling plan and i had to make x amount of chargable calls. My first bill came in at £35+ and then the second bill £35+ again!! These monthly bills were too high for us so I called up and changed my plan i upgraded to the anytime calling plan ... hoping now we'd jus pay the £18 line rental. So this month i expected a bill of around £20 ... NOPE!!! £148!!!
I called BT and spoke to a snotty man in the sales team (so that meant he was english). He claimed the £120 "Cancellation Fee" was due to us not making the minimum amount of calls!! Even though both our previous bills both exceeded £35+ !! he refused to remove the charges .... he wasn't very helpful or sympathetic. Anyway i called billing (indian ppl, its funny how u only get english spking ppl when your first signing up. trying to make a first good impression i bet!) I spoke to a lovely woman who was very helpful, she never once mentioned the minimum calls and apologised that her former colleage had upgraded my package but had not removed the cancellation fee for leaving the other package! Anyway my bill is now £28 :j

Anyway not relevant to your story but thats my experience from BT. If i had not called back to speak with someone from billing i would've very reluctantly paid the £148 online .... an that would've been it! All because of that first idiot!

If i were you Sean's Dad, If you cant get this sorted and you really have to pay it firstly do not worry about scary letters ... thats exactly what they are scare tactics. Let BT pass your account on too debt collectors. then pay them £1 .... then wait ... until you get another (empty) threatening letter .... pay them £1 ... repeat until they get fed up and offer you a settlement offer. this may effect your credit but depends on how strongly you feel about fighting this payment. I recently cleared a £2300 debt by doing this and in the end i paid a £75 settlement offer too the infamous Skillstrain! But thats another horror story!

Anyway i wish you all the luck with your fight!

FannyHill

I didn't pay the bill from BT for the visit as I believe the fault was outwith my property (possibly the electric fences, or mabye just the very long line and they are often out in my area repairing old lines).
I didn't want to pay and then fight to get it back I'd rather them not get it in the first place.

Any bill I get from any company even for a fiver I won't pay if I feel the bill is unjustified.
I sometimes hear "oh just pay it" something my mother might have done, but that's just not the way I think.


On the guttering bill I phoned the local paper who came out to see me and take a photo of me that was in the paper a few days later.
And funnily enough the council contacted me by letter soon after to cancel the bill.
Could there be a connection ?????? :j

Seans_dad

Thanks Blaz and FannyHill for those tales. I think I feel like you, FH, and wouldn't want to pay even a tenner for an unfair bill.

What I find curious in my case is that BT haven't responded by letter at all, despite my original complaint by post. They have used email, pm's on here and phone calls. I smell a rat here with no written communication (I don't really class email as 'written').

I guess companies will usually tape your conversations these days and use these against you if you trip-up on the phone. And lose those where they are culpable themselves. Be careful.