BT Option 2 locked in to contract argh HELP

lday77

Can anyone help?

Background
About 4 months ago I phoned BT (they supply our line) to arrange for us to have call divert to my mobile when I'm not in. They said they would arrange this and as I was already on Option 2 (have been for 4 years) I could have half price line rental for 6 months - wicked! or so I thought.

Including our broadband (also supplied by BT @ £24.99 a month) our last direct debit went from £40 to £80 and as we haven't had a bill yet we don't know where this has gone. I work from home but am not making any more calls than I was before.

So after reading Martin's posts about battering down the phone bill I thought I could give it a try. :j

The Problem
I signed up for Primus Option 3 as I think this is my best option (with working from home) and then O/H who pays the bill and is the account holder phoned BT to ask them to downscale our account to Option 1 (the cheapest) they said that when I phoned four months previous I had entered into a contract to stay on Option 2 for 12 months and this was how I was offered 6 months half price line rental, but they didn't tell me it was a contract, is this deception? Also I am not the account holder so I am not actually authorised to agree to a contract.

The upshot is we are tied in to Option 2 for another 8 months as the BT person "didn't believe us":eek: - his words! We asked to speak to his supervisor but he wouldn't let us! This makes me think maybe there is something we can do any advice? I think they are in the wrong - am I wrong?:think:

pricefighter

When you took up the offer did BT write telling you what you had chosen,with the T&C,they usually do.The T&C for the offer are quite clear see
http://www2.bt.com/static/i/btretail/consumer/choices/offer/tcs.html#tc

I presume you have authority to discuss/act on the account anyway (And have password on account) otherwise BT would not normally accept an order.

lday77

No didn't receive any t&c's, nothing to sign and no I didn't use the password or the account number (don't know it) they just done it on my phone number.

I would threaten to change to NTL but I live in a village and we don't have NTL at all, so I don't think I can do much about it :mad:

clark1982

i'm sure you would have been advised at the time of ordering it was a 12 months term. Most times we don't listen to the important part of the call, we only hear what we want to! BT would accept a request from anyone they beleive is acting on the account holders behalf. Calls made to the sales centre are recorded so i'm sure BT can prove you were advised

lday77

I'm sorry you don't believe me either, but I was not told it was a contract - we were already on Option 2, I was just told that I was eligible for 6 months fhalf price line rental so I took it and since then the phone bill has gone through the roof and we haven't been sent an statement to see where it has gone.

O/h have asked them for the recroding of the conversation but they weren't willing to go down that road.

I know what happened, I am not lying and I am not wasting my time trying to convince anyone on this board what the conversation was I just want some advice as to what we can do.

Heinz

lday77 wrote:

.... the phone bill has gone through the roof and we haven't been sent an statement to see where it has gone.

Check your bills online then - I can view my last 3 itemised bills. You should be able to as well.

ahrimaniac

Just to clarify for you, your phone bill will not have 'jumped' up by any amount because of this contract.

The way it works is that you actually keep paying exactly what you were before -£16.50 a month for twelve months, but after three months, BT will credit you back with £16.50, and again after six months. You'll receive £33 back in total.

£33 is half-price line rental for six months as the line rental aspect of £16.50 is £11, and half of that is £5.50 - £5.50 x 6 = £33

So whatever caused the massive 'jump' on your bill was not this contract. The contract part of it is clearly stipulated in a letter sent out to you, plus, it is confirmed twice on the phone call - during the sell, and during the recap.

ginger_nuts

do you have a monthly payment plan or whole bill DD
Whole bill DD either monthly or quarterly will be for line rental ,BB and calls made for each billing cycle it will be for the exact amount .
Monthly payment plan will be an average over ? months .In this case the £40 may not have been enough to cover the bills .if you are tied to BT option 2 then look at 1899 for daytime calls .