Warning! BT increase charges for non direct debit payers

helenlou_3

I pay for my calls through Sky. £5 per month for free calls anytime to 01 and 02 numbers. (only free for 60 mins so hang up and re-dial) so when my BT line rental bill came in I couldn't quite figure out why I had phone charges. On asking BT, they informed me that if you use 1471 to find out who called you last, if you use the option of dialing 3 to call them back BT charge 10p each time you do this! I always asumed this was free, so for anyone out there who does this, be warned you could be paying a fair sum for the priviledge of not having to dial a number

Heinz

Cardew wrote: »

1571 is free is it not?

No. It's similar to 'free' Caller Display now. Make 6 chargeable calls/quarter on BT (2/month if you're billed monthly) or be charged £1/month for 1571 if you have it switched on.

helenlou wrote: »

I pay for my calls through Sky. £5 per month for free calls anytime to 01 and 02 numbers. (only free for 60 mins so hang up and re-dial) so when my BT line rental bill came in I couldn't quite figure out why I had phone charges. On asking BT, they informed me that if you use 1471 to find out who called you last, if you use the option of dialing 3 to call them back BT charge 10p each time you do this! I always asumed this was free, so for anyone out there who does this, be warned you could be paying a fair sum for the priviledge of not having to dial a number

And now you know why BT have that nice lady suggesting that, if you just press 3, the call will be returned!

BT put the price of just pressing '3' up to 7½p last year and, if you're on CPS (like Sky), the call goes out on BT and not your CPS provider if you do so.

So, if you press 3 to return a call from an 01 or 02 number on a weekday, the minimum (BT) charge you'll incur is 13½p! (7½p + 3p 'call set-up fee' + 3p/minute).

Use Caller Display and a pencil and paper instead and you won't be tempted.

russetred

I can't remember precisely but doesn't BT have a minimum amount you can pay by DD.When I switched phone provider I wanted to remain paying BT by DD for basic line rental but I seem to remember it wouldn't accept the £11 a month it had to be a higher figure does this ring a bell with anyone else.Looks like I will have to phone them, what fun!

Heinz

russetred wrote: »

I can't remember precisely but doesn't BT have a minimum amount you can pay by DD.When I switched phone provider I wanted to remain paying BT by DD for basic line rental but I seem to remember it wouldn't accept the £11 a month it had to be a higher figure does this ring a bell with anyone else.Looks like I will have to phone them, what fun!

No, they don't have a minimum.

Primus are calling 22p from my account tomorrow!

pinkkaz

The other thing I noticed on the letter I got from BT recently is that they are going to charge £5 if you stop using them. Can they do this?! I only use my BT line for broadband and am considering stopping using it when my broadband contract runs out but I don't want to pay BT £5 for nothing!

Heinz

Unfortunately, that charge is probably the result of another provider's tactics to keep their costs down.

When moving house, that provider should provision the line install at the customer's new address but, to save the cost of doing so, have been telling customers that they have to go back to BT and then switch again. As a result, BT incurred costs - only for the returning customer to immediately jump ship again.

uncletupelo

I only have a BT line in order to get broadband. I NEVER make landline calls.

All I ever get from BT is a quarterly line rental bill. It's been that way for nearly 5 years. I don't live in a cable area so I have to keep BT in order to get broadband.

So to maintain my current service (and have no bill increase); I need to move to direct debit, start using my landline or incur a charge for 1571 and caller display.

So either pay more or reduce my current functionality.

Furthermore I have not been notified by BT of ANY of this! Other than some basic news reports and sites like this we would be lost.

money4nothing

On the subject of 1571:

Is BT Answer 1571 really free of charge?
BT Answer 1571 is a free service.

From 1st May 2007, if you do not access your BT Answer 1571 mailbox at least once every 90 days, it will be switched off and any saved messages will be lost. To reinstate the service on your landline, dial 1571 from your handset. To reinstate BT Answer 1571 for BT Broadband Talk, please login to manage your Calling Features online.
More information on managing your BT Broadband Talk Calling Features.

http://bt.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bt.cfg/php/enduser/cci/bt_adp.php?p_sid=z1PaFBwi&cat_lvl1=345&cat_lvl2=350&cat_lvl3=362&cat_lvl4=1084&p_cv=4.1084&p_cats=345,350,362,1084&p_faqid=8374#4

If anyone can tell me how to unregister from 1571, please let me know! They tell you how to sign up but not how to un-sign up (sign down?).

Thanks and hope this helps,

BritBrat

If 'A' is unfair, is not 'B' unfair?

No it's not the same, you wait after some time that charge will increase but if they operated your option B would they inrease the discount?

I dont think so.

Anyway their cost are not right for paying by non direct debit not that I know what they are at the moment but I have written to ask the costs involved for each payment option.

Why do I know it's wrong, well I pay monthly and as far as i can see I will get charged the same cost as a quarterly bill payer but they are only paying 4 times a year and I am paying 12 times a year.

So if it is the cost for not paying DD then I should be paying four times more.

Or have I missed something?

Heinz

BritBrat wrote: »

Or have I missed something?

Yes, you have.

At the moment, someone on monthly billing pays £1 more per month than someone who pays by DD (£12 instead of £11).

The new charges mean you will pay £1.50 per month (i.e. an extra 50p) more than someone who pays by DD (£12.50 instead of £11).

At the moment, someone on quarterly billing pays £3 more per quarter than someone who pays by DD (£36 instead of £33).

The new charges mean someone on quarterly billing will may £4.50 per quarter (i.e. an extra £1.50) more than someone who pays by DD (£37.50 instead of £33).

So someone on monthly billing pays a third of what someone on quarterly billing pays.