BT Rolling Contracts

moneysavingkitten

I've got a BT line, and I want to stick with it (just because it something goes wrong, I can actually talk to BT, rather than the BT part of the contract being with another phone provider and having to go through them).

I have been on the free evening and weekend call plan for a year now, and they have just asked me to renew my contract. I thought that once I had been with them for a year, I wouldn't have to be in a contract any more, and could pay on a month by month basis. However I have a letter that says they are automatically going to renew my phone on a 12 month rolling contract.

Does anyone know if there is a way to have a BT line without being locked into a 12 month call plan? Does it help if you change to the most basic call plan?

Quentin

You need to switch to the unlimited weekend plan. There is no minimum contract for this. (Providing you are now outside any minimum period from any other plan/line install etc).

You need to let them know otherwise you will rollover onto a new 12 month contract (which will include the free evening calls as well as the w/e ones)

Heinz

And you need to open a www.18185.co.uk A/C so you can use the 18185 prefix for your weekday daytime and weekday evening UK 01, 02 & 03 calls.

The renewal of the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan is automatic unless you tell them otherwise - so tell them quickly.

mountainofdebt

Heinz wrote: »

The renewal of the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan is automatic unless you tell them otherwise - so tell them quickly.

I would actually challenge this as I've only recently discovered that I have been charged for the unlimited evening and weekend plan since March when my contract ended - wouldn't have minded so much but I received a letter saying the contract would be renewed automatically as well!

Ypaymore

You can also ask to be put on the no contract Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan available to eligible residential customers with no minimum period. The price is £2.95 per month plus line rental.

BT_company_representative

Hi there Moneysavingkitten

As the Other Poster's before me have rightly said you can have a BT line and not be within a contract.

The renewable contract offer is only to allow customer's to receive the Unlimited Evening and Weekend Plan for the price of our standard package the Unlimited Weekend Plan, giving a saving of £2.95 per month.

Stuart

moneysavingkitten

Thanks everyone for your comments, I feel a little less stressed out now. I guess it makes it more expensive but I can't be doing with another contract.

To BT company representative:

To be clear, does this mean I can pay £2.95 a month more, and stay on free evening and weekend calls, but not have a contract? Or does this mean I just cannot have a free evening and weekend package without a contract?

Does this apply your any time packages as well? How much do these cost without a contract?

Ypaymore

moneysavingkitten wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your comments, I feel a little less stressed out now. I guess it makes it more expensive but I can't be doing with another contract.

To BT company representative:

To be clear, does this mean I can pay £2.95 a month more, and stay on free evening and weekend calls, but not have a contract? Or does this mean I just cannot have a free evening and weekend package without a contract?

Does this apply your any time packages as well? How much do these cost without a contract?

You cant have the free evening and weekend calls without agreeing to a rolling contract. You can get inclusive evening and weekend calls no contract £2.95 a month (not free your paying for them )

You used to be able to get a no contract anytime package for £5.95 a month but it has now ceased.

"
Unlimited Anytime Plan – standard plan

The Unlimited Plan is available up until 27th August 2009 to eligible residential customers with no minimum term. Please note, a minimum term of 12 months applies to line rental for new customers and those switching their phone line from another provider, signing up to this calling plan.
The price is £5.95 per month plus line rental, which has a monthly cost of £11.25. The total price you pay is £17.20 per month."

BT_company_representative

Hi Moneysavingkitten I can explain that there is a renewable 12 month contract with the BT Anytime Package, which includes the Friends and Family Mobile Option. The price of this package is £17.45 per month. You do get further discount if you are a direct debit and paper free customer.

If you do not want a contract with the BT Anytime Package then this would cost you £17.45 per month but without the Friends and Family Mobile Option. Thanks Gail

moneysavingkitten

Heinz: Thanks for the link, I have been checking out 18185, it looks very good. If I understand correctly, UK landline calls are 5 pence for the connection charge then free? I will definately consider this. How's their customer service? Have you had an billing problems with them in the past or is it all good?

The other thing I wondered about 18185 is whether they make the calls through the telephone network, or whether they are actually VOIP calls put through an Asterisk server or similar? Have you noticed any difference in the sound quality of calls or lag when using their service or is it pretty reliable?

Ypaymore: I think I am finally geting my head round this evening and weekend calls bit But I think I need to ask BT some more questions to be *absolutely clear about this*....

so....

BT company representative: Gail, thanks for your prompt reply. I am still not 100% clear what this means, so I am going to break it down a bit and I hope we can nail it this time.

Anytime packages are the same price whether they are with a contract or without a contract, just the contract version includes mobile calls discount?

This £17.45, does this include line rental as well as the calls? If it includes line rental, it sounds ok, but if not there is no way I could afford that.

I am going through my last bill, and trying to work out how changing the plan will affect my bill, please could confirm I have understood this correctly?

Rolling Unlimted Evening and Weekend Plan v's Contractless Evening and Weekend Plan

1) I am currently paying £37.50 (£46.35 - £8.85 discount) for my unlimited evening and weekend plan, which includes line rental @ £15.45 a month. If i don't renew the rolling contract, I won't get the discount shown, this will go up by £2.95 per month (£8.85 per quarter), bringing the line rental and calling plan total to £46.35 for the quarter. Is this correct?

2) I then have to add on the payment processing fee of £4.50 for the quarter because I don't have direct debit, which will bring the total up to £50.85. Correct?

3) Plus £1.25 for not having paperless billing, making £52.10?

3) Then I add on any chargeable calls I have made, and this gives me the total bill I have to pay? Have I missed any charges out here?

4) I also used to have Caller ID, before BT cut my phone off accidentally and lost my phone number. And it was free. When the phone was reconnected, I was told this would be put back on, but it wasn't. Is there a charge for that these days? I heard people say they are gettng charged for it if they don't make enough calls. If they make inclusive calls, do these count?

BT Anytime Package

Bearing in mind that I am not going to make any mobile calls, so don't see the benefit of having a discount mobile package, so I don't need to have a contract with you, have I got this right?

1) I am currently paying £37.50 for my unlimited evening and weekend plan, which includes line rental @ £15.45 a month. If I go onto the Anytime Package, will this then be £17.45 for line rental and anytime calls, or will it be £15.45 line rental + £17.45 (£32.90) for calls? £52.35 a quarter if this includes line rental, or £98.70 for the quarter if it doesn't.

2) Then I will have to add the payment processing fee of £4.50, which will bring this total to either £56.85 if i does include the line rental, or £103.20 if it doesn't include line rental for the quarter?

3) Then add £1.25 for no paperless billing making £58.10 or £104.45?

4) Then add any chargeable calls I have managed to make?

5) Plus caller ID?

Could you tell me what the total for all charges for the quarter should be, for an Anytime Plan, with payment processing charges and VAT, on the assumption that I haven't made any chargable calls?

Unlimted Weekend (your most basic package that allows broadband to be connected as well?):

1) I am currently paying £37.50 for my unlimited evening and weekend plan, if I change to Unlimited Weekend this will change to £11.25 line rental + £2.75 charge for not paying by direct debit making a total of £14 or £42 for the quarter?

2) Then I will have to add the payment processing fee of £4.50, which will bring this total to £47.50 for the quarter?

3) Then add £1.25 for not having paperless billing, making £48.75?

4) Plus any chargeable calls I have made...

5) Plus any charge for Caller ID?

Thank you very much in advance, I find it much easier to talk to BT this way rather than trying and get this all out over the phone.

Quentin

Have a look at post office homephone. They charge £11.75 a month (no extra to pay for paper billing or not paying by direct debit). They charge £1.71/month for caller display.

This includes all evening and weekend calls (includes 0845/0870), and also includes calls to mobiles + 40 international destinations at the w/e.

No contract (15 days notice needed to quit).