BT Complaints & Escalation

SPJW

Hi,

BT have admitted a fault where BTWiFi FON usage through homehubs was being incorrectly billed to customers in June/July 2014.

I can't post a link here, but if you search on google for "broadband usage massive surge" and go to the first link for the BTCommunity forum, you will see an admission of the fault on page 10 of the thread.

I hope this helps.

amypett30

I am going to post this just so that I can have a rant about BT because I have experienced the worst so called customer service ever known. I did post something last week and a BT rep did offer some help, however this did not work. I've now logged a complaint with the ombudsman, which I am now dead set on following through as I had a particularly terrible experience with a so called complaint handler, who started threatening me with debt collection etc because they have restricted my service. The story goes, I will try to make it short: 7 weeks ago I got my bt services, broadband, phone and tv. The broadband and phone worked, however the tv did not, no tv channels, nothing! Over the next few days I phoned the tech support a few times, which was no help. Eventually after 5 days I was given the total support group number. They sent an engineer out. The engineer said we needed an aerial, which we went to buy. We installed this, still nothing. After phoning the tech support again and again, a bt engineer was booked to come out. My partner sat in the day they were to come for 4 hours, however no one showed. I called them that evening and they could not offer any explanation for the no show. My patience finally snapped and I then wrote an official letter of complaint. The result of the phone call was that a bt engineer was booked to come out on the Saturday. They arrived at 12:40 and had left by 12:43, having said to us to move the position of the aerial. We tried this and still nothing. Since then I have made in the region of 45 phone calls to them trying to follow my complaint up, cancel my services and try to get some kind of resolution. When I try to cancel I am told I need to pay 330 pound. I've been told I can 21 pound compensation. I've been hung up, been told that this is my fault and I have not taken any offer of help, but the final straw came when this complaint advisor said that my complaint was logged with them later than I sent it in! She told me that they wouldn't deal with anything because my services had been restricted and said that this was basically my fault. Words can't express how bad this experience has been.

SPJW

amypett30,

Sorry for your experience.

I note your comment regarding cancellation costs of £330.

If it's any help, the recent price increase from BT allows you to cancel your contract without incurring an early termination fee if you signed up after 23 January 2014 and it hadn't warned you about the rise when you bought the contract.

I can't post a link here (Newbie status), but there is an article on MSE (23 August 2014) under the heading "BT confirms up to 6.5% price hike from December" which explains this (probably google search it).

I think you may only have 10 days from receiving notice of a price rise directly from BT to cancel. I note that I received an email on 25 September 2014 so you may not have much time left.

Kaimoo

Kezzo wrote: »

My BT broadband does not work in the evenings, it has gone on for nearly 3 months now. They have supplied a new hub and sent an engineer along. The engineer said was a waste of time coming as the fault only occurs in the evening, i had taken time off work for the appointment and don't get paid if I don't go to work but BT customer and technical support dot care about this. They won't send an engineer in the evening as the engineers finish at 6pm. I have requested to leave BT which they say I can but will be charged approx £220.00 as am in contract. Trading Standards have said that BT is breaching the contract as they are not providing the service that I am paying for and are not fixing it as they won't come out when the fault occurs. I have also reported them to the Ombudsmen. Today I called BT again and the lady I spoke with thought she had put me on hold, I then listened to her swear about me to her colleague and then discuss how she will be going out this evening to get p****d (her words not mine)!!!!!!!!!! I have tried numerous times to lodge complaints about the product and service by BT representatives but have had no success as they don't appear to have a complaints procedure in place. I don't know what to do as I appear to be stuck with a product that does not work, they are unable to fix it and are not willing to let me leave without severe financial loss to myself

My bt broadband does not work peak times, it's fine off peak 'when I'm not at home' but come 5pm it drops from 5mb to nearer 1mb. Some might think that's not to bad, well it is if it doesn't work properly with the majority of websites failing to load and emails not working also Netflix or love film won't work.

It's the bad we have to use our mobile phone Internet to make use of the Internet which is around a constant 5mb

Bt sent an engineer out but of course they sent him off peak so the speed returned about 5mb, they said my line is showing it can handle 7mb so it should be working fine. I live in a small town with less than 1500 people and I'm guessing that 90% are with bt causing the speed to be drastically slowed peak times.

I was paying about £35 a month for a house phone and landline I never use and broadband which was unusable more so in a family home, some may disagree and get on their high horses and say well you entered a contract you must pay blah blah

Well I refused to pay anymore, I told them why and they didn't care they said they'll bill me for the equipment despite telling them I'd return it I'm still thinking of posting it then refusing on the grounds that I no longer have it they do. They also billed me for ending my contract early two separate bills for both line rental and broadband.

My complaints will all be recorded and on file, I know morally I did the right thing but legally am I screwed? Will I have to let bt do me over and I'll just need to be forced into paying it?

I don't want to pay it but if I legally have to choice if bt are bullet proof then I'll pay it, annoying thing is bt are rolling out fibre broadband here in a few months according to open reach. However I'll be signing up to sky and sky line rental.

I'd also like to say my parents were getting massive bills for Internet usage even for months they weren't even living at that address and bt refused to help, they said it's being used at that address when it wasn't not unless a neighbour hacked into it which is unlikely my mum was friends with her neighbours and they were mostly retired.

Bt seem to be able to treat people how they like because they can afford to, not many other options than bt

Kaimoo

SPJW wrote: »

amypett30,

Sorry for your experience.

I note your comment regarding cancellation costs of £330.

If it's any help, the recent price increase from BT allows you to cancel your contract without incurring an early termination fee if you signed up after 23 January 2014 and it hadn't warned you about the rise when you bought the contract.

I can't post a link here (Newbie status), but there is an article on MSE (23 August 2014) under the heading "BT confirms up to 6.5% price hike from December" which explains this (probably google search it).

I think you may only have 10 days from receiving notice of a price rise directly from BT to cancel. I note that I received an email on 25 September 2014 so you may not have much time left.

I got my termination bill two days ago, do you think I can get out my contract if I never got told of the price changes? Or if i don't like them? I assume I need written confirmation of termination not just the fact they cut me off weeks ago.

I'll call them today saying under their own terms and conditions I'm ending the contract early depending on when they sent out the price hike letter if we reviewed one I'll take a look. I have a feeling though they'll say it was terminated weeks ago but hopefully it'll only legally be terminated once I get the letter saying so

SPJW

I think you need to receive an email (or letter) stating the price changes and then contact BT to cancel the contract on the basis that it is detrimental to you.

I mentioned 10 days, but think the option to cancel is valid for 30 days from receiving the price rise notice.

I suggest finding the MSE article I mentioned. At the bottom of the article (under 'Comment/Discuss') there is a link through to a discussion thread on the forum. There may be some answers there.

[Q. Is there any provision in the information you have received to cancel the termination of the contract? You may then be able to terminate under this option?]

johnbhoy10

I joined BT on 15th September and it's been a bit of a mare since then to be honest. Firstly, for first 2 weeks service regularly (almost daily) kept losing internet connection and related internet channels on youview box. Most of the time i just had to leave a while and then try again. Other times if i switched off hub and youview box it would come back on. I found the helpline pretty hopeless to be honest but i only phoned them to go through the script just to get it on record.

Me: i've lost my internet connection and tv channels. Can you help??

Them: i can sure help you with that.

Then about 10/15mins of switching things on and off and them eventually telling me it shows ok their end.

Them: has that helped you now??

Me: no i'm afraid it hasn't

Them: is there anything else i can help you with?

Me: (SIGH) no thanks.

However, i managed to beat the level 1 boss and now i'm on level 2 and i just text them if i have a problem. No more 25/30 mins holding for me now. I had an engineer visit last Monday who agreed there was some issue but he was honest enough to say he wasn't 100% what the problem was. I suggested a duff hub and he eventually thought that might be a possibility and went and got one. If i'm honest the service hasn't dropped once since last Monday with new hub but speeds have dropped and are poor in my opinon. I'm on infinity and when i booked i was given an estimation of approx 25Mbps. There is also some other paperwork kicking about with a window of speeds between 18-26Mbps
guaranteed. I've now got about 15 screen shots of speed tests (mostly from their own site) and not one is above 18. In fact, quite a lot are under 15 which i gather are not even Infinity?? When i run a test i now run further diagnostics and have noticed that IP profile of my line is just under 17. Does that mean it won't go above this??

I spoke to them last night and THEY insisted on booking an engineer to come and see me on Monday again as i definitely had an issue and he would really sort it out this time. They were most insistent and said that
an engineer was the only one that could change the profile. We shall see.....

Funny thing about this is that i had Sky fibre for 15 months without any trouble running at approx 20/21 meg. Strange this lot can't do it but i can't say i wasn't warned.

ps-anyone on level 3. bet you it's really hard is it?? ;-)

Pont9

Hi BT company representative Neil,

Do you sit or have any powers above the BT Executive Complaints team?

Myself and 12 other houses have been waiting for 7 months to get connected and they havent been able to do much.

If so I will post my saga, if not their isnt much point.

I'm on the brink of losing my mind.

Thanks

Chris

BT_company_representative

Hi pont9,

We're not a part of that team but we can still lend a hand until you're connected. As you've mentioned yourself and your neighbours are waiting to be connected I'm assuming you're living in a new build address?

These orders can take quite a bit of time to complete depending on the extent of the work needed to get connected. I'm happy to have a look at this for you from here. You'll be able to send us your details through using the link in our public profile.

All the best,

Robbie

johnbhoy10

Got my quidco confirmed and now just waiting for sainsburys voucher and then i'm offski!!! Already spoken to people at UK side in sales and cancellations who have advised i'm well within my rights to cancel without an early termination fee. I have a lot documented from talking to them and copies of Infinity speeds you wouldn't believe. Keep up the poor service BT till i get my vouchers!!:beer:

What a bloody awful company you are. Communication within your company is zilch! Oh the irony!!