BT - Goodbye Quarterly Billing?

Buzby

I've never seen any formal statement from BT, but I'm currently on Quarterly billing and many friends on different call packages are telling me that BT have been changing them to Monthly Billing as part of their 'billing ratrionalisation'.

Has this happened to you?

I have to admit, getting 4 bills a year is preferable than 12, but I'd be interested to see if this is being achieved by stealth.

Heinz

Don't know about that but I've been paying BT line rental quarterly in advance for more than a quarter of a century and, last week, suddenly thought to myself that I'd had enough of lending them money.

Monthly Whole Bill Direct Debit starts this month.

For anyone else currently on Quarterly Whole Bill Direct Debit and wanting to stop lending BT so much money for 3 months, I started the process by using THIS online form and then received the following email reply:

I have received your e-mail dated 03/08/09 regarding monthly billing.

I checked your account and confirm that you are on direct debit quarterly at the moment.

As you are interested in monthly billing, we have two options available to pay monthly :

1) Monthly Payment Plan gives you the option to make set monthly payments direct to BT from your bank. It allows you to choose a payment date suitable to you that will remain the same every month. You will still receive a quarterly bill. This plan gives you the flexibility of being able to adjust your payments according to how you use your phone. It's easier to manage your finances as you will know exactly how much you pay each month. You pay your bill in small regular payments rather than getting a big bill each quarter.

2) With Whole Bill Direct Debit monthly the exact amount of your bill is paid directly to BT from your bank every month, 14 days after the bill is produced. Whole Bill Direct Debit is suitable for people who want an easy way to pay their bill as soon as it's due. You pay the balance of your bill in one go.

Please let me know the option you want to opt for and I will be able to assist you.

Thank you for contacting BT.

Yours Sincerely

Kusum Bhalla
e-contact customer service
Reference number:

This email contains BT information, which may be privileged or confidential. It's meant only for the individual(s) or entity named above. If you're not the intended recipient, note that disclosing, copying, distributing or using this information is prohibited. If you've received this email in error, please let me know immediately on the email address above. Thank you. We monitor our email system, and may record your emails.
British Telecommunications plc

Registered office: 81 Newgate Street London EC1A 7AJ Registered in England no: 1800000

I then received a follow-up telephone call from BT to ask what I wanted to do - and, of course, I opted to change to Whole Bill Direct Debit Monthly.

alan99_2

Trouble is most of us who only use BT for the minimum calls and use instead cheaper phone companies will have a higher chance of getting lumbered with Bt's charge for free caller display. We will need to make 2 inclusive calls every month to avoid the charge rather than the more flexible 6 calls per quarter.

Alan

Heinz

alan99 wrote: »

Trouble is most of us who only use BT for the minimum calls and use instead cheaper phone companies will have a higher chance of getting lumbered with Bt's charge for free caller display. We will need to make 2 inclusive calls every month to avoid the charge rather than the more flexible 6 calls per quarter.

True - but my Orchid's programming ensures I won't forget (all weekend UK 01/02/03 calls routed via BT).

prowla

I think they need to take the "B" out of BT, 'cos they ain't British any more.

Farway

prowla wrote: »

I think they need to take the "B" out of BT, 'cos they ain't British any more.

Care to explain?

They are listed on LSE, have the HQ in London and AFAIK majority of shareholders are UK based

Northern_Rock

perhaps he means the call centres?

ACDeag

Heinz wrote: »

Don't know about that but I've been paying BT line rental quarterly in advance for more than a quarter of a century and, last week, suddenly thought to myself that I'd had enough of lending them money.

Of course whether you are lending them or them lending you depends upon what your bill for calls is, if calls exceed line rental then quarterly billing is better as calls are charged in arrears.

Heinz

My bill for calls is certainly not via BT!

spark_deals

alan99 wrote: »

We will need to make 2 inclusive calls every month to avoid the charge rather than the more flexible 6 calls per quarter.

Alan

My line rental is with Bt and calls with orange (they provide free eve/w-end calls as I have free b/band with orange). Is it not that all calls will be billed by orange rather than BT?
How you make those 2 inclusive calls every month?
Thanks

Buzby

Hmm - Whilst you may think that 'lending' BT money for future service is somehow detrimental, choosing as you do to pay by Direct Debit, my experience is different.

As billing is now the new battleground with suppliers charging (per BILL) for; payment processing fees, late payment etc etc - you are at a greater risk of falling fould of things going wrong 12 per year instead of just 4. My cas an electric are quarterly/bi-monthly, abd I'vew no time to have them switching to monthly either.

Since I believe in financial independence and responsibility, I do not permit direct debits, I have computer banking and have the ability to send money instantly to any account, under MY control - no I'm no luddite. The issue is simply gicing a third party the ability to take money when they want, for as much as they want, as often as they want is nothing more than an abomination. As for the laughabile 'DD Guarantee' refusing as it does to provide cover for consequential losses, it might as well not be there.

Pay them 12 times a year if you like, but I've got more things to do in life than spend hours each month either paying bills when they fall due, ot stand over my bank account statement to ensure they've not done anything they shouldn't.

I sleep pretty good too....