BT mess-up again

TraySelect

BT have messed up my paper-free billing and overcharged me - but won't do anything.

I've been on paperless billing since 2008. This month, two [not one], emails came saying the new bill was online, and - heart-sinker when you read this from BT - "we've been busy improving your online account on bt.com".

I logged on to download the bill - no option to do this. My email address on their site was wrong [they used an email I got rid of almost 7 years ago]. Yet they'd sent 2 emails to the right address that day.

Checked my bank account - BT had taken a huge direct Debit that day - no notice to say it was being taken.

Rang BT, spoke to 'Gagan' in their overseas call centre. Told me I wasn't registered for paper-free billing. i told him I'd been getting paper-free bills since 2008.

'Gagan' said, and I quote - "I will take personal ownership of this problem and sort it out for you. I will talk to Technical Support and ring you back in a couple of hours. Don't worry, I will take personal ownership"....blah blah.

No call back - surprise surprise - 'Gagan' was being paid to bump the call.

I can't face months of hassle while BT sort out their own mess --- while they go on taking cash out of my bank account.

Until I see the bill, I can't see why they've increased the charges by such a whopping amount.

Any ideas please - how can I get this paperless bill mess-up sorted out?

Heinz

Use the Direct Debit guarantee - instruct your bank to reverse that call immediately (they MUST do so).

DVardysShadow

Heinz wrote: »

Use the Direct Debit guarantee - instruct your bank to reverse that call immediately (they MUST do so).

I agree with this. But do write to them and tell them what you have done, why and what they have to do to get their money. Keep a copy

TraySelect

Thanks very much for the replies.

I will write to complain and cancel the DD.

This will take me a couple of hours, what with time-wasting to BT call centre operatives who lied when committing to call me back.

These people are paid to do this. I'm not - i just pay them for abysmal service.

Why is customer care in telecoms, and especially BT, so unrelentingly dreadful? How do they get away with this year on year?

mobile48

I do not think you need to cancel the direct debit in order to claim the money back under the direct debit guarantee scheme.

The direct debit guarantee allows you to get the money back if an error is made in amount collected. See link below.

http://www.bacs.co.uk/bacs/businesses/directdebit/collecting/pages/customersrights.aspx

I think also an organisation must give you notice before taking a variable amount via direct debit. If this is not done then as the direct debit guarantee is also a money back guarantee you should get your money back also. There is no statement that the guarantee requires you repay it either here unlike for errors - not sure is this is significant or not.

From my own experience with BT that is different to yours but of interest. BT added late charges and additional charges for not paying by direct debit. They removed paperless discounts also - unsure why. So on top of the originally complaint I now had to complain about these charges also.

Things then got a lot worst for me as while I dealt with all this they disconnected my phone without any warning. This happen even though I paid the full disputed amount immediately over the phone with a debit card when they threaten to disconnect unless I paid - I had no choice. With hindsight I wish I had left BT and then dealt with the complaint.

Hope you will have more luck or better understand the BT complaints procedure than I did. I think the key thing to do is not to make any assumptions about how you expect them to deal with it but to always get agreement in writing. For example if a charge is disputed then get agreement in writing that it will be removed from bill while dispute is settled etc. Once the BT procedures for collecting unpaid bills kick in then the whole thing becomes very complicated to deal with.

P.S. This is a new pdf document on bacs site: http://www.thesmartwaytopay.co.uk/media/Direct_Debit_Guarantee_leaflet.pdf

They even have templates letters for sending here:

http://www.bacs.co.uk/Bacs/Consumers/DirectDebit/HelpCentre/Pages/HelpCentre.aspx

mobile48

TraySelect wrote: »

[they used an email I got rid of almost 7 years ago].

Despite the fact I only signed up for paperless billing in 2009 something similar happened to me.

BT later claimed my primary email address for paperless billing was a 7 year old email address and they claimed it was used to notify me of important changes.

7 years ago one lunchtime at work I visited the BT web-site to update a friends and family number. I forgotten all about doing this until BT claimed it was my primary email address for paperless billing - I had long since left the company and no mention of this fact was made in anything I received when I signed up for paperless billing 5 years later - in fact the email I got told me my current email was to be used.

Very strange. :xmastree: No smiles for strange but a Xmas Tree in August makes the point.

TraySelect

Thanks mobile48, v helpful info.

BT have form in making simple transactions hellish, and always at the cost of the customer. I have written formally via their complaints procedure, and will bear your advice in mind as this grinds on.