new versus existing BT phone packages

b56c

Are customers on BT option 1 moved over automatically to the new 'unlimited weekend plan'? (When I put my parents number into the 'view your calling plan' section of the BT site, it says that they are on the 'unlimited weekend plan' although they have not asked for this.) They have always been on option 1 and have been used to using the phone in the evenings for the fixed-rate, 51/2 p I think, for an hour. On looking at the new 'unlimited weekend plan' I note that this does not include this fixed evening call charge but charges at 1.5p/minute.

I'd appreciate input from anyone but especially the BT rep.

Heinz

Yes, a long time ago. The Unlimited Weekend Plan is now the standard (bottom of the range) calls plan which everyone gets included with their line rental.

Although (as the HERE link in my signature will show you) I do other things, I moved my remaining elderly relatives onto the 'renewable 12 month contract' Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan when the 'one hour for 5½p' calls disappeared.

From 1-4-2010 though, that'll no longer be as attractive as it was because of the loss of the hour between 6pm and 7pm (it was difficult enough drumming "don't call me before 6pm" into them so I'm not looking forward to trying to drum the change into them).

macman

I'm guessing that Option 1 was phased out around two years ago now?

b56c

So, if they are now on the unlimited weekend plan and they were moved over to that automatically, does it roll over automatically each year to a new 12 month contract? Can I find out online when their contract is up for renewal?

JustPassingBy

b56c wrote: »

I'd appreciate input from anyone but especially the BT rep.

Many of us here have Honorary BT Representative Status and often provide information which the official representatives decline to comment on or contribute to, so I hope this post is acceptable in the absence of your preferred respondent.

The Plan your parents were on was (as has been mentioned) discontinued a year or so ago. The nearest equivalent is an Unlimited Weekend and Evenings plan which gives free calls in the evening for up to an hour. It involves a 12 months commitment but if they do not intend to move from BT they have nothing to lose.

b56c

Thanks 'JustPassingBy' and of course any advice from knowledgeable contributors such as yourself is most welcome.

Both you and Heinz mention an unlimited weekend and evening package but I cannot find this particular deal. Perhaps this was available a year ago and has now been replaced by the unlimited weekend deal?

If they were put onto the unlimited weekend deal when option 1 ended, will the date that that happened be their annual 'renewal' date? I'm looking at moving them over to someone else, maybe the post office for simplicity, so need to know when they can get out of their contract.

JustPassingBy

b56c wrote: »

So, if they are now on the unlimited weekend plan and they were moved over to that automatically, does it roll over automatically each year to a new 12 month contract? Can I find out online when their contract is up for renewal?

They are not on a 12 month contract with the Plan they are on. You can change it or change providers when you want to.

JustPassingBy

b56c wrote: »

Both you and Heinz mention an unlimited weekend and evening package but I cannot find this particular deal. Perhaps this was available a year ago and has now been replaced by the unlimited weekend deal?

BT are playing games just now with Call Plans but the "Terms and Conditions" link at the bottom of

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-HOME-PHN-R1

is where you want to look.

b56c

JustPassingBy wrote: »

They are not on a 12 month contract with the Plan they are on. You can change it or change providers when you want to.

Is this so? The BT site states that this plan has a 12month contract.

macman

b56c wrote: »

Is this so? The BT site states that this plan has a 12month contract.

Where?

From the BT site (my italics):

Unlimited Weekend Plan. Only £11.54 a month line rental with Direct Debit and paper-free billing, for new and existing residential customers. No minimum term, unless you order a new phone line or switch your phone line to BT from another provider, where a 12 month minimum term applies to line rental.

b56c

Thanks JustPassingBy.

Armed with this information, I will be moving them over to a plan which DOES give them inclusive evening minutes. At the moment, this looks like the Post Office which will cost them £12/month for inclusive evening/weekend/0845/0870 and some mobiles compared to more than £14/month at the moment (they get paper bills and don't pay by DD) for inclusive weekend only calls.

Many thanks for your advice.