BT Anytime Plan

MissConception

Many years ago I moved away from BT because their approach to their customers was poor and based in deceit and trickery (much like banks and other financial institutions). However, in July I was tempted back with their Anytime Plan offer. Since then I have had two bills and both have been incorrect. So if you have this plan or are thinking about it - BEWARE.

The catch is that you must make at least 2 chargeable calls per billing period. If you don't you get stung for a number of fees totalling £5.20. This is a totally unnecessary stipulation for this contract and seems designed only to sting the unwary.

The first billing period was less that one month - so I have the charges credited. The second billing period I could use my home phone memory to give details of two calls that should have been chargeable but which BT failed to record on my account (blaming a very convenient system error) - so they are also being refunded.

The usage details show no calls whatsoever so it is difficult to argue the case unless you have a home pone with a memory of dialled calls.

Did I make a mistake of going back to BT - YEP!!

Don't follow suit.

HappyMJ

You are paying for BT Anytime yet don't use it? Just make some calls to anyone. Call someone every Saturday and/or Sunday and you will meet the minimum required calls. Register for online management of the account and you will see all the calls made. Inclusive calls count.

sproggi

It is not just the Anytime plan that they do that with.
I had the evenings and weekends plan, I don't use my landline for calls, only needed it for internet and this was the minimum plan that they provide.
I got charged extra for not using my phone.
Yes I could have made 2 calls to avoid the charge, but why should I have to go out and buy a phone just to avoid being charged for not using a service?!
I have now changed my provider to one that does not make this charge and is cheaper.

Hazzanet

Are you sure the charge isn't for the 'free' caller display?

sproggi

Mine was not because of any optional add-on, it was because I had not been making 2 calls per month.
Reading through all of their small print, there are small notices of this charge on just about every package.
If you were to have a new line provided by them on one of their deals, the minimum calls you need to make per month, jumps up to 10.

iniltous

sproggi wrote: »

It is not just the Anytime plan that they do that with.
I had the evenings and weekends plan, I don't use my landline for calls, only needed it for internet and this was the minimum plan that they provide.
I got charged extra for not using my phone.
Yes I could have made 2 calls to avoid the charge, but why should I have to go out and buy a phone just to avoid being charged for not using a service?!
I have now changed my provider to one that does not make this charge and is cheaper.

The minimum call plan is weekend call plan and is 'free' with the line rental, you dont have to have BT answer and caller display if you dont want them, I dont think this has a minimum call requirement but even if it did you just call an ordinary number at the weekend

sproggi

Just checked my last bill and you are correct iniltous, it was the weekend plan that I had.
They had charged me £3.00 due to their 'free 1571' feature, for not making 6 chargable or inclusive calls a quarter.
Yes I could have made the calls at weekends, but, I do not use my landline for calls, I do not own a home phone, so would then have to go and buy a phone, just to make enough calls to stop them charging me for not using their free service!

When I decided to change provider, the very helpful person at BT suggested that I could pay the next year line rental up front and this would reduce my bill, so I asked whether this would stop the charges being added for not using my landline, sorry but no.

Anyway, I have now switched to someone that does not charge me for not using my phone.

sproggi

And there is no need for me to pay any charges for a so called 'free service' just because I only use the line for internet, I simply switched to a provider that, not only does not charge for me if I don't use a phone, but is also cheaper

macman

The calls requirement was perfectly well documented when you signed up though.

sproggi

macman wrote: »

The calls requirement was perfectly well documented when you signed up though.

Actually, it wasn't, but then that might have something to do with the 1571 service not existing when I first signed up

I am just trying to think of another company that offers either a free service that they will charge you for if you don't use it, or one that charges you a fee to provide you with a service (as in the op's case) and then charges you again if you don't use it.
I can't seem to think of one!

MissConception

On the anytime plan you have to call (two times) a mobile number or some non-geo number that is not an 0845 or 0870 number, to make a CHARGEABLE call, each month.

1. Customer services told me that any call would do i.e. INCLUSIVE calls. Only to be told by a second representative that that was unfortunately incorrect.
2. They tried to charge me in the first instance for a period of only about 3 weeks i.e. not a full month (which happened to be in August when I was on holiday).
3. Even when I make CHARGEABLE calls their system does not record them.

We are taking about a premier league company here, very rich, plenty of resources and.................no ethics whatsoever.