BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

ahappychappy

xxandyxexx wrote: »

i've been scanning this thread for the past few days now. I moved into my property on the 6th and there was a BT socket in the house, however it was dead. called BT just and managed to get the £122.50 connection charge waivered by signing up to the unlimited weekends call package which is £0 per month, plus the line rental. The BT on the phone was really useful, I just mentioned the "free new connection offer" and he sorted it right away for me. Only downside is the 18month contract, but can't complain and really happy with how smoothly it went.

I phoned yesterday to ask for the exact same deal and the lady on the phone told me it had changed on Saturday and i could not have it!

She was quite abrupt and even though i explained regarding the offer she continued to say it changed two days previous, to say im not to happy regarding how i was dealt with is a bit of an understatment as i jave just moved into my first house and am very short on the money front and i am more than happy to sign up for the 18 months

JustPassingBy

ahappychappy wrote: »

I phoned yesterday to ask for the exact same deal and the lady on the phone told me it had changed on Saturday and i could not have it!

The advice is to phone again (and, if necessary, again) and insist on speaking to the customer options team. Reporting your experience back here would also be appreciated.

xxandyxexx

ahappychappy wrote: »

I phoned yesterday to ask for the exact same deal and the lady on the phone told me it had changed on Saturday and i could not have it!

She was quite abrupt and even though i explained regarding the offer she continued to say it changed two days previous, to say im not to happy regarding how i was dealt with is a bit of an understatment as i jave just moved into my first house and am very short on the money front and i am more than happy to sign up for the 18 months

I didnt even have to go through to the customer options team. I guess I was just lucky I landed on a decent sales rep. I read on here that phoning in the evening is a better time. I rang about 7.30pm.

michellethegooner

Just to let you know this deal is still on, I have just signed up and I have had the connection charge waived and I am moving into a new build, I rang up and asked for the 'new line free connection offer'

Didnt have to speak to customer service, just a really nice friendly lady, not like last week when I rang 3-4 times and was told I needed a code number. Seems it really depends on what BT agent you get, which is wrong but keep trying...

MoscowFlyer

michellethegooner wrote: »

Just to let you know this deal is still on, I have just signed up and I have had the connection charge waived and I am moving into a new build, I rang up and asked for the 'new line free connection offer'

Didnt have to speak to customer service, just a really nice friendly lady, not like last week when I rang 3-4 times and was told I needed a code number. Seems it really depends on what BT agent you get, which is wrong but keep trying...

Ditto, literally just put the phone down, called up the 0800 800 150 number, asked if they were still doing the new line free connection offer and had the order finalised less than 10 minutes later, booked in for the 11th December.

Really pleased as I've had enough of Virgin to last me a lifetime.

michellethegooner

MoscowFlyer wrote: »

Ditto, literally just put the phone down, called up the 0800 800 150 number, asked if they were still doing the new line free connection offer and had the order finalised less than 10 minutes later, booked in for the 11th December.

Really pleased as I've had enough of Virgin to last me a lifetime.

same here, been with virgin since they were telewest many yrs ago, just find they are getting worse, internet rubbish, keeps going down customer service is not the greatest,

OldGreyFox

Why the doubt whether the FREE Connection offer is still on. BT have confirmed it has been extended to the 31/12/2009 ages ago.

The offer has its own thread here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1640845

michellethegooner

OldGreyFox wrote: »

Why the doubt whether the FREE Connection offer is still on. BT have confirmed it has been extended to the 31/12/2009 ages ago.]

Because only the week before I was told abruptly by BT on several occasions that it wasn't available.

DaveF327

I've just transferred my phone number to a new house with a BT line which had Talk Talk activated on it by the previous occupiers.

First person I spoke to about moving the line over told be I'd have to pay £122.50 connection fee as the line "wasn't BT". Cue end of phone conversation followed by less than jolly mood.

Searching around various providers to see who else could connect me at my new house left me in a worse mood after Tesco home phone couldn't even tell me if they could take over the line at all until after I'd applied for it. Worse still, I can't apply until I've moved in. Great waste of several weeks if i'm told later it's a no go. Their final word was.. they can only take over the line if I pay BT £122 to take it over from whomever, then Tesco can take it over after that. Great help!

Anyway, this following tactic did the trick.

How to stay with BT without paying connection charge:
Call 0800 800 150 then shortcut through the following options:
Option 1 (to talk about line you're phoning from now)
then option 3 (for moving home or stopping your service)
finally option 4 (to stop your service).

Be careful what you say as you don't want them to stop your line before they offer you various sweeteners to get you to stay. Something along these lines works well: "I need to give notice to close my BT account, but can you clarify first whether the 14days notice should be calendar days or working days?" "So if it's calendar days and I gave you notice on [random day] can you confirm my line will be ceased by [random date far in the future]?"

That's when they ask you the reason you want to quit. Then hit them with, "I'm moving house on the [insert date] and even though the property has a BT socket in place, I'm told there isn't a BT connection there so I'll have to change provider. Virgin say they'll install a cable line for £59.99, Talk talk say they can continue that service for nothing, yet if I want to take BT, you'll charge me £122." At that point, they offer to waive the fee if you agree to the 18 month contract.

Ok, it turned out someone had made a mistake and there wouldn't have been a fee at all, but up to that point, they were preparing to honour their old offer still

FannyHill

Why should you have to jump thru hoops to get telephone service ???

Oh I forgot we're dealing with BT here. :rolleyes: