BT payment processing fee - What can we do?

littleboo

justaguy wrote: »

Friends,

According to their most recently published annual accounts, "BT Payment Processing Limited" made a NET PROFIT over 41 MILLION POUNDS for the year ending 31 March 2009. That's AFTER expenses. Robbery!!

Their gross income from the payment processing fee was over £100 MILLION POUNDS. That works out to an average of over 5.5 MILLION customers (£4.50 x 4 per bills per year) who are getting zapped every year by this con.

Remember, this is separate from the £7.50 late payment charge.

You can download the accounts from the Companies House website
www dot companieshouse dot gov dot uk
for one pound (yes, just £1)

Imagine going to the supermarket for your weekly family shop of around £100 (amount like your quarterly phone bill), week in week out, year in year out. Suddenly, the shopkeeper says: "Unless you give me your bank details so I can take money from your account in advance, as I please, I'm going to charge you £4.50 for the pleasure of taking your cash." Crazy.

Let's keep fighting this ridiculous charge.
Write to your MP! Write to the press!

If you dont like it, either use direct debit or change suppliers. There is no con, there is choice, use it.

wantmemoney

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote:

Personally I think you'd need to be mad to give BT (in particular, but goes for anyone) open access to your bank account in the form of a direct debit mandate

many would agree

justaguy wrote:

According to their most recently published annual accounts, "BT Payment Processing Limited" made a NET PROFIT over 41 MILLION POUNDS for the year ending 31 March 2009. That's AFTER expenses. Robbery!!

any charge where the customer receives nothing in return is wrong.

littleboo

wantmemoney wrote: »

any charge where the customer receives nothing in return is wrong.

What the customer receives is the ability to pay without using direct debit, an option they dont have with most other comprable suppliers.

spike7451

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

Personally I think you'd need to be mad to give BT (in particular, but goes for anyone) open access to your bank account in the form of a direct debit mandate, but some people are prepared to do so (about two thirds of people, I believe)

The answer is to change supplier.

A few years ago while I was away,BT tried to take money from my bank account five times in one month the month BEFORE the DD was meant to start!!
I got home to find my bank overdrawn by £170 ish,from the £35 per failed transaction fees.
BT said I had to get the money back from the bank,the bank (Abbey) said BT. (This was when all the polava from the charges kicked off)
I to this day,never got my money back so BT is one company I will never give my bank details to.
I'd rather pay the £1.50 a month than to go thru all that again.

undaunted

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

Personally I think you'd need to be mad to give BT (in particular, but goes for anyone) open access to your bank account in the form of a direct debit mandate, but some people are prepared to do so (about two thirds of people, I believe)

The answer is to change supplier.

I agree (and did) BT repeatedly made a mess of Direct debit when I tried two or three times to give them the benefit of the doubt so I certainly wouldn't trsut them with one again.

Post Office will allow you to pay over the counter in cash if you wish - no extra charges, well priced packages but again customer service isn't great if you do need to contact them (long waits, unreturned calls etc) though this appears common accross the industry unfortunately.