BT charges for NOT using BT answer?!

Shona6540

I apologise if this has been brought up before, but BT are charging me for having not used BT answer and I can't find a thread in relation to this.

I have dialed 1571 to avoid the charge, but they have told me this will not count because Orange provides my calls and broadband free with my mobile contract and so my calls do not register with BT.
So there is no way I can even use there service and I'm getting charged for something that is impossible to access!

Does anyone know if there is a way round this?

Even with the £120 up front line rental, if my calls to BT's 'Free' services do not registered with them I will be forced to pay £18 extra a year!

Surely this is not right? how can you be charged for something you can't physically do?

jhp

Orange use BT Wholesale's WCLI calls package to provide calls and that effectively bars the use of the 1280 prefix and, thereby, prevents users making calls via BT so they can qualify for free 1571, even though they continue to pay line rental to them.

Solution cancel 1571 buy a cheap answering machine.Or move your line rental to Orange.

Its know good getting BT line rental saver because you have to place some calls via BT or you pay a surcharge.

Shona6540

Thankyou, I didn't know I had the option to cancel the 1571 service, when I talked to BT the last time I was under the impression there was nothing I could do.

I wasn't sure if I could move my line rental to another provider like Primus incase it Orange wouldn't then beable to provide there Home service, would anyone know?

Phones4Chris

On paper that would work, but I wouldn't trust Primus to accept your Home calls service. I'd ask Orange what line rental deal they could give you.

Shona6540

Thanks for the advice

Heinz

Cancelling BT 1571 would save one BT charge but you'll still get 'low use' charges from BT for not making any calls.

Ady87

You may find Orange want money for their 1571 service. People take for granted BT give it for free (when you make 2 calls per month), weigh up the costs for both providers.

Susan1942

I spoke to BT this am as I too was being charged £3 per quarter as I had not made any calls. I have my Broadband and local and national calls with my ISP
As this charge appears on the same place as the 1571 calls I thought that this was what I was paying for. They told me I could ask for this to be removed but that if I made 2 calls per month using the prefix 1280 I would not incur this £3 charge. I was told to make this call at the weekend as I had free weekend calls so therefore it would not cost me anything.
Now on reading this it makes me wonder if the information I was given is correct?

Heinz

Who's your ISP? There are some who provide your calls using a BT Wholesale offering which means that the 1280 prefix, which normally diverts an individual call back onto the BT nertwork if you pay line rental to BT, won't work (the paradox of trying to divert a call onto the BT network when it's already there).

If you're lucky enough that you can use 1280, see HERE for an idea regarding those calls you need to make.

Savvybunny2009

There is a mention of it mse under the utilities and phone guide that caller id and answerphone are chargeable if your not using them. To avoid the charge you need to make two chargeable outgoing calls a month. If you are not using it though it would be worthwhile cancelling it.