Another BT problem thread

[Deleted User]

We have been with BT for 12 months and are in an 18 month contract. When we were in receipt of our last bill in April, both me and my OH were unemployed and only had £65 JSA between us as JSA had made a big mess up of our joint application. We could not afford to pay the bill in full so were paying £5 a week through online payment on the website. Recently my OH landed a job so we were able to pay the bill in full. After payment had been submitted online (they do not accept payment on the phone anymore) I phone to confirm the payment had been received onto the account. I was assured it had been and was told that any restrictions on my line would be lifted within 24-48 hours. The customer support agent said that he would send a message to the department responsible for this to make sure it would be sorted asap.
This time came and went, so I decided to try to phone BT again. 150 was not working on my landline but my broadband (not with BT but through the same line) was working. I logged onto online chat with customer support who told me that my account had been closed due to non payment, that we would be billed for the remainder of the contract. Also if we wanted our phoneline re-activated we would have to enter a new contract, so in effect we would be paying £12.50 a month for the remainder of the contract plus the line rental on the reconnection.
Now I realise it is our fault for not paying straight away, but we did make an effort to pay what we could and have now settled the outstanding bill in full. I do begrudge paying twice over line rental for the same phone line. I can't even move the phone over to o2 because they rent the line from BT and I need an active connection with them before O2 will take me on.
Tried phoning customer support and this is like banging my head against a brick wall. For a start they do not know what time they are open. I asked them when they were open until, the agent said 6pm when I was talking to her at 8:30pm! I have also been told "have a good evening" at 11:30am before now! Technical support line (who I got through to first) agreed that it was unfair that I have to pay twice and be entered into a new contract. He couldn't help as it was a billing problem, got transferred to billing. Billing said yes, I need a new contract and will have to pay twice so tough.
Any ideas as to what I can do? It is partly my fault but it seems a little unfair that I will have to pay nearly £200 just because I was a few weeks late in paying the bill off in full!

Mark_In_Hampshire

Well, it's up to you... BT are within their rights here. However that doesn't necessarily endear them to you or anyone else. Odd isn't it - that they're prepared to take you back as a new customer with a new contract when you're clearly such an appalling customer that they were keen to lose (take that in the facetious way it was intended!)

I suspect you'll get nowhere trying to resolve this over the phone. You could write to them and try that way explaining what happened.

Do you want to be back with BT?

You can get a line set up by IDNET or the Post Office for circa £100.

DVardysShadow

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

Well, it's up to you... BT are within their rights here.

AFAICS, BT are totally out of order to apply sanctions after the account has been paid. They have acted in bad faith, accepting the money and then terminating the contract.

OP should make very careful notes of

• the date of payment
• the date of calling to check that the money was received
• the date on which service was cut

As I see, there is now no money due to BT for the remainder of the contract as BT have closed an account which was up to date. The matter should be put into dispute and taken to Otelo if BT do not resolve it.

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys, I will try and write to them. Wish BT customer representative would advise here. I appreciate that they are probs busy, but you would think with the rubbish service I have received that they would at least try to help!!

[Deleted User]

Logged onto live chat with them. I managed to get them to drop the cancellation charge but I would still have to enter a new 12 month contract, which I am not too happy with. She has noted my account to say the cancellation fee should be dropped in the even I choose to reconnect and I have saved the transcript of the conversation just in case.

BT_company_representative

Hi Drinkupretty,

I would like to take a look at your account to see what can be done. Please could you drop me an email with your BT account details? My email address can be found by clicking on my profile.

Cheers

Paddy,

DVardysShadow

drinkupretty wrote: »

Logged onto live chat with them. I managed to get them to drop the cancellation charge but I would still have to enter a new 12 month contract, which I am not too happy with. She has noted my account to say the cancellation fee should be dropped in the even I choose to reconnect and I have saved the transcript of the conversation just in case.

Still not good enough, really. If BT cancelled after the money was in their hands.

[Deleted User]

Well although BT were willing to waive the £57 cancellation fee, they want £50 deposit instead! As well as being locked into a 12 month contract. O2 phone said they couldn't take over my service until openreach reinstate the line, BT lied and said O2 could but O2 say this is not a service they provide. I have been informed that as I was not informed of BT's intention to cancel the service in writing or by phone (wasnt told contract had been terminated until after when I happened to get in touch with customer support) BT are in the wrong here because they are obliged to inform the account holder of any termination of contract in writing before doing so. Does anyone know if this is true and who upholds this obligation?

[Deleted User]

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Still not good enough, really. If BT cancelled after the money was in their hands.

Yes this is my problem too. This is something that BT seem to not care about. Also that they didnt inform of intent to cancel before doing so. Their awful customer support got me so frustrated that I cried!!! I never do this normally on the phone. I was meant to be doing stuff today including going out for a friends birthday but ended up so upset by their refusal to do a thing I am not in the mood at all today. BT have not only screwed up my phone service but have also ruined my Friday
MSE BT rep of little help so far, didnt even seem to know that the fee was waived even though I wrote it on here, I wrote a lengthy email back but as it is now the weekend I will not hold my breath for a reply anytime soon!

Steveseven

Welcome to the wonder full world that is BT ,
They sent me a bill dated the 3/06 with a pay date, 13/06 I paid it express online on the 11th and got 2 !!! reminders of none payment dated the 13/ and 15th..

muppets.!!

[Deleted User]

Ok so after being told several times by BT ( customer support and sales) that if I paid the cancellation charge I would be reconnected without a 12 month contract, they are now saying they do not offer this. Conveniently not making any note of this on my account, instead they have noted that they explained I would incur a 12 month contract either way, which is untrue. Spoke to a customer support rep and manager both of which were unsympathetic and rude. I only want to be reconnected so I can go to O2, definitely do not want to stick with a phone company where the reps talk to you like you are 6!!
So basically I have paid £57.98 cancellation fee, they still want me to be on 12 month contract and will probably also want a £50 deposit no doubt. BT do not care about their customers in the slightest!!! When I went through the whole story again the BT customer rep was pretty much calling me a liar when I told him that we had recieved no letters or phone calls what so ever from them notifying us of their intention to cancel our line (the first we heard if this was from o2 broadband!!!)