BT Calling Plans Rip-Off ?

syko29793

Nashboy123 wrote: »

I am currently contracted into the BT Unlimited Evening and Weekends calling plan. The cost is free except for the usual £11.25 monthly line rental fee and the contract ends on 5 November 2010.
I was recently attracted to the BT Unlimited Anytime plan at an extra cost of £4.95 per month. But, on making enquiries with BT about how I could do this I was told that I could not do it without incurring a penalty charge of £7.50 per (plus VAT) for each unused month of the 12 month contract. That is, it would cost me a penalty charge of around £95 to upgrade the calling plan.
Needless to say I told BT to leave everything as it now stands, and I will definitely be looking elsewhere from next November. Considering I also have BT Broadband as well, BT will lose a lot of business from me.
I know the term "Rip Off Britain" is often quoted but this seems a ridiculous way of doing business.
Has anyone else had a similar experience

You can move to the anytime plan as long as you agree a new contract for 12 months.
If you move to the anytime plan and do not agree a new 12 month contract then you will be charged a fee to cancel the evening and weekend plan as you will no longer be under a contract.
Just to let you know If you call BT customer options team you can get the anytime plan for £3.95 and a £2.00 line rental discount given as a £24.00 credit so the plan only cost £1.95 a month.
Call 0800800030 option 1 and just ask to be moved to the plan. It will mean agreeing to a 12 month renewable contract though.

patman99

One question no one has asked yet, do the ops' calls cost more than $7.50 a month?. If so, then even with the penalty charge, they would save.
I've just re-joined BT from Talktalk, and save 79p a month for the same call plan.

Nashboy123

Thank you all for your replies.
Despite what Shane, the Official BT spokesperson, says, when I contacted BT Customer Services I was told that under the contract rules I could not upgrade my current calling plan until 5 Nov.2010 without incurring the penalty fees. Also, when I have tried to upgrade via my BT calling plan via account on-line the option to upgrade is not even listed. There is obviously a great deal of confusion even within BT. Why can't they make things easy instead of putting so many hurdles in the way.
The advice from syko29793 seems well worth a final effort though. I will keep you posted on how I get on

JustPassingBy

syko29793 wrote: »

Just to let you know If you call BT customer options team you can get the anytime plan for £3.95 and a £2.00 line rental discount given as a £24.00 credit so the plan only cost £1.95 a month.
Call 0800800030 option 1 and just ask to be moved to the plan. It will mean agreeing to a 12 month renewable contract though.

A very useful and helpful post. The £24 credit is also worth trying for if you have an Unlimited Evening and Weekend Plan with a 12 month contract coming up for renewal. It took me two attempts (the second one on 0800 345 7309, which is given in the notice of renewal letter from BT) to have it offered to me.

KimYeovil

<must control Pavlovian response to 'rip-off' whinges. already on a warning>