Misleading BT Cold-Callers

ComplexP

Since I pay BT for my phone line and have been a 'loyal' customer for many years I was lucky enough to recieve a call from them last night offering me a limited offer on my broadband.

To be fair, in financial terms the deal wasn't bad but it was the pushy and misleading nature of the call that hacked me off.

I'm currently on a very high end package with Plusnet that has no traffic shaping at any times and allows me to keep interleving off (for low ping times at the cost of slightly reduced speeds) which most ISPs hate because it lowers the 'average' speeds they can advertise. So offering me a cheap deal isn't likely to win me over.

The guy first phoned up when I was at work and talked to my wife and was trying to get her to agree over the phone to the package even after she said she wanted to check with me first.

Later he phoned back and I asked him about their traffic shaping policies on the package in question and about how the package deals with online gamers and whether interleving is locked on etc, etc. He didn't understand.

He then goes on to start claiming that BT can offer better speeds than anyone else because everyone uses BT's equipment which is a pile of tosh (the better speeds bit, I know everyone has to use BT's equipment; more's the pity). He then said that my current speed is showing at 2.5MBits (my current profile is actually 3.5MBits but their system takes a while to update) and they can offer me up to 8MBits. This is also misleading since every package offers up to 8MBits but the physical properties of my line (line length, noise margins, interleving settings etc) mean that the speeds are limited to what they are regardless of who my ISP is.

I told him in no uncertain terms that the package wasn't right for my somewhat specialised needs and that I wouldn't sign up to BT if they paid me simply because my previous dealings with them have convinced me that they are a shambolic company who have the worst customer service I have ever encountered.

If BT call you up and start saying they can incease your current broadband speeds, be wary and quiz them hard about how exactly they plan to do this. I find it insulting that they make these claims and worrying that many people could be taken in by them.

ahillsy

I had a similar call from BT not long ago. At first I just said I wasn't interested. But when they continued to ask why and explain it was a good offer at the moment, I found the best way to to end the salesman techniques was simply to tell them about my current provider.

So after explaining I pay less per month (£13.50) for my current ISP (Be), for unlimited usage, a potentially faster connection (up to 24MB) with no contract left to run....there was no possible argument in any way for them to claim their deal was in any way, shape of form better (or even as good as) my current service. :rotfl:

Lakeuk

This is how to end the call:-

You "I'm not interested"

Caller carries on with the sell

You "You are now breaking the law defined in the telephone communication act by continuing with sales call"

if they have any sense they will hang up, if they don't, say the law breaking call is being recorded

I sometimes play along with these calls and ask them if they can beat my current deal, when they ask tell them you don't pay anything, ask will they pay you monthly to use there service. They don't have anything in the script to deal with it and just give up

Inactive

Lakeuk wrote: »

This is how to end the call:-

You "I'm not interested"

Caller carries on with the sell

You "You are now breaking the law defined in the telephone communication act by continuing with sales call"

This is an even better way to end the call;

Press the " end call " button.;)

savemoney

Before I give anyone a chance to speak I say I am not interested, thank you and put phone down now. I even tempted to get true clal but resent having to pay £80+

I find cold calling such an invasion particularly when you make it clear you dont want calls. I even got 2 months free line rental from BT 3 months ago because they constantly rang me up despite telling them not to and they disregarded there own protocols

ComplexP

I think next time I'll flip it on its head and try to get the caller to sign up with Plusnet. I get £5 a month off my bills for each person I convert so it could be worth while

mr_fishbulb

When I got my phone line connection in my place, one of the BT options was to put the number on the TPS. The ironic thing is I hardly get any nuisance calls but the ones I do are from BT themselves!

Inactive

ComplexP wrote: »

I think next time I'll flip it on its head and try to get the caller to sign up with Plusnet. I get £5 a month off my bills for each person I convert so it could be worth while

It is somewhat ironic that PlusNet is owned by BT.;)

ComplexP

Alas it wasn't always so, but Plusnet don't seem to have suffered too badly from the BT take-over and still operate very much as an independent company. The only drop in quality I've noticed since the BT thing is that the UK call centres were replaced with Indian ones.

davester

BT and their internet service providings, It better than your current providings lol

HoofeHearted

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

When I got my phone line connection in my place, one of the BT options was to put the number on the TPS. The ironic thing is I hardly get any nuisance calls but the ones I do are from BT themselves!

The thing is, BT and other companies say "TPS does not apply to us, as you are already one of our customers". Do not know if this a valid reason or not. All I know is it is still annoying when they call and try to sell you additional serviced.:mad: