Warning! BT increase charges for non direct debit payers

AnW'sMum

Just got my phone bill today. I use 1571 but make all my calls via talk talk. How would I make the 6 chargable calls (abliet very short ones!) per quarter with BT to avoid the £3 fee for using 1571?

Heinz

AnW'sMum wrote: »

Just got my phone bill today. I use 1571 but make all my calls via talk talk. How would I make the 6 chargable calls (abliet very short ones!) per quarter with BT to avoid the £3 fee for using 1571?

Prefix 6 evening or weekend calls of less than an hour to UK 01 or 02 numbers each quarter with 1280 - to send them out on BT (5½p each = 33p).

Better still, DUMP 1571.

AnW'sMum

Heinz wrote: »

Better still, DUMP 1571.

Thanks for that Heinz, I shall be hunting out the instruction book for our phone which has an answer machine incorporated. Have been using 1571 as my DS (who is now 4) loves pressing buttons and would switch the answerphone off without me knowing! As it was costing nothing for me to use 1571 I didn't worry but now I shall dumping 1571, as soon as I find the instruction book (or look it up on the net)

123xyz

Heinz wrote: »

Martin amended the OP (by adding the word "don't" between the words 'who' and 'pay') 3 minutes after you posted JuliaH.

Thanks very much, you had me worried there! I had a horrible feeling I was going to be penalised for using Direct Debit, when I had set it up to save money.

123xyz

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Sorry Julia - I've corrected my typo

Thanks very much, I am easily spooked in my current precarious financial situation!

Mary_Hartnell

For years and years, I used to go into the bank once a month on pay day and pay all my bills, via bank giro, with one cheque made payable to cash.
I used to take the spare money next door to the building society and pay it into my savings account after paying the mortgage.
Life was financially simple BUT the only spanner in the works was BT. It got stroppy 14 days after issuing its invoice.
I noticed last week that Martin was !!!! a hoop over British Gas backing off charging late payers; well BT started doing that years ago and could class someone who paid once a month as "late". So against my better judgement, I had to give them a DD authority.
These days of course it is all direct debits and (over) estimated bills for utilities and it is the customer who has to do all the planning and meter reading, just to keep on a financial even keel.
The whole BT charging structure is a slick money extracting operation based on the simplicity with which it can cut you off and then charge a fortune for reconnection.
If it is unfair for the banks to charge more than 12.50 for getting stroppy over unintentional slips on credit card payments and overdrafts; someone needs to look at BT's charges for similar actions.

housebug

What is it with this insatiable desire to attach themselves to your bank account? I don't like using Direct Debit. The effing payments can come out as much as five days earlier than the designated date! And you try to get suppliers to acquiese to Standing Order instead. That they CAN'T have before the designated date.

This really steams me. Its getting so everyone wants DD or your penalised. Suppliers should consider themselves lucky you give them your business to start with. I'm not going to be pressured or penalised into allowing anyone access to my bank account. This particularly hits a lot of seniors and low income people who may not have bank accounts to debit, but use the post office or pay point stops.

Greedy barstwards!

marcellep

Seen this on Watchdog, Maybe Mse Staff could create a letter that we can download, print and send to these companies!
[YOUR ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS OF COMPANY – list of company addresses are below]



Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to protest about your penalty charge for customers who do not pay by direct debit.

I think this charge is unfair and does not reflect the true cost of processing my payment. It seems to me simply a way of increasing your revenue.

Provided I do so on time, it is my right to pay my bill however I choose. Why should I pay more just because I don't use your preferrred payment method?

I urge you to reconsider this unreasonable charge. But if you insist on continuing with it, I would expect you to demonstrate that the charge is justified. You will be aware that the law says penalty charges must be fair.

I do not believe that this is the case with yours, but look forward to hearing your explanation.

Yours faithfully,




[YOUR NAME]

Phone company addresses:
BT
Customer Services
BT plc
Correspondence Centre
Durham DH98 1BT

VIRGIN MEDIA
Virgin Media - Watchdog Complaints
Matrix Court
Llansamlet
Swansea SA7 9BB

Talk Talk (mobile)
TalkTalk Telecom Limited
Customer Care
1 Portal Way
London W3 6RS

3
3 Customer Services
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box No 333
Glasgow G2 9AG
Email: customer.services@3mail.com

O2
Jonathan Attwell
Arlington Business Centre
Millshaw Park Lane
Leeds LS11 0NE
Email: pressoffice@02.com

T-Mobile
6 Camberwell Way
Doxford
Sunderland SR3 3XN
Email: custrel@t-mobile.co.uk

Vodafone
Vodafone Customer Care,
Vodafone House,
The Connection,
Newbury,
Berkshire RG14 2FN

Orange
Orange Executive Office
Senhouse Road
Lingfield Way
Darlington
County Durham DL1 4YG
Email: executive.office@orange-ftgroup.com

Utility company addresses:
British Gas
House Contact Centre
PO Box 50
Leeds LS1 1LE

Powergen
PO Box 7750
Nottingham NG1 6WR

Npower
PO Box 93
Peterlee SR8 2XX

EDF Energy Customer Service Team
EDF Energy Customer Service Team
Freepost 3814
London WC1V 6AJ

heather38

what other companies will be charging? i pay powergen when the bill comes in as they kept putting up my dd and i was always in credit by at least £50.

Mecoconuts

marcellep wrote: »

Seen this on Watchdog, maybe MSE team could do a letter for us all?

I don't think you understand Watchdog's idea.

I think each individual/household is to send a letter so as to cost the company your complaining to the time and effort for opening and replying to each individual letter.

So i don't think a single letter from MSE will have the same impact.