Warning - BT sneaky extra charges on bill

MORPH3US

Just wanted to warn everyone....

I got my BT bill yesterday and noticed I had loads of extra charges for

BT Answer 1571 low use charge

BT Caller Display low use charge

Now I had never even asked for either of these services on my account...

I called up and disputed the charges and without any argument whatsoever they refunded them, but how many people (especially with online billing) wouldn't even realise about the charges?

Keep your eyes peeled people, I fricking HATE BT.

Only took a bloody phone so I could get broadband and obviously the £11 odd line rental isn't enough for these robbers!

KimYeovil

Wow, that's a new one! Thanks for the heads up! Who knew?

apogee4

Got my phone bill online from BT yesterday. I do not normally check it that thoroughly but something caught my eye.

On Friday 14th August, my son was ill and I wanted to take him to the Doctors. Now normally, the phone lines open at 8 at our surgery and it is always engaged. Normally after a few putting the phone down and redialing times, you get through. On this occasion it was on the sixth attempt.

What has made me so angry with BT is that I have been charged 13pence for each of these engaged calls so 65p in total. I telephoned BT and they said you should not be charged for calls that are engaged, apologised and would arrange a refund. Like the OP said, they did not argue, they just accepted it.

Later on, my wife looked through the phone bill and she saw 5 more times that the phone was hung up after 2 or 3 seconds so more calls that were engaged but we had been charged for. So that was now 10 in total.

I rung back BT but this time, I was told I was wrong, the person we were calling must have call-waiting or a load of other excuses. Unlike the person I had spoken to 3 hours previous, this person just did not want to know and did not care. It was only when I demanded to speak to a manager, did they start to take me seriously. Eventually they said I would get a refund but I am not holding my breath.

Like MORPH3US said, how many other people who are not so diligent when checking their phone bill will just accept these charges? I am half tempted at the moment to contact Ofcom as I don't think BT should get away with these 'stealth charges'

KimYeovil

Sorry, what has a surgery's choice of switchboard got to do with BT? It is your surgery that has chosen to do this. it is your surgery that is choosing to charge you for an engaged switchboard. (Just as many others choose to charge you while waiting on hold.) It is your surgery that is making stealth charges.

apogee4

Sorry Kim but I have to disagree.
1. I have been at that Doctors surgery for 7 years and always get an engaged tone when the lines open at 8 am and this is the first time I have ever been charged for an engaged call. I have asked the surgery this morning if they have had a new telephone system installed and I got a strange look from the receptionist and the answer no

2. The other five calls that I got charged for included my parents, a close friend and my local council. Other than the council, I don't think the others have a switchboard.

The fault is BT's and they admitted it

Butterfliesarepretty

I have just checked mine too. I only have rental with bt as I do my calls with tesco homephone. so I am on the £11.25 a month and so it showed £12.50 charge a month on my bill so I queried it with BT and the indian guy said they said its £11.25 cause the paperfree discount is taken afterwards. So thats right. And then I queried why they had advanced charged me till Jan 2010 and they said they always do that.

so I changed my monthly plan from £9 to £11.25 to cover any oustanding debts of £30. To be honest with you I worked for bt for 22 years and it was far cheaper and easier before they outsourced the work to india and I hate talking to indian call centres.:rolleyes:

So looks like my bill is correct.

BT_company_representative

Hi apogee4,

If you want to drop me a PM with your details I will check this out for you.

Cheers

Shane.

BT_company_representative

Hello MORPH3US,

I have sent you a PM about this issue.

Fionnuala