BT Complaints & Escalation

dulcieb

unsureandconfused wrote: »

Paddy,

Thanks for the offer but following my email last night to Livingston who is now not with BT, I had a call from the Chairman's office earlier today. The person I spoke to agreed that I can leave BT with no penalty charges for breaking contract and my final bill is to be wiped. He agreed that I was mis sold the package and agreed that I have experienced a nightmare from beginning to end.

Congratulations unsureandconfused on getting a response. Any company where customers have to resort to e-mailing the chairman seriously has customer service problems.

A few people have asked about how to get them to take notice (and, perhaps more importantly, to co-ordinate their responses so it doesn't look like you've been lied to or forgotten). In BT's case it seems that going to the top works. Another approach is twitter -- anyone who wants to tweet about some of the nonsense on here is likely to see things picked up quickly. PR people are very concerned about social media and so are more likely to respond.

I've spent years telling people that despite their faults BT have tended to have an intelligent understanding of customer service and complaints. That has now been entirely undone by their own lack of co-ordination.

Oh, and BT staff on here -- I too followed your links and have not heard from you. Can you not contact people either?

unsureandconfused

Yep I don't see the point in contacting a name in a forum (sorry but that's all they are to me) in the hope that they MIGHT be from BT and MIGHT help me. To be honest, I don't see how anyone could help as BT is in such a mess, the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.

The chap who spoke to me today from the Chairman's office was genuinely helpful. The email I sent was long but it included all the points that needed to be made including the mis selling of the package, the terrible customer options dept and the fact that they breached the direct debit guarantee and also took extra money out of my bank account they were not entitled to take - in error and then refused point blank to refund it back to my bank account. I actually compared it to the billing dept to buying something from a shop, get it home to find its broken so return it to the shop, they refund cash if you paid cash or to your card if you paid that way. I was informed very abruptly and abrasively that this is a totally different matter as thats a one off purchase and this is a contract direct debit !!!!!!!!! And she expected me to swallow that ???!!???

The chap today has released me from the mis sold contract with no penalties and waived any further bill from BT. Good day's work I say !!

SussexMatt

Hello everyone,

Having read through the last few pages of this forum I can see that I'm not the only one to have suffered at the hands of BT recently!!!

My complaint concerns the unwanted and unauthorised cancellation of our broadband and phone services (and the subsequent replacement of our number with a new one belonging to a different service provider!)

Around two weeks ago my partner and I received a letter informing us that someone had requested a PAC for our phone line and that if we didn't get in touch our BT services would be terminated. We were aware that a couple had moved into the flat below and it seemed fairly obvious that there had been a mix up with addresses, so we called BT and explained the situation at which point we were assured that everything was fine and not to worry.

Last Monday (23rd) our phone and broadband was cancelled.

A few hours later the phone line was reactivated under a new number.

Since then my partner Alison and I have suffered the false promises of BT staff on 6 separate phone calls each lasting around an hour. We've been promised call backs that haven't materialised, we've been cut off mid conversation and had to start the whole automated connection process from scratch each time as a result.

Finally, late last night an admittedly polite and sympathetic customer support member informed us that through no fault of our own our contract had indeed been terminated and that we'd consequently have to reapply for a BT contract with an earliest possible re-connection date of October 21st!!!

Apparently that's as early as it can be done - meaning we'll be left without phone or broadband for a whole month due to their inability to keep a promise.

To say I'm furious is an understatement as I need the internet for work but I thought I'd seek out any help or advice that might be available on here as I simply do not wish to spend another minute on the line to BT customer support right now.

To make matters worse, were we to switch to another provider we'd also now have to pay a connection fee to get a line activated into our flat.

Thanks so much BT!

unsureandconfused

Carrying on from my previous posts concerning the BT nightmare.... can someone please tell me if I have Infinity i.e. fibre and want to move back to ordinary broadband with my new provider, will the MAC Code still begin with the letter L? I have a feeling that after taking my money and refusing to pay back what they took in 'error' they have now given me a dud MAC Code so I cannot leave???

mattyprice4004

SussexMatt wrote: »

Hello everyone,

Having read through the last few pages of this forum I can see that I'm not the only one to have suffered at the hands of BT recently!!!

My complaint concerns the unwanted and unauthorised cancellation of our broadband and phone services (and the subsequent replacement of our number with a new one belonging to a different service provider!)

Around two weeks ago my partner and I received a letter informing us that someone had requested a PAC for our phone line and that if we didn't get in touch our BT services would be terminated. We were aware that a couple had moved into the flat below and it seemed fairly obvious that there had been a mix up with addresses, so we called BT and explained the situation at which point we were assured that everything was fine and not to worry.

Last Monday (23rd) our phone and broadband was cancelled.

A few hours later the phone line was reactivated under a new number.

Since then my partner Alison and I have suffered the false promises of BT staff on 6 separate phone calls each lasting around an hour. We've been promised call backs that haven't materialised, we've been cut off mid conversation and had to start the whole automated connection process from scratch each time as a result.

Finally, late last night an admittedly polite and sympathetic customer support member informed us that through no fault of our own our contract had indeed been terminated and that we'd consequently have to reapply for a BT contract with an earliest possible re-connection date of October 21st!!!

Apparently that's as early as it can be done - meaning we'll be left without phone or broadband for a whole month due to their inability to keep a promise.

To say I'm furious is an understatement as I need the internet for work but I thought I'd seek out any help or advice that might be available on here as I simply do not wish to spend another minute on the line to BT customer support right now.

To make matters worse, were we to switch to another provider we'd also now have to pay a connection fee to get a line activated into our flat.

Thanks so much BT!

The fault is not with BT, but with either your neighbours (if they gave the wrong address) or their new service provider (if they entered the wrong address).

If your line has been ceased, re-activation does take time unfortunately. This isn't BTs fault.

BT_company_representative

Hi SussexMatt,

I'm really sorry that your service has been cut off in error and I'll be happy to look into this for you if you send me over your details using the contact info in my profile.

Thanks

Neil

exbtcustomer2

EricaR wrote: »

I know what everyone means about BT's customer service. Absolutely awful!
I'm hoping that the BT rep here will help me because I'm not sure of where else to turn other than a regulatory agency.
My issue is this: when my partner and I moved in to our flat he signed up to BT for Phone and Broadband in person at a kiosk in town. We were told we would be billed quarterly and pay (roughly) £20 per month, which we were- these payments were coming from my partner's bank account.
We eventually changed the payments to our joint account.
Recently I noticed that we had two BT payments coming from our account. One payment for (roughly) £20 per month and one for (roughly) £60 per quarter. I say roughly because it seemed to start at this amount but as prices went up, so did our payments.
This appears to my partner and I that we are being billed twice.
Because one payment came out monthly at the beginning of the month and the other quarterly in the middle of the month, they went undetected for quite a while.
I phoned BT a couple of weeks ago and spoke to a man who advised we had two accounts running (which we do- it turns out we have two different account numbers- even though we have never set up a second account). He told us the account that was longest running (since we moved in to our flat) was for broadband only. The second account was for phone and was set up at a later date. He wouldn't accept the fact that we have had access to phone and broadband since we moved in.
Unfortunately, he was of no help. He told me he'd logged a complaint for me (the second person I spoke to confirmed that he actually didn't), he also told me someone would look in to our account history and phone us back in 48 hours - although I waited in, no one phoned.
The second person I spoke to confirmed what the first said and was just as unhelpful.
I also sent an email to BT (ref 130528-006878) last week with no response other than an automated one.
Neither could explain why we are (currently) paying £34.50 per month and £74.92 per quarter. Who pays £700 a year for phone and broadband?? We could go to Sky and get tv included for loads cheaper!
I also contacted one of your online chat people this evening. I was kept online with the operator advising that they were looking in to my query. They disconnected me 5 minutes before closing time, having said nothing more than 'let me check'.

I want a complete history of my account/s.
I want to know when this second account came in to being.
I want to know what authorisation BT had to open up a second account (because we didn't do it)
I want to know how BT got authorisation to use our bank details for a second account.
I want confirmation of the fact we have been overpaying and I want a refund of the overpayments.

To me, this looks potentially fraudulent and I would like a satisfactory resolution to it without having to take things further.

Please help me!

Erica

good luck ...... after 9 months of sending recorded delivery letters, e mails to Warren Buckley, etc still all I have had is a BT security man call me and tell me my problem was my own fault,
and I had my home line diverted to a fraudsters mobile and my bank account cleaned out .... the person that had my phone diverted via a call centre in Calcutta did not even give the right name, however BT still allowed the divert, good luck as I have still had no response ...

Philleh

I've been having not dissimilar issues with BT recently, absolutely ridiculous customer service. I opened an order with them and then after they no showed on installation day I cancelled and went with Sky.

They basically helped themselves to £137.95 out of my bank a month later for no reason and through a seeming strategy of ignoring emails, incorrectly transferring me through departments (spoke to 4 different people on the phone today, none of which actually helped me) and promised call backs which never happen they have nearly broken my will.
To date I have complained via-
Email
Phone Call
Reply to email
Email (ignored)
Web chat (promised call back, happened a week later inferring I was an idiot, emailed back, ignored)
Email (ignored)
BT Care (irony?) Forum (Mod asked for me to contact him, did what was asked,since been ignored)
Phone Call (x2, first one cut me off because he couldn't transfer a call, second time went round the houses with no one resolving issue).

What else can I do?! Some people can write off their losses but that money matters to me, especially where we have moved house recently and having to clear off old bills etc.

Deaqon

Hello,

I'm shocked to see all of these issues however, after my recent experience with BT, I am not surprised. They do quite literally lie to you down the phone. My issue (well my parents issue which I have been helping them resolve) should have been real simple but it's been anything but!

They have been loyal BT customers for years and have been happy with their service. Engineers have been working in the area fitting fibre optic cables for infinity and their service was mysteriously cut short! They could no longer watch BT demand as everything would freeze up, all they had were the freeview channels through their TV. When they called to ask why they were told their broadband was not fast enough for their current package, and they needed to upgrade to Infinity! My Dad (who is 71 and a technophobe) simply accepted this nonsense and went online to look at an Infinity package.

He ordered a package but it did not include a TV subscription (he was mislead by the image on the website). So I suggested he cancel it and order a more suitable one. At this stage the service had not gone live yet, no equipment had been received and no engineer had connected his Infinity. He had paid £177 though!

So, he calls BT, then hands over to me, I converse with a pleasant lady and explain the situation. She agrees with me that the simplest and most cost effective option would be to cancel the entire package, get a refund, and then order an entirely new package, more suited to their needs. Bare in mind that nothing in the new package has gone live, they were still waiting for the engineer and for their equipment.

This should have been straight forward. Get a refund for the entire amount then order a new package which, would actually have cost more!

This happen in early August 2013 and they have still not had their money back! BT have told them time and again 'Yes, you will be refunded the full amount within 7 days' but all they have had has been £71 pound for their service disruption which, they are still paying for!

This is theft plain and simple! My parents have been taken advantage of purely because of their lack of technical knowledge. Firstly, their original service should never have been disrupted. BT fed them lies to con them into purchasing a new package in the first place. Secondly, a refund in this case should be no questioned asked and simple to process seeing as their package was not yet live!

I drafted a letter for them which they sent to BT, Ofcom and Trading Standards. They have received word back from Ofcom, though I am do not have the details yet.

I am totally shocked! They have had their money stolen, been lied to and are still paying for their original service which they are not receiving! All attempts to resolve the situation direct with BT have failed! They just don't see what the problem is??? My parents are too stressed to deal with this any longer and are planning paying another £25 for a new box that BT have said will fix their issues! I doubt it will since a feel their issues are due to the broadband bandwidth being reduced in the area so BT can sell everyone Infinity! What a con!

I am livid about this! BT are simply refusing people basic rights in the hope that everyone will simply get too tired and stressed out to deal with it any longer! Sadly, it's working!

I wonder if our BT Customer Rep would care to answer?? I'd really like to hear how you justify taking pensioners money and not providing a service! After, of course you disrupted the service they were currently paying for, but kept charging them! A service, might I add, they were very happy with!

I ordered an insurance policy from a reputable company recently. A few hours later I received a better quote so I called and cancelled prior to the policy going live, even though I'd paid in full. Guess what they did? THEY GAVE ME A REFUND!!!!

BT_company_representative

Hi Philleh & Deaqon,

Sorry for the problems you guys are having. Use the contact details in my profile and we'll help get everything sorted from here.

Cheers

Robbie