BT complaints

patrick17835

Aaargh - just got off the phone with BT and as usual am seething with fury at them. I just noticed that on my bill I've been charged for the last six months for CallMinder and Caller Display on a phone that I only have because I HAVE to have it in order to get the broadband service, and which I only ever use for outgoing calls. (I never answer it when it rings, as it's invariably nuisance calls). I called BT up to complain about this (which of course means a maddeningly long wait getting through all the menus) and asked them what was going on. They told me that I had signed up for those services ages ago when they were free, and that they had informed me by email last year that they were to become paid services. If I did agree initially to them, it must have been because I thought I might as well, since they were free, and it didn't occur to me that BT could ever start charging me for something without me EXPLICITLY agreeing to pay. To say they sent me an email about it ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH! After all, it could have been caught in my spam filter. They say they wrote to me about it as well, but any normal person ignores all this stuff that looks like sales bumph in the post. AND BT KNOW THAT! That's why they work in this way. Instead of supposedly sending a letter saying "we're going to start charging you", they could send a letter saying "if you sign this, we're going to start charging you". I employ over 120 people and I was tricked like this, so think how many vulnerable people must be similarly taken in! Of course I argued back and forth with them for a refund, but it was a total waste of time. I looked on their web site to see how to escalate the complaint, but their complaints page deliberately obfuscates the steps you need to take. For the sake of about £30 BT are willing to make me furious with their sneaky sales tricks and risk losing me as a customer.

surfsister

Heinz wrote: »

A few months ago, the CEO of BT (Ben Verwaayen) said, during an interview on BBC Breakfast, that he regularly received e-mails direct from customers and was happy to do so.

I thought exactly what you just did when you read that first paragraph but made a note of the correct spelling of his name from the BBC caption, made the assumption that, if he was telling the truth, his e-mail address would be [EMAIL="ben.verwaayan@bt.com"]ben.verwaayen@bt.com[/EMAIL], and entered his detail in my e-mail address book.

Towards the end of March, I reached a 'too difficult to do' impasse with BT Broadband regarding something as ridiculous as registereing my e-mail address correctly on their systems and, having an intense dislike of having to spend 7.51p/minute calling their 0870 number to try to get them to correct an error entirely of their own making, decided to try the direct e-mail to the CEO approach.

I sent the first e-mail to him at 10:38am on 27/3/06 and sent my final, "Many thanks for sorting that out for me" e-mail to the person to whom Mr. Verwaayan had delegated the task 27 hours 15 minutes later at 14:53 on 28/3/06. Being old-fashioned and reasonably courteous, I copied that final e-mail to Mr. Verwaayen.

At 15:45 28/3/06, I received the below text in an e-mail direct from Mr. Verwaayen:I expect you've got the idea by now ....................

email not working anyone any ideas on a new one please as Bt refuse to answer my emails

InfinityOfSuffering

Thinking Of Switching to BT from another provider? Read My Story.

- On the 24th June I fill in an online application to switch from Talk Talk to BT, I want BT Infinity, arranged for 9th July, all good so far.
- I get my router as promised.
- On the 9th I get cut off.
- Nothing from BT, no text, no phone message, nothing.
- I then get my BT order cancelled.
- Then BT advise via text that I will be contacted with a new date on the 17th July, and also the 22nd July. I have no new date.
- Yesterday I was informed that I could not keep my old number, I now have to have a new phone number, the soonest they can now "fit me in" is the 5th of August.

I e-mail BT residential services every day, they have ignored my mails every day, they don't even bother responding to me. It's actually making me ill.

That's almost a months disconnection. I don't even know if they will fix it then.

Graciously, I understand that they are prepared to waive the £130!!! reconnection fee.

Still thinking of switching?

BT_company_representative

Hi InfinityOfSuffering,

I'll take a look at this for you. Drop me an email with the details. You'll get the contact detail;s in my profile.

Cheers

David

Heinz

surfsister wrote: »

email not working anyone any ideas on a new one please as Bt refuse to answer my emails

Apologies that this is a VERY late reply to your query but I've only just seen it.

It's probably far too late but, just in case it's not, BT reply very quickly to those submitting the complaint form to which the url below points.

https://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact_email/c/5642,5681

surfsister

thanks heinz I got it sorted my emailing very high up as those lower down don't seem able to reply to emails!!

Mazie241

I ordered Infinity on 10th July 2014 It would be installed 18th July I came home from work installed the hub only to find landline was not working, unplugged everything and re-installed again, still not working. I called BT and explained to the female the problem, she ran a check and said fault was inside, and infinity would work if reinstalled it. I then explained again that infinity was working but landline now not working and phone plugs into same socket so,how was phone not working? She then did another check and said the fault was outside my property did I want an engineer to visit I said yes, I was then informed a charge of £130 would be made I refused this as fault was with them and infinity WAS WORKING PHONE WAS NOT but it was working before I left for work that morning. It was arranged an engineer would come out on Monday 28th July between 8am - 1pm I took a day off work. Sunday 27th I was sent a text reminder of engineer visit next day and I would be charged £130 I text back that as the fault was outside my property I would not pay £130 I then got a text saying engineer had been cancelled. I called today to cancel Infinity and my BT contract to be told I was out of cooling off period as it starts on day you order not on day it is installed and it would cost me more to cancel contract. So I'm at deadlock, any suggestions for what I can do next? Really BT can do what they like and get away with it

littleboo

Mazie241 wrote: »

I ordered Infinity on 10th July 2014 It would be installed 18th July I came home from work installed the hub only to find landline was not working, unplugged everything and re-installed again, still not working. I called BT and explained to the female the problem, she ran a check and said fault was inside, and infinity would work if reinstalled it. I then explained again that infinity was working but landline now not working and phone plugs into same socket so,how was phone not working? She then did another check and said the fault was outside my property did I want an engineer to visit I said yes, I was then informed a charge of £130 would be made I refused this as fault was with them and infinity WAS WORKING PHONE WAS NOT but it was working before I left for work that morning. It was arranged an engineer would come out on Monday 28th July between 8am - 1pm I took a day off work. Sunday 27th I was sent a text reminder of engineer visit next day and I would be charged £130 I text back that as the fault was outside my property I would not pay £130 I then got a text saying engineer had been cancelled. I called today to cancel Infinity and my BT contract to be told I was out of cooling off period as it starts on day you order not on day it is installed and it would cost me more to cancel contract. So I'm at deadlock, any suggestions for what I can do next? Really BT can do what they like and get away with it

The £130 only applies if the fault is with your internal wiring or equipment. Provided you have tested at the master socket to eliminated your wiring/equipment, that would indicate that the fault is BT's responsibility and you won't get charged. Warning you of the possibility of the charge is standard before they send an engineer.

juliemacnam

Here's the letter I'll be sending off tomorrow...

Dear Sir/Madam

I’ve been trying to order BT Infinity and BT TV since 26th June 2014 and I’m still waiting for it to be installed (4th August).

1) I placed an order online – I was quoted £54.99 a month BT Infinity 1 with 20GB with Sky Sports, the £5 movie package. The date for the engineer to come out was 10th July which was the day after we were to move to our new address.

2) There was a query around which line we wanted to keep. I replied to this the following day. Because there had been a query and the connection was pending, they couldn’t go ahead with this order and it had to be cancelled and a new order made.

3) The appointment was made for a later day – a week or so after the original date.

4) My husband waited home all day which he couldn’t really afford to do as he’d had to take time off to move house. The engineer didn’t arrive.

5) I phoned the following day and after being transferred around three different departments, I found that my order was cancelled. No-one could tell me why.

6) I asked that my broadband order be expedited because I need it for my work. I was unbelievably peeved by this time. I was told the only way I could do this was to have the basic broadband package installed – I was old there was no way to expedite the tv. I was told (I believe the lady’s name was Cheryl who was obviously as annoyed with me as I was with BT by this stage) that the order for Infinity would go through separately (I think – she did a very good job of confusing me).

7) I have broadband now.

8) Infinity didn’t arrive.

9) I emailed BT around 24th July and had a reply from Nitesh Ranjan on my mobile. Unfortunately I missed his call. He left a message saying he would ring back 29th July. He never did.

10) I replied to the email I received from him 31st July to say I would be available between 9-5 if he would like to ring back. I heard nothing.

11) I tried to upgrade online but was unable to do so – there was a server error when I tried to complete the order. The quote was around £55 per month with a Sainsburys £50 voucher promised.

12) I phoned up again this evening. I’m being quoted £61 per month. I have asked that this be reduced in line with my original quote. This is being refused unless I submit my complaint to the complaints team and then I’ll have to wait at least 5 days before I can actually place my order. This is unacceptable.

13) I’ve given in and asked BT to place the order – this is taking an immensely long time – over an hour. I was so annoyed by the end of the call that I forgot to ask about the Sainsbury £50 voucher.

14) An engineer is apparently coming out 18th August. I’ll believe that when I see it….



What I would like to happen

I’m not asking for much, despite having spent hours on the phone, been TV-less for weeks, being shocked at the cavalier attitude this company has to its customers. If I had any choice I would be using any other company (I never had these problems with Sky) but unfortunately I’m stuck with you.

So, all I’m asking for is the original quote (I think it was for six months at £54.99, and my £50 Sainsbury’s voucher).

I don’t think this is much to ask.

(Thanks for listening, MSE forum).

BT_company_representative

Hi Juliemacnam,

I would like to take a look at the details of your complaint. Please send me in your details the link found in my profile.

Thanks

Paddy