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BT calling plans

As a long-term BT customer (before calling plans) & shareholder, I just want to register my dis-satisfaction that line rental is now bundled with renewable contracts if you change call plan. My main use is broadband and 50% (weekday) tel calls are to 0845/0870 & mobile numbers.
I am on the weekend plan and would have been happy to pay £4.99 / mo Anytime for 12 month contract, as ISP anytime package does not include 0845/0870 free calls.
However, I understand that any change to my Plan would include the line rental in the new 12 month renewable contract. With the new times/charges starting 1st April, and fluid BB/line rental packages I don't want to commit to this BT line rental exposure.

BT should remove the line rental element from existing customers > 1yr wanting to change to Anytime calling plan.
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Comments

  • N9eav
    N9eav Posts: 4,742 Forumite
    That's good to know. I cancelled my contract for March 31, so that I can shop about and even get a new BT deal (they automatically renew you unless you say otherwise). But If the package does not include all that stuff, I would have lost out
    NO to pasty tax We won!!!! Just shows that people power works! Don't be apathetic to your cause!
  • Ypaymore
    Ypaymore Posts: 2,802 Forumite
    edited 18 March 2010 at 9:18PM
    Line rental is not included in the plan for existing out of contract line rental customers,but if you decide to end your call contract within the 12 month minimum period, you will incur a single charge of £8.00 for each month left of the minimum period,which is less then the cost of the line rental and call bundle.
  • syko29793
    syko29793 Posts: 574 Forumite
    Ivydene wrote: »
    However, I understand that any change to my Plan would include the line rental in the new 12 month renewable contract.


    The £4.99 anytime plan is not an auto renewable contract after 12 months it ends and your free to change without penalty.
  • N9eav
    N9eav Posts: 4,742 Forumite
    syko29793 wrote: »
    Ivydene wrote: »
    However, I understand that any change to my Plan would include the line rental in the new 12 month renewable contract.


    The £4.99 anytime plan is not an auto renewable contract after 12 months it ends and your free to change without penalty.

    I beg to differ, I have a letter here from BT stating they were going to automatically renew my contract for 12 months unless I cancelled...
    NO to pasty tax We won!!!! Just shows that people power works! Don't be apathetic to your cause!
  • mrtom21
    mrtom21 Posts: 281 Forumite
    Previous Anytime offers have been with a 12 month contract. The new anytime deal with 3 months free is not a renewable contract after the 12 month period it goes month by month.
  • syko29793
    syko29793 Posts: 574 Forumite
    edited 20 March 2010 at 12:54AM
    N9eav wrote: »
    syko29793 wrote: »

    I beg to differ, I have a letter here from BT stating they were going to automatically renew my contract for 12 months unless I cancelled...

    Its used to be renewable as the anytime plan was £5.99 with £1.00 off making it £4.99 (given as a £1.00 credit on your bill)
    New offer is £4.99 a month with 3 months free 12 month contract non auto renewable contract. After 12 months its out of contract.
  • Munger
    Munger Posts: 17 Forumite
    at least your contracts auto renew - i have to go through hell to get mine renewed. usually a 30 minute plus experience which this time resulted in an advisor adding a fake password to my account so im locked out of the account unless i give the password!

    its like dealing with children
  • docpaulo
    docpaulo Posts: 8 Forumite
    edited 21 March 2010 at 12:22PM
    I've just realised that BT haven't sent me a reminder letter this year about my 12 month call plan contract - which is due for renewal today!
    Phoned the number on last year's letter and the BT drone tried to tell me that customers only receive a reminder after the first 12 months, then it's up to them to remember about cancellation otherwise it's renewed automatically. Is this a well known BT practice? Am I the only person who thinks it's a sharp practice and possibly illegal?

    When I pointed out to the BT guy that I'd had 2 consecutive reminder letters in 2008 & 2009 he changed his tune to 'when we sell this plan we're told to tell customers that they will only get one reminder letter after 12 months'.

    Ironically I was only looking through my file because I'm in dispute with BT about the 'free' Mobile Saver add-on deal which I've realised from their new clearer bills is no longer free for me!

    Addendum - just got off the phone with BT to switch to the anytime package offer and confirmed that it's only a 12 months tie-in, not renewable. My original gripe still stands though!
  • Brian64
    Brian64 Posts: 249 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I think BT make a lot of money by not sending out reminder letters when your 12 month contract has ended so they can automatically lock you into another 12 month contract.I had been wanting to change my calls to another supplier but keep my line with BT by FeB i went into my account on line thinking my 12 months should be up by now but not sure as i was told i would receive a letter from BT 4 weeks before to remind me which i've not received.Anyway whilst looking on their web site i got a pop up asking if i wanted to chat to a bt advisor and i enquired if they had an option for line rental as i was wanting to switch my calls and was told they don't do line only and my best option would be the weekend plan.so in FEB i changed from the unlimited anytime to the weekend plan.Forward to today BT bill arrives log into my account and charged £86.71 in cancellation charges! Phoned BT spoke to advisor who said reminder was send not BT fault i didn't get it blame royal mail and that my contract had ended in DEC and i had been put on a new 12 mth contract. I asked why i was not told this when i was on web chat or when i went to change my plan online and he said that had i phoned i would have been advised of the cancellation charges but not online.He then put me on hold to talk to someone regarding it and came back and said if it was up to him he would refund the charges but whoever he spoke to said because i'd done it online they couldn't. I asked what their complaints procedure was and if they were in an ADR scheme (as i was going to ask for a letter of deadlock) he didn't seem to know and advised me to write to BT. I will take this matter as far as i can as it is very bad practice by BT.
  • Premier_2
    Premier_2 Posts: 15,141 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    BT sent me a letter to advise me my 12 month Evening & Weekend Plan contract was coming to an end. It said if I wanted it to roll over to another year I didn't need to do anything.

    I didn't do anything ... but they are now charging me extra for the Evening Call element.

    The BT complaint procedure is defined within the BT Code of Practise (page 18)

    You are supposed to ask to speak to a manager, but in my experience they won't let you.

    More info can be found in my post here:
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=31062923&postcount=4

    BT are in the Otelo ADR scheme, but they, like most ombudsman, won't consider a complaint unless you have first completed the supplier's complaint procedure ... so complain to Kevin Lendor, Compliance Operations Manager of BT Group if the service advisor doesn't allow you to (e.g. pass you to the manager on request if you are not happy with the help/resolution).
    "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 2010
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