Beware - BT £130 call out charge gamble

mayoumba

Apologies for my first post being a bit negative, but when I was looking for advice on the internet this site came up with a few helpful threads, so I registered and am now asking for advice:


We had a intermittent crackling BT voice line in the rented house we are in for a number of months. We waited until it got bad and more frequent before reporting the fault.


After a couple of calls to BT I followed all the instructions, even went out to buy a corded phone and new filters to try in the master socket as instructed, but the fault prevailed. The BT person heard the crackling so said they would now send out an engineer but we would have to pay £130 if the fault was on our equipment or wiring. I said something along the lines of I didn’t want to risk that and how do I check it isn’t on my equipment. BT said as I had followed their instructions – corded phone, different filters, faceplate removed from master socket and phone plugged into BT test socket – the fault was not on my equipment and we would be charged. I laboured this point to make sure I wouldn’t be charged or if there were any other checks I could perform.

The engineer came and ended up changing the face plate from the master socket that houses the test socket and is left on when the customer removable faceplate is removed. He said one of the components on the back had gone, and they don’t use that style now. He left the part with us. At no point did he say we would be charged.


Fast forward 2 months and we get our quarterly bill and a £130 call out charge is on there.



On Monday my wife phoned and was told that we were informed that we were informed that we would be charged and the engineer told us on the day and therefore the £130 charge was valid. My wife asked to escalate the complaint and we were promised a manager call back after 6pm the following day so that I could speak to them.


They did not call.


I called the next day where they repeated their mantra that the charge was valid. I again asked to speak to a manager and was promised a call back later that evening.


They did not call.


Called today and had to start the story again and when we got to discussing our differing versions of events I was put on hold and then cut-off.


I called again and started the story again and eventually got the lady to listen to the calls I had with BT when reporting the fault to check whether I had agreed to the charges when in fact I had an assurance I would not be charged. She came back to apologise that I may have been given a ‘fake promise’, and the person who gave it would be ‘dealt with’, but BT should not suffer from this ‘fake promise’ and the charge was still valid and I had to pay. I said I should not suffer due to a ‘fake promise’, as I would not have had the engineer if I was to be charged.


I went on to question whether the part changed was our or BT’s responsibility and she said that BT’s responsibility stops at the outside wall and I have to ‘maintain’ the master socket, and so the charge was valid.
This goes against everything I’ve read on the internet about what BT maintains and is responsible for.


I asked to be put through to a manager but she refused to do this and her tone became a bit more sinister. She said it was up to me whether I paid or not but BT would pursue me for the money.
She was final in her decision and wanted to end the call at that. I asked what recourse I had and after some cajoling said I have to email the complaints department.


Apologies for the long post, but I don’t have the heart to write to BT at the moment in blow by blow detail so thought I’d ask for advice on hear whether it is worth persuing and whether my understanding is wrong.


But the big warning is to BE AWARE BEFORE AGREEING TO A BT VISIT. It is a £130 gamble.


Here's hoping my next thread is more upbeat.

davmail

This is a regular trick by BT,it makes them money,they do not care about you the customer,MONEY is king!!!They did this to us,told us we would NOT be charged,then charged us,liars they are,terrible,you are not the only one on here to fall for this scam,and it is a SCAM by BT.

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

spike7451

Have a read of this thread here;

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2855286

Using BT's own words against them,I was able to help Skintlass get her charges reversed.

Do I have to pay for a fault repair?

We can repair many line faults at the exchange or on the network. Others require a visit by a BT engineer. There is no charge for these repairs. We will only charge you when one of our engineers visits your property and finds that the fault could have been fixed by you. For example, if your phone is broken or has been left unplugged.

https://www2.bt.com/static/i/microsite/help_and_tips/faults/faq/faults_faq2.html

mayoumba

Thanks for the information. I will have one last try with the wording on their website on the phone tomorrow to see if I get anywhere.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Have popped this thread over FAO BBC Watchdog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/10/bt.html

Perhaps they'll reopen this topic as it continues to feature regularly.

mayoumba

Thanks for link to the watchdog blog.
Reading through some of the posts on there I picked up that they charge if the master socket is 'damp'.

When speaking to BT they read out the engineers report [where he told porkies] and 'damp' was mentioned. I didn't think anything about this when they said it, as the socket is in a garage, but it is in no way damp - it is an integral garage, the wall is bone dry, the foor is partially carpeted and there is a radiator in there!!!

This must be their reason, unjustified and false as it is.

macman

The NTE5 is BT responsibility. The only exception is user-inflcited damage. So if you allow damp to get in, that would be chargeable, as would physical damage with a hoover etc.
Get BT to justify their charge by explaining what damage you are supposed to have caused.

germaki

Sounds like you have been speaking to the normal billing advisors. When you call next ask to speak to the Disputed Charges department-they are the one who carry out investigations and look at calls, fake promises and notes from the engineer before making a decision.

Hope that helps.

pigeonpie

I had a similar problem in 2010. You just have to keep at their Customer Complaints dept and preferably in writing (email usually). I escalated the complaint and just kept on at them. Finally they reversed the charge on my phone bill. It's a battle of wits and energy. Don't give up as they are responsible for your master socket, unless you've damaged it yourself. I also discovered that the first engineer that visited had written a totally false description of the fault as he didn't even examine the master socket. May be an idea to ask for a copy of the engineer's original report too.
it's very tricky as they make us pay by dd. Good luck. BT are a nightmare.

James123_2

Well, for future reference, I think if you report that the fault is with your BB - ie slow speed which crackling would cause - then there would not be a question over whether to charge you. Essentially, a different department would deal with your issue and, in all likelihood, deal with the crackling as a result. Obviously, this would only apply to the point of your BT socket - as you rightly surmise. I'm assuming here also that you might have BB with BT.
Sorry I can't be more helpful. It's no surprise that, according to the web, many customers choose to tamper with the master socket themselves rather than risk paying £130 to BT for what is apparently a two minute job at a cost of a few pounds.

sherry_d

I am so cheesed off at the moment as I have just got my bill which is about £300 yet I normally pay £150. This is because BT stung £130 callout charge.

They made a call out a few months ago because my phone line was continuously engaged, when the Engineer came he said it was my equipment's fault caused by the SKY line that was in.

To be charged £130 seem daylight robbery and I dont have this money. I can just afford my normal bill and not this excess and I just feel like I want to leave them now (not sure If I can now with this HUGE debt).

I feel really angry and mad and havent even bothered calling them as I have delt with the Customer Service before and I just dont know what to do. If I dont pay it, they will just disconnect me yet I need my internet. BT has spoiled my day today.