BT Processing Payment

FredL

Yesterday I was queueing to see an exhibition at an art gallery, and enquired about annual membership - which was £90. I was about to sign up until I noticed that the application form had the Direct Debit box ticket. I asked how much it would be without Direct Debit, and the price was £100 per annum! As you can image I decided not to sign up.

In the queue I chatted to a lady who mentioned how much trouble she had stopping a company from taking DD payments from her husband's account (he has dementia, and she has to manage his affairs). Despite asking the company to stop taking payments, they continued to do so.

Back on topic about BT's fee charges: Looking into this further I realise that my ADSL provider can provide a telephone service at a much cheaper rate than BT, so that's the way I'm going to go.

macman

FredL wrote: »

Yesterday I was queueing to see an exhibition at an art gallery, and enquired about annual membership - which was £90. I was about to sign up until I noticed that the application form had the Direct Debit box ticket. I asked how much it would be without Direct Debit, and the price was £100 per annum! As you can image I decided not to sign up.

In the queue I chatted to a lady who mentioned how much trouble she had stopping a company from taking DD payments from her husband's account (he has dementia, and she has to manage his affairs). Despite asking the company to stop taking payments, they continued to do so.

Back on topic about BT's fee charges: Looking into this further I realise that my ADSL provider can provide a telephone service at a much cheaper rate than BT, so that's the way I'm going to go.

But DD's are cancelled by the account holder, not by the payee!

Heinz

macman wrote: »

But DD's are cancelled by the account holder, not by the payee!

Immediately, in my experience.

macman

Though there may be an issue here if the account holder is suffering from dementia and the poster has not got a POA, so the bank won't take the cancellation instruction. But that can hardly be blamed on the supplier.

DLWS

I have been with BT for nealry 20 years - but have just cancelled direct debit as despite being in credit they have increased my payments without telling me. I have spent 4 days trying to find out why, waiting for customer service to call me, The only reason they have given so far is its a computer error. They wonder why I am unhappy. Now unhappy to find I will be charged to pay online with my card. No other choice lost all trust in them.

macman

If they done this without telling you, then invoke the DD guarantee and ask your bank for an immediate refund. That's what the DD guarantee is for.

[Deleted User]

Does anyone know if the change in the law relating to 'The prohibition of excessive payment surcharges' as mentioned in this BBC article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22042309 will mean that BT can no longer charge such exhorbitant processing fees for those of us who do not wish to pay by Direct Debit?

Like others here I find it totally galling that BT Residential and BT Business customers who pay on time by credit or debit card or by bank transfer online get well and truly stung with these wretched charges. :mad:

I suppose they could argue that processing a cheque costs them more admin time in having to physically bank the cheque, but I'd have thought there'd be little difference in admin time to process payments by credit or debit card or by bank transfer?

The March 2013 guidance document from the Department for Business Innovation & Skills - 'The Consumer Protection (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012' - is here at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/175298/13-719-guidance-on-the-consumer-protection-payment-surcharges-regulations-2012.pdf