BT automatically renewing 12 month contract

want2bmortgage3

As far as I was aware I was under contract for a new BT landline for 12 months then after that I would just pay monthly.

However as I moved out of the property after 13/14 months I've found out that BT have supposedly renewed my contract for another 12 months.

This means they want to charge me a fee of £76 for the remaining period of the so-called contract I thought I was out of.

So has anyone else had this problem and is there anything I can do about it? I called them and they say I cant have the fee removed unless I am taking out a new line in my new property. Problem is i'm only renting a room now and dont need a new BT line!

DonnyDave

It's called a rolling contract where after 12 months (or whatever the length of the term is) it renews with another 12 months (or whatever period).

Some offers have this type of contract, notably to have the Unlimited Evening & Weekend plan for the price of the Unlimited Weekend plan.

want2bmortgage3

thanks dave, if I had known about this though I would not have let it renew, as I knew I was going to be leaving the property. It seems unfair that I have to pay 10 months when I wont even be in the property. Added to that the fact I'd already honoured an initial 12 months contract and paid on time every month.

Ypaymore

You should have been reminded in writing approx 30 days from when the contract was coming up for renewal that you would be entering into a new 12-month period, unless you told them that you dont want to wish to do.

Did you not get a letter?

want2bmortgage3

no i dont recall getting a letter do they need to prove this to me?

DVardysShadow

DonnyDave wrote: »

It's called a rolling contract where after 12 months (or whatever the length of the term is) it renews with another 12 months (or whatever period).

Some offers have this type of contract, notably to have the Unlimited Evening & Weekend plan for the price of the Unlimited Weekend plan.

Sorry to disagree on this. In my mind a rolling contract is one which continues after an initial term, without a new contract period being imposed - a rolling contract would be a good thing.

This is what I would call an auto-renewing contract. It is surrounded by deceit - most notably telling the customer that it is rolling when it is auto renewing. It shows the depths to which BT have fallen that they do this sort of thing. More fool BT's customers for putting up with it - still, no one in this country can resist a bargain, even if it brings all kinds of hidden charges down on them.

Rikki

I have always had a BT phone before the days when you signed up for a 12 month contract.
Now they have changed the basic package to Unlimited Evening & Weekend calls do I automatically have a 12 month contract?

DonnyDave

Rikki wrote: »

Now they have changed the basic package to Unlimited Evening & Weekend calls do I automatically have a 12 month contract?

If you change your tariff, then yes you are put on a 12 month contract from the point you place an order to change.

The most basic BT package is the Unlimited Weekend Plan. The next one up is the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, and then finally the Unlimited Anytime Plan.

Rikki

DonnyDave wrote: »

If you change your tariff, then yes you are put on a 12 month contract from the point you place an order to change.

The most basic BT package is the Unlimited Weekend Plan. The next one up is the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, and then finally the Unlimited Anytime Plan.

Thank you.
I've never chosen a tariff I have what ever they've given me.

Goes to check the last bill.

Edit: it's the Unlimited Weekend Plan

Buzby

If you have the free weekend calls only, you are NOT tied to 12 month rolling. challenge it - as you have to agree to Free Evening & Weekend before the lock-in applies.

Patchio123

we had this took it through the complaints procedure and had the bill written off