BT Rep, please help - They've really lost the plot now!

Unity

I decided after years of hassle - a substandard phone-line; incorrect bills; the inability of BT to process vouchers for free calling features (obtained on buying a BT phone) and over 80 e-mails to and from their overseas call centre, to finally change provider.

I feel I have been more than patient, but recently I found that I'm even being charged just for dialling numbers (00.15p) - even when the other person doesn't answer and although my rolling contract doesn't end until this month - my discount for this ended in July :rolleyes:.

I already have my TV and broadband with Virgin and found that I could get my phone calls considerably cheaper by changing to their Anytime 200 package. I signed up for this and the installation and changeover is due to take place on 22nd October.

I had a rolling contract with BT and contacted them to tell them that I would not be renewing it and would in fact be changing providers. This was noted, but I also confirmed my conversation with an e-mail as I know from past experience BT are apt to lose things/deny all knowledge of conversations, yada yada yada :rolleyes:.

Surprisingly I got a phone call from a BT rep based in the UK who gave me a 17 digit number to confirm the cancellation. I was pleasantly surprised.

This morning I received a letter from BT dated 7th October 2009 Thanking me for choosing the Friends and Family Mobile deal for at least 12 months. The letter ends by saying that since my contract started on 15th October 2009 I no longer have the right to cancel! Err what?

I honestly find this beyond belief since I am - until my service provider changes - on the BT Anytime Plan, that already includes Friends and Family Mobile!

I really feel sorry for the competent people who work for BT (like the girl who gave me the cancellation number) since I am sure other customers like me will ultimately lose all hope, vote with their feet and move elsewhere.

I phoned BT on the cancellation contract number 0800 085 7340 this morning and when the rep looked at my account, she told me that the request to cancel my contract had failed - What?:mad: She's typed in my complaint to another team and it will take 48 hours for them to get back to me.

Is this some sort of BT scam to prevent customers from leaving? I have to say I'm wondering now whether it is a conspiracy theory rather than the usual c0ck-up. It beggars belief.

Thanks for any help you are able to provide.

mrtom21

I saw a post in the past with this exact issue. It is an error on BT's part if you ring in they will tell you that the contract has not been renewed and in error that letter was sent.. try it .

BT_company_representative

Hi Unity,

I've sent you a PM regarding your thread, could you reply to me by return please.

Thanks,
Jon.

Unity

mrtom21 wrote: »

I saw a post in the past with this exact issue. It is an error on BT's part if you ring in they will tell you that the contract has not been renewed and in error that letter was sent.. try it .

Unity wrote: »

I phoned BT on the cancellation contract number 0800 085 7340 this morning and when the rep looked at my account, she told me that the request to cancel my contract had failed - What?:mad: She's typed in my complaint to another team and it will take 48 hours for them to get back to me.

See original post :rolleyes:.

Unity

BT_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Unity,

I've sent you a PM regarding your thread, could you reply to me by return please.

Thanks,
Jon.

Thanks Jon, i've replied to your PM.

Unity

Unity

Thanks to both Jon and Stuart for your input and hopefully a resolution :T. My rolling contract ends tomorrow - hopefully .

It was an eventful weekend, with a call from the overseas call centre in reply to my e-mail, when I repeatedly told the lady concerned that I had no idea why I had received the letter about the Friends and Family Mobile contract and I certainly had not asked for this service. I then received the following e-mail:

Thank you for your e-mail dated 10/10/09 regarding the calling plan.

As discussed this afternoon at 14:40 hours, I confirm that I have provided the information regarding the calling plan. I would also like to add that the Friends and Family Mobile is add on package to the Unlimited Anytime Plan, so there will not be any separate line rental for the Friends and Family Mobile.

I sent a reply, again pointing out that I had not enquired about any calling plans, not entered into any contracts etc. etc.

BT called at 8.20 a.m. yesterday when my husband told them that I was not available - they then tried my mobile:rolleyes:. I'm disabled and not good in the mornings:o and okay they are not to know this, but a) have they never heard of 'office hours' and b) every time I contact them on the web form I specifically request that all contact be made via e-mail.

It's probably just as well that I wasn't available as the following e-mail arrived:

Thank you for your e-mail dated 11/10/09 regarding the cancellation of the renewable contract.

As discussed yesterday, I can confirm that you will not be in a contract with BT for the 12 months after 14/10/09. You can have my email as a confirmation once you decide to change the service provider. The complaint has been raised on your account and the reference number is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.. So please be assured that you will not be in a contract for the Unlimited Anytime Plan and Friends and Family Mobile.

Eureka, I think we've cracked it :j.

Following this, later in the day my husband took a call, this time from an English chap who apologised for the problems we had experienced and confirmed that we should not experience any more. He ended by saying that.............. wait for it................
"You will not be charged for the cancellation of the contract"!!!:eek:

This would be the contract that we didn't ask for, didn't agree to and didn't want:rolleyes:.

You really couldn't make it up :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:.

Seriously - thanks to the BT reps, I remember when I first became a BT customer over 30 years ago, we could always get hold of someone like you guys and be sure that problems would be sorted out. :T:T:T

Unity

I spoke too soon!

I've just received another letter from BT at 12.35 today, telling me that my service will move on 30th October and that I will have to pay £91.87 in termination charges for moving within the minimum term of my contract. This is the contract I don't have of course. :mad:

I've PM'd the BT Reps since they seem to be the only competent employees BT has left .

Unity

Thanks to Fionnuala and Jon, the BT Reps for sorting this out :dance::dance::dance:

I thought I had been transported to an alternative Kafkaesque dimension - when that letter arrived today:wall:. Exactly how BT can justify threatening my credit rating, if I didn't pay £91.87 - for stopping my BT services within the minimum term of the contract I don't have - is frankly beyond me , but I'm sure they'd try .

I am not out of the woods yet - as Fionnuala and Jon have asked me to check my final bill and PM them if the charge is applied, so that they can personally see it is taken off. This should happen sometime after 30th October - so in the words of The Terminator - "I'll be back" :wave::hello::wave::hello:

Careful_with_that_Axe

Dante's Inferno has a new Circle added - the Circle of BT *g*.
Well done lovely and I hope that it is, indeed, sorted now. Just wait for the calls from BT asking you to return to them!

MothballsWallet

It seems BT just can't get anything right these days: perhaps it's a case of no one knows what they're doing, no one knows what the Data Protection Act says (in my case, this is from them calling me on a fairly regular basis until recently, even when I asked them not to do so).

Now, where did I put that letter and invoice for invasion of privacy and failure to comply with data subject requests?

BT_company_representative

Hi Unity,

I have checked your account to see what has happened and the account details show that a ?6.35 refund was performed on the 17/11/2009. However this refund was made to your bank account and not by cheque as previously advised so I am very sorry about the confusion. The final bill did state that the refund would be made to your bank account so I do not know why you were advised otherwise. I would ask that you check your bank statement for the account that you used to pay your BT bill. If the refund is not there will you let me know and I shall investigate this for you as a matter of urgency.

Many Thanks
Donna
BT Support.