MSE News: Escape BT contracts & beat price rises

seanbadger

Just contacted BT, no charges for phone or broadband cancellation as i quoted this page and the price changes link above


they also gave me my MAC code without problem. Switched to another company already for half the cost and some freebies thrown in to boot

JuicyJesus

BT have been a nightmare. While not wishing to go into it fully here, they really are complete cretins who screwed up in several different ways, none of which they have taken any responsibility for. I'm now switched to a new provider without charge, however oddly enough getting them to agree I was entitled to do so wasn't the hard part - the hard part was actually getting them to do it, and do it in a way that adheres to basic principles of mathematics.

My final bill (now settled, after much gnashing of teeth) had a small passage saying that they "wish to welcome me back to BT soon enough". I intend to scrawl obscenities on it and post it back, mostly centring around the theme of "I'd rather get AIDS".

Oh, and did anyone else get the impression BT think they're doing people a favour by adhering to their own terms and conditions, which they themselves wrote, and thus doing what they are legally obliged to? They seemed to think they were being amazingly charitable by following their own termination clauses.

ade12

I called to cancel my contract as the article said. i am in a total broadband package with bt. I was first told yes please wait while we sort it out they hung up on me or lost me one of the two. i called back they said we have to check this with a supervisor. they then said no i could only cancel my line rental my calls and broadband were not going up. I said i have just been told i can they said no you cant and you(me)hung up on them. i was so annoyed i said i waited 15 minutes until i got a long tone down the phone. i said you do tape the calls answer yes it takes 5 days but you wont be told what happens its data protection. At this point i have had enough said i am making a complaint anyway. i dont hear anything for a week think well whats the point i am stuck anyway i can only move my line rental. received a call today to say there is an oustanding complaint on my file and no argument at all the lady who called me said the supervisor is wrong all prices are going up i have cancelled your contaract today. she has given me a number to qote, her phone number and her name in case i have any further problems but she says i shouldnt have any further problems my contract is cancelled. i can go anywhere i like now but she has offered me some better deals as well with bt but think i will go. the nice people who know what they are doing are few and far between. Not that other companies are better but at least i can pay less for the abuse they give me. So if you have been told no complain and stick with it it worked for me. they are giving out incorrect advice:j

Greenow

I escalated my complaint with BT and finally received satisfaction, getting the following reply:

Thank you for your patience while I have been investigating your complaint further.

On this occasion, due to the fact that you have taken an offer for your bundle broadband and call package, and the Line Rental Saver deal at the same time, you would be entitled to cancel your package without charge and also have a refund on the advanced line rental once your BT account closes.

Before you take the decision to leave BT, I would like to confirm an offer I would be able to make to you for your continued BT service should you be happy to remain with the BT connections. Your price will increase to £29.40 on 03/12/11. The new package I can offer you would be for the same BT Total Broadband Option 3 and Unlimited Anytime calls and will work as per below.
- BT Total Broadband Option 3 with Evening and Weekend Calls for £13.25 per month. This is a 12 month deal, you will be charged at £24.10 however you will receive a £10.85 monthly credit for the 12 months duration of the contract and offer.
- To upgrade you to Unlimited Anytime calls we will add this on to the above £13.25 price at an additional £4.90 per month.
The above will make your monthly rental £18.15 per month with your line rental in addition however this will be covered by the Line Rental Saver offer until 06/07/2012.

I hope you will consider the offer made above before you decide to leave BT. If you however would like to migrate your service away from BT then please discuss this with your chosen new provider and they will be able to explain the process on how this is done and the information they will need from you.

I would like to offer my further apologies for the confusion caused regarding the changes in your pricing with BT however I trust the information above will confirm things for you and also clarify any inconsistencies you may have received previously. Once you have decided on the process you wish to follow please let me know and I will be able to arrange the specific requirements on your chosen action. I look forward to your response.

I didn't accept the revised BT offer and am in the process of switching to the TalkTalk half price offer.

sly_dog_jonah

I've finally exorcised the demons and got rid of our BT phone & broadband, sans-penalty. We had to sign up for 18months to get free line installation into a new build, but have managed to ditch it after 11months :beer:

Our final bill was generated this morning and had termination charges and equipment charges (for their god-awful router, the cheek!) but managed to get these reversed on the phone this morning as I'd insisted a previous CSA put a note on the account that we were leaving due to the price hike. The final bill also didn't reflect our latest DD yesterday, so in actual fact BT owe us £25 which is apparently going to be refunded in the next few days. So make sure you check your final bills with BT and hold firm that you had cancelled under term 52.

2bFrank

I was wondering if anyone can give me any assistance regarding this. I have just spoken to BT and the customer service agent informed me that as my Line rental is increasing they can cancel this, but as the BB and Vision is not increasing then I can only cancel the line rental.

My partner is being made redundant, as I was hoping to use this oppotunity to cut our bills and cancel our BT package to reduce costs (As I work from home some days, work provide us with a dongle for Internet Access, we dont use our home phone and Vision is a luxury we can do without). I asked how much it will be to cancel our complete contract and I was informed it would be £454 :eek:. The breakdown as follows

£179.01 for the package
£199 for the vision box
£46 for the Home Hub

Is this correct, can they charge us for the equipment, we signed up to a 24 month contract and are currently 12 months in. If it is correct, then we will just have to wait for the contract to end. however any help will be much appricated.

2bFrank

Its ok, I've done a little digging around, and I am past the 12 months the beginning of december. After 12 months you do not need to pay the equipment charge. Confirmed with the BT customer service.

sly_dog_jonah

2bFrank wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone can give me any assistance regarding this. I have just spoken to BT and the customer service agent informed me that as my Line rental is increasing they can cancel this, but as the BB and Vision is not increasing then I can only cancel the line rental.

My partner is being made redundant, as I was hoping to use this oppotunity to cut our bills and cancel our BT package to reduce costs (As I work from home some days, work provide us with a dongle for Internet Access, we dont use our home phone and Vision is a luxury we can do without). I asked how much it will be to cancel our complete contract and I was informed it would be £454 :eek:. The breakdown as follows

£179.01 for the package
£199 for the vision box
£46 for the Home Hub

Is this correct, can they charge us for the equipment, we signed up to a 24 month contract and are currently 12 months in. If it is correct, then we will just have to wait for the contract to end. however any help will be much appricated.

Double check your package is definitely not increasing by using this BT site:
https://www.pricechange.bt.com/login

Our Broadband and calls package was going up £0.90/month (in addition to the line rental hike), and enabled us to terminate the contract and avoid £107.77 of termination & equipment charges.

Don't take what CSA's say at face value, several swore blind that was no increase on my Broadband package until I pointed them to this site as evidence. Similarly many of them denied there had been line rental and call cost increases in April 2011. Many are either liars, or incompetant.

2bFrank

Thanks for this, you are correct. I just tried that site and it comes up that my package will increase by £1.40, so BT are hiding something.

Product Current Price New Price
Broadband, TV and Calls £33.00 £34.60
Discount £5.00 £5.20
Monthly Total £28.00 £29.40

Any ideas where the extra charge is, I tried looking at the site but no luck.

2bFrank

Double check your package is definitely not increasing by using this BT site:
https://www.pricechange.bt.com/login

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just confirmed with BT on the phone, and indeed my prices are increasing. They no longer do the triple package I am on, which is why they didnt know first time I rung this morning. I now am in the process of cancelling. Thanks again.