Being charged for not making calls by BT???

Sue_2

I have a phone and broadband account with BT which I've had for years. It's the basic package. This morning I've received a bill from them which includes £7.77 for NOT making calls. Seems a bizarre way to run a business to charge for NOT using a service ...

Meepster

I take it there is a stipulation in your contact where you need to make a certain number os calls (chargeable or not) each month. Seems to be standard practice on the cheaper deals...

Heinz

Have you taken advantage of a free or reduced price line installation? Those often stipulate an 18 month contract and making 10 or more chargeable or inclusive calls per month.

What does your contract say on this aspect?

Sue_2

I signed up originally to an 18 month contract about 7 years ago. They write to me once a year or so asking me to sign up for a fixed term which I never do.

Last quarter they charged me for downloading stuff included in my internet package ie no change in use and didn't reply to my email request for info why it was charged.

Its a nightmare getting through to BT at any time - not quite sure what else to do.

syko29793

BT charge £7.77 a quarter for caller display if you have it free as part of privacy at home but do not make the 2 calls a month via BT required to keep the service free.

Material_Girl_2

I think you can just call them and cancel caller display so you won't have to pay it on future bills.

Bernie_Vincent

syko29793 wrote: »

BT charge £7.77 a quarter for caller display if you have it free as part of privacy at home but do not make the 2 calls a month via BT required to keep the service free.

The current BT website confirms that at least two chargeable calls a month must be made with BT for the free caller ID faeture, but when signing up to this the foot of the order confirmation screen states "By completing this order your are agreeing to switch your calls back to BT". (We use talkTalk for calls.) I have requested clarification from BT.

Has anyone fallen for this 'trap'?

iniltous

Bernie_Vincent wrote: »

The current BT website confirms that at least two chargeable calls a month must be made with BT for the free caller ID faeture, but when signing up to this the foot of the order confirmation screen states "By completing this order your are agreeing to switch your calls back to BT". (We use talkTalk for calls.) I have requested clarification from BT.

Has anyone fallen for this 'trap'?

I dont see how this is a trap, If you have line rental with BT and want 'free' caller display then you have to make the required number of calls per month/quarter with BT, if you dont make BT your 'default' calls provider how will you be able to make those calls ?, if you have your calls with someone else, its almost certain to be on a WLCi ,not CPS, so the '1280' prefix wont work, so you would be charged for caller display,for not making the required calls with them, even if you prefix a few calls with '1280'.
If someone wants to use BT for line rental but another provider for calls and doesnt want to be charged for caller display they should get BT to remove the faciltiy removed from the line, this would leave them (of course) with no caller display, but no charges for not making any calls with BT.

Heinz

However, I have read on here that Talk Talk customers who have their line rental with BT have successfully demanded to be put back on 'proper' CPS.

I had a web chat with Sky yesterday in which the same thing was confirmed as available for those on Sky Talk who still had their line rental with BT.

Jucky_Mucky

did you receive from customer service a answer?

Bernie_Vincent

I emailed BT with my comment about what I referred to as a trap in their wording that signing up for the free* caller display signified my agreement to switch call back to BT. They phoned me within a couple of hours and registered me for the service and agreed that the wording was misleading. Whether the BT website is updated remains to be seen. If the wording is not changed, I still maintain that it is underhand.

*I don't fully understand the post from 'iniltous' on 30 August. When I pick up 1571 messages I will opt to return 2 calls a month using BT to maintain the free caller display service.