BT Connection Charges (merged threads)

BritBrat

BT Payment Fees are £4.50 to use a credit card
Does anyone else think this is a bit expensive

Not paid them for the last 3 months and still paying the same way I have for ages, online banking.

BT Direct Debit, How To Beat It

Full Thread Here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=446084

Lizzy

Well I never knew anything about this until today. I have student houses and there has always been a working phone line there. It seems the last students did not bother to have a landline(now I know why). The new lot want one so when I rang bt to switch it on I couldn't believe it, It used to be £10. BT said this charge will be incurred each time there is a new tenant ie change of name..........now that is what I call a rip off. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't bother either.

neo_napalm

I have just moved into a rented house with 5 others (though I'm still living at home for the moment as I have a job). I'm trying to set up a basic BT landline so I can get us connected to the internet.

I called them the day after I got the keys to the house (Sunday 5th), and they said they would call me within 5 days and tell me the costs.

They phoned me on the 5th day (Friday 10th) and said I needed to pay a connection charge of £125. Needless to say I didn't agree to this, instead I said I need to talk it over with my housemates.

Later that evening I got a call from one of my housemates, who has moved into the house. He has a copy of the inventory, which has been done by an independant company. In it its states the housemates before us had a BT line. As far as I can make out this means I shouldn't have to pay this charge. I may be wrong, if so could someone tell me?

Today I have just spent 3 hours on the phone to BT to try and argue this and found in between being on hold for ridiculous amounts of time that on the Friday, they set up an account for my house in my name without my permission, plus that it the wrong type of account set up (something to do with everyday 24). I don't have a clue what the number is of the account as well.

The phone lines closed at 8 while I was still on hold trying to sort things out. Apparently I should get a call back between 8 and 10 am tomorrow morning, though the fact I'm in work is an inconvenience.

This also proves to me that it is possible to connect my house to BT without paying that connection charge as they've just gone and done it apparently.

I would just like thoughts/advice as I'm confused, tired and quite frankly annoyed.

telephone_man

Hi Neo_Napalm

First of all BT should not have placed an order without your consent and any 'possible' costs should be advised before the order is placed anyway.

Regarding the £124.99 connection charge - this charge is now compulsory if an engineer visit is required. It has been made compulsory by the wholesale company Openreach. There is very little chance of it being waivered but if you are in a position where you have no choice but to pay it you can spread the charge over the year.

If you have any questions I havent answered please contact me.

BritBrat

Maybe the line was always working and was not disconnected after the last tenant.

Did you plug a phone in and see if there was a dial tone?

msampson

hi i hope someone can help me as i have bt line intalled at my home but have not had it connected for 8 months. i called bt today to ask if they could re activate my old bt line and give me a new bt telephone number and i wanted option 1. in the past when i have joined bt it has always been a 3 month contract but now they are saying the minimum contact is for 12 months!
they said they have now changed there terms and conditions for all returning customers and i must sign up for a 12 months contact as they no longer do it for 3 months.

i am very sorry to trouble you all with this but i hope someone can help me find out if this is true or not?

Millionaire

msampson wrote: »

hi i hope someone can help me as i have bt line intalled at my home but have not had it connected for 8 months. i called bt today to ask if they could re activate my old bt line and give me a new bt telephone number and i wanted option 1. in the past when i have joined bt it has always been a 3 month contract but now they are saying the minimum contact is for 12 months!
they said they have now changed there terms and conditions for all returning customers and i must sign up for a 12 months contact as they no longer do it for 3 months.

i am very sorry to trouble you all with this but i hope someone can help me find out if this is true or not?

Yes its true.

telephone_man

Yes it is true. It was a 3 month term but from 1st May 2007 (i think) ALL connections/reconnections have a 12 month term.

msampson

bummer! thanks for the info though which is very good of you both!

BritBrat

Or I think you can pay £70 to get out of the contract.

From 1st May 2007, for customers ending their service early, we will replace the existing charges with a policy that requires customers who have ordered a line on or after 1st May to pay the outstanding line rental for the 12-month minimum term of their contract, up to a maximum of £70 (incl. VAT). Customers moving home and transferring BT service to their new address will be subject to a new minimum term from the date of start of service at the new address.

http://www2.bt.com/static/i/btretail/consumer/update/informed.html