BT Issue! Grrr!!

CarlaJ_3

About 2 months ago I switched bank accounts, in the process I changed over my direct debit details for BT too late for it not to bounce. I received a letter from them saying "dont worry, we will take this amount on or after 1st September." So I did what they said, I just left it for them to retake it. On 18th August, I went to use the phone, and it was cut off, completely cut off, along with the broadband. I couldnt even ring BT! We dont use the house phone often, and work long hours, so never noticed before this point that it had been cut off.
I rang them from a mobile, and explained what the letter said, and all I got was, "well we sent you another letter saying you need to pay, and we tried to ring you, but you werent in" I never got another letter, and after arguing, asking to speak to a supervisor, and then being told "no", they hung up. I then called straight back and asked to speak to a supervisor straight away. I spoke to him and explained what had happened, he admitted they were at fault and agreed to reconnect both phone and broadband within 24 hours, and they would take the billed amount on 1st like they originally stated.
That never happened, and in the end I gave in, and paid it all.
While I was on the phone I noticed my broadband was priced at £24.99, when I was told in April when the contract came up for renewell it would be reduced to £19.99 for being a loyal customer.
I was informed that all this money would be credited back on My September bill.

I received my September bill yesterday....
On it there was £17.00 charge for "other severices" which was a reconnection fee!!
And my broadband is STILL being billed at £24.99! Help! I rang yesterday and got nowhere with the customer service department, and it seems like anyhting they do say 0 they dont follow through on! What can I do??

Heinz

That sounds like Talk Talk (according to last night's Watchdog anyway).

CarlaJ_3

Sounds like all the phone companies are useless!! Grrrr! I wont change over to Talk Talk then....

Mark_In_Hampshire

I seem to remember reading in BT's Ts & Cs that if you cancel your direct debit mandate, they reserve the right to cancel your account, which might be what has happened. Then they can charge the reconnection fee.

The responsibility to pay is the customer's. If the supplier doesn't call for the direct debit, the one in breach of contract is the customer because the customer didn't pay.

Verbal assurances from major telephone companies are useless and can and should be ignored. It is only things in writing that can be relied upon to happen.

It shouldn't be like this, but it is. There are so many threads which attest to this.

First point: stop calling them and start emailing them.

Second point: pay what you owe via BACS faster payment.

Then consider that if they cannot be relied upon to do what they say, and that you'll probably be ripped off to the tune of £4.50 to pay that bill, whether you want to stay with the company.

See what your emailed complaint brings and then take it from there. If they don't follow through (e.g. getting the pricing right) and you pay by direct debit, you have no right of recourse. You can have the direct debit reversed, but that again puts you in breach of contract. The supplier wins every time.

punksluck

Seems to me that BT can get away with murder as they own the actual phone lines. I've been with them for 10 years now and have suffered problem after problem with either phone line or internet connections. I won't leave them because I know I'm not really going to get any better service elsewhere.

Mark_In_Hampshire

punksluck wrote: »

Seems to me that BT can get away with murder as they own the actual phone lines. I've been with them for 10 years now and have suffered problem after problem with either phone line or internet connections. I won't leave them because I know I'm not really going to get any better service elsewhere.

Your point is valid with regard to the infrastructure. If you live in a cabled area, you have a choice (BT don't own cable phone lines). Otherwise, as you say, there's no market, no competition, no incentive.

At the risk of being contrarian however, if you maintain loyalty to a company you have no confidence in, do you deserve any better, and why should they try any harder?

Any phone company can instruct Openreach - the monopoly bit - e.g. to install a line or fix a problem. BT [Retail] have no advantage over other companies in that respect.

Utility companies rely on consumer apathy.