Please help

mobiustrip

I've been on here writing about my ghastly former flat mates. There is a new sting in the tale (ho ho) to this story and I desperately need advice about what to do.
I set up all the accounts in the flat and unfortunately didn't envisage them wanting me out so didn't think about putting their names on the bills.
Every bill is fine, except BT. They've got the landline but when I tried to transfer it out of my name and into theirs, obviously BT wouldn't let me do this. They said that one of the other tenants would have to ring up and organise for a walking line transfer. I told the remaining tenants this and thought was all sorted. Until I got a confusing email saying that the walking line transfer had been done and the BT direct debit had been taken off the joint account (that I share with one of the flatmates) so that I could take this with me.

I got the BT line for the flat and although it's in my name, had no interest in taking it with me as I have a BT line in my new place. I think what they are sayinig is that they no longer want the BT line and so since it's in my name, it's my responsibility.
If I want to cancel the BT line, I have to pay a huge amount of money cos I organised a contract for 12 months.
I don't see why I should be liable for this and at the very most will pay a third to cancel it but don't see why I should pay anything for it since I got it for the flat because we all wanted it.

Please can anyone help cos I'm at my wits' end with all this and I don't know what to do.

Sensible_Jess

Hi Mobiustrip

Sounds truly awful... Is there any way that you can set up the line to not accept outgoing calls so in effect it is still there but your flatmates can't make use of it? You might need to do this via a PIN service.
If you're tied in for 12 months, can you not transfer the contract to your new place?

Fire_Fox

Why have you still got a joint account with someone you have fallen out with? You should be able to get the others to pay their share of the utilities (gas, electricity, water) by taking them to the small claims court, but any additional contracts (phone, broadband) you took on in your name are your legal responsibility. You can often transfer the contract from one property to another; have you already started a new contract at the new place??

mobiustrip

Fire_Fox wrote: »

but any additional contracts (phone, broadband) you took on in your name are your legal responsibility. You can often transfer the contract from one property to another; have you already started a new contract at the new place??

the other property has a BT line. I didn't expect to be asked to move out and in complying with their wishes (I was a co-tenant and didn't have to go anywhere) but assumed they'd take over the line as we all agreed to have one in the first place. I didn't realise that because I took out the contract it would be me who was ultimately responsible since I've never fallen out with anyone in a flatshare before.
Is there nothing I can do when they've also been paying for the line and have been using it?

Emmzi

no, there is nothing you can do but get them cut off.

Homersimpson

If the place your moving to already has a BT line have you taken out a contract for this already or was it left by the previous occupier?

If you don't have a contract yet can you not ask BT to move your contract to the existing line in your new place?

I've never done it myself but it sounds feasible. When dealing with any company like BT, if you don't get any sense from the call centre agent ask to speak to their line manager and if they won't let you ask for complaints (Even if you don't really want to complain yet). The front line staff generally only know how to certain standard things and if your problem is a little unusal they may not know the correct answer and try to fob you off. Don't get me wrong, some are really good but these places tend to have a high turnover of staff and if your unlucky to get a newbie they might just try to get rid of you as an awkward customer!

BitterAndTwisted

The very first thing you should do if you haven't done so yet it is to visit the bank and get your name taken off the joint account or seeing if you can close it altogether. Then once the next DD to BT comes out, it won't be your money that's paying for the line if you can't arrange for the transfer to your new property. It might be cheaper all round to cancel the contract in your new place than trying to cancel the original one. Have you looked into doing that?

BexInLondon

When speaking to BT keep calling back until you get a Scottish person. When I had BT issues they were the only ones able to help. There is a also a BT company rep somewhere on these boards who may be able to help you out.

How many months does the contract have left to run? One option is to drop to the most basic possible tariff and pay it off. At least you'd have a clean break!