MSE News: BT cuts 'free' evening calls by one hour

MrGumby

Keep in mind that, if you want inclusive 0845/0870 calls with O2, you need their Anytime package. When I told BT I was moving and wanted to cancel my annual contract at renewal next month, I was able to talk them into giving me BT Anytime for less than the price of O2 Anytime.

The O2 package is superior for some, in that it includes free calls to 20 countries, but inferior, in that it is difficult to use prefixes with O2 calls. Since I make few international calls these days, and they are so cheap via 18185 and Jajah, I decided to stick with BT for another year and keep my options open for renewal in a year's time. For anyone who frequently calls one of O2's 20 countries, I'd have thought switching to O2 Anytime a non-brainer.

Incidentally, if you're trying to argue the "materially disadvantaged" point with BT and get through to an Indian call centre, keep calling back until you get someone in the UK. Phone during the day if necessary. Same applies if you are seeking a price reduction. After dialling 150, choose the options that say you're planning to cancel service.

gsc

atlantis187 wrote: »

Can u send me a link for this para 48 because am also thinking of ringing and trying to cancel

See post 132 on this thread - link is there.

Also, rather than explain the same point to 3 different people, ask to be put through directly to the customer options team - they are UK based and appear to be the only ones capable of understanding their own terms and conditions and with the power to act upon them.

It can be done, I have successfully terminated my contract early based on the 'material disadvantage' clause - you just have to keep on at them until they submit!

bryanb

Thanks BT, It will stop all those incoming calls just as the TV news is starting!

Heinz

atlantis187 wrote: »

Can u send me a link for this para 48 because am also thinking of ringing and trying to cancel

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/dynamicmodules/pagecontentfooter/pageContentFooterPopup.jsp?pagecontentfooter_popupid=13408

Scroll down.

Mark_In_Hampshire

20. If you choose to end the service within any relevant minimum period or if you cancel your direct debit instructions; we may end your agreement for the service. If we do this within the minimum period of your agreement you will have to pay the termination charges set out for each of the services in the relevant service terms by way of compensation to us for ending your service early.

Don't change your bank account, then! Honestly, why anyone goes with this company is beyond me.

Inactive

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

.

Honestly, why anyone goes with this company is beyond me.

Indeed, I left them last year after they billed me twice for the same Direct Debit, I left them and went with my ISP IDNet, best move that I have ever made.

Saved a fortune and far better service with a totally honest company.

Sunnyday

:j:j:jYAY!!!!:j:j:j

I`ve just had a call from bt asking to discuss the questions in my email, at first i was told that i couldn`t go back onto the free weekend calls option until the end of the 12 month contract, then i quickly asked her to hold whilst i found this page and quoted the paragraphs posted earlier in the thread (45 to 48).

I told her that i would be disadvantaged by the changes. She asked me which part of the T&C`s i was referring to and i replied that i hadn`t written all the relevant parts down just the paragraph numbers, she went away and read them and as of today i`m now back on free weekend calls only without penalty and no 12 month contract.

SUCESSS :D

I`m so pleased with this, thanks so much to everyone who posted relevant information.

SD

EDIT, It seems that it may be beneficial to do the initial complaint by email so that you get a call from someone who has to follow things up properly, not just some one who takes a call IYKWIM, emails can`t go away but a phone call can. HTH

Searcher2

I emailed BT requesting termination of my contract as of 1st April (see post #127) because I wanted the cancellation notification verified in writing. I said my preferred method of contact was email. So what did they do? Ring my landline AND mobile and then emailed (as I was busy when they rang). This was the reply...

"I have received your e-mail dated 03/02/10 expressing your unhappiness over the proposed changes.

I do understand that you are not happy with the proposed changes of changing the evening time from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am to 7:00 pm to 7:00 am. I do understand your concern that this change will adversely effect you and I also tried calling you on your land-line and mobile phone to discuss this with you.

I have forwarded your e-mail as a feedback to be considered over the changes which are due to take place as I can see that you make a majority of your calls after 6:00 pm.

Whenever we make any change to our service structure it is keeping in mind the majority of our customers. We do monitor the usage pattern in general and we have observed that owing to variable reasons our customers can benefit more if we extend the timing by one hours in evening and expand the benefit during morning.

Please take a note of the following aspects of this change as well -:
a) A change in evening call period means a change to the daytime call period as we are not altering the length of our call periods which remains at 12 hours.

b) This means any calls made between 6am - 7am will be charged at the cheaper evening ppm rate giving you an extra hour of cheaper calls in the morning.

I do understand that you are forgoing the one hour i.e from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm the we have also increased the benefit to the morning timing as well. The proposed changes are to take effect from 01/04/10.

Every of our customer is a very valued part of BT family and we value your feedback a lot. I have forwarded your feedback to the concerned team and we will definitely consider it when we make any change in future.

Meanwhile if there is anything else that I can help you with then please feel free to write to me and I will be happy to assist you."

Do you see anywhere where they have acted on my request to terminate my contract? Nope.

This paragraph

"Whenever we make any change to our service structure it is keeping in mind the majority of our customers. We do monitor the usage pattern in general and we have observed that owing to variable reasons our customers can benefit more if we extend the timing by one hours in evening and expand the benefit during morning."

in particular is interesting. They are actually reducing the timing by one hour in the evening - not extending it.

Anyway - I think it sums up BT.

Searcher2

And as an follow up I replied :

"Thankyou for your email. Unfortunately I was not providing feedback but requesting termination of my 12 month contract as of 1.4.10 (in light of you changing your T&Cs as of 1.4.10) and requesting it be reverted to the standard (not commiting to 12 months) BT contract on 1.4.10.

To try and simplify things

Please :

1. Terminate my Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan with Friends & Family Mobile contract without charge in accordance with your T&Cs 45 to 48 as of 31/3/2010 due the fact that as of 1.4.10 I will be materially disadvantages by your contract change.
2. Change my contract to the Unlimited Weekend Plan – standard plan as of 1/4/2010 with no charge.
3. Confirm that you have registered my request for points 1 and 2 and will act on it.
4. Confirm how much notice I need to give to leave BT once I am on the Unlimited Weekend Plan.
5. Provide these answers by email only."

They have since rung my home number and then my mobile leaving a message saying that they wanted to discuss my request over the phone... despite me clearly stating I wanted answers by email only. Am I being too obtuse? Probably!!:) I just want it in writing.

Inactive

Searcher2 wrote: »

They have since rung my home number and then my mobile leaving a message saying that they wanted to discuss my request over the phone... despite me clearly stating I wanted answers by email only. Am I being too obtuse? Probably!!:) I just want it in writing.

They did exactly the same to me, just before I jumped ship.