Help please - unfair charges

Lori007

I have today spoken with BT about a bill that has been sent to my parents. In short, my Mother was unable to phone out last month and when I spoke to BT it turned out that she had not paid her bill. When I explained that she had not received a bill, nor a reminder or any phonecall from them it was agreed that I would pay by debit card on the spot and she would be reconnected plus apologies were given. My Father has terminal cancer and my Mother is 80 - they have been with BT over 50 years, always paid promptly and frankly she does not need this worry. She has just received a bill for double what she normally pays since a reconnection has been charged plus a late payment! I have today phoned and again, been given apologies but told there is nothing BT can do once a bill has been automatically sent out by the computer since they cannot over-ride it. I find this hard to believe and asked customer services if that meant they were controlled by the computer and if a bill if incorrect can it not be amended by them? He said it was up to us to prove that we had never received a bill or a reminder!!!!!? This is disgraceful and shows a complete lack of compassion or understanding. Can anybody help and give me advice on how I can arrange for the £19.25 to be credited back - many thanks

Sooler

Inform them that once their computer has sent out an incorrect bill there is nothing you can do.

Inform them that as they can not over ride a bill that their computer has already sent out, they can over ride the next bill as it has not yet been sent out by their computer.

Inform them that they need to correct the charges applied to the next bill - refunding all charges incorrectly applied, and any that might acrue, relating to the last and previous bills.

catfish50

Have a look at the thread at https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3207116

A BT rep posted in that thread. You could try contacting him for assistance

To avoid it happening again, maybe you could sign up to BT's "Protected Services Scheme"?
http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-other-services.html

Code of Practice regarding vulnerable customers:
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/RegulatoryandPublicaffairs/Codeofpractice/Consumercodeofpractice/BTResidentialCodeofPractice.pdf

macman

Your mother could also avoid any future stress (and save the payment processing fee) by switching to whole bill monthly direct debit.
Then there can be no possibility of the bill going astray in the post, as had probably happened.

Lori007

macman wrote: »

Your mother could also avoid any future stress (and save the payment processing fee) by switching to whole bill monthly direct debit.
Then there can be no possibility of the bill going astray in the post, as had probably happened.

Thank you - she is actually looking at organising a direct debit so that this never happens again - big thing for her she has always paid into a bank by cash or cheque. Glad I'm not with BT!

Lori007

Thank you so much for your help BT have today responded via email and advised that they will refund the charges on my parents next bill. This is down to the help everybody gave me - thanks again guys:money: