BT charges

seanmckeever

My auntie has also had this £4.50 processing fee applied to her bill. She had used the method of buying stamps and when BT introduced a payment card that could be used to buy credit say £5 or £10 at a time she continued to use it
When the bill arrived she was always in credit and therefore did not have to make a payment.
She dose not have an account to use the DD mehtod.
I think this is unfair!

shagzdan

How can companies do this?
I am means tested and do not have the luxury of a bank account.
What do I do?

This surely is discrimination, isn't it.

Anyway I wrote this to them,

"Please justify why I received no notification of the new "Payment" charge of £4.50?
I cannot understand why you should want to invent this charge, as you already have declared record profits.
Had I known this was going to be a charge, I may have set up a payment plan and/ or a Direct debit for my bill.
As I also at present do not have the luxury of a bank account (this is discrimination of type)
and you gave me no choice, i will be taking advice on the matter.

Not happy, BT have joined the rest of the crowd for ridiculous charges are you going to charge us for 999 calls next"

I do know about the payment plan thanks.
but I think the consensus is, we are being "forced" to pay for a service which should be included in the running cost's of a business and not passed on to the consumer.

Shall I charge BT for making me "read" my bill?
I may try that you know, will let you know how I get on.

Heinz

shagzdan wrote: »

Had I known this was going to be a charge, I may have set up a payment plan and/ or a Direct debit for my bill.

For years, BT has charged those who didn't pay by direct debit £3 per quarter more than those who did - so you were paying it.

Now, BT charges those who don't pay by direct debit £4.50 per quarter more than those who do - an increase of 50p per month.

What did they say when you complained before?

As a point of interest, Virgin Media charges its customers £15 per quarter more if they don't pay my direct debit.

BritBrat

Now, BT charges those who don't pay by direct debit £4.50 per quarter more than those who do - an increase of 50p per month.

As a point of interest, Virgin Media charges its customers £15 per quarter more if they don't pay my direct debit.

The question is WHY? I think these charges should be justified by the companies and they should be made to do so.

Not had my BT bill. should be due soon then I will feel better.

garrence

On my bill the entry says "Payment processing fee". Not "fee for not paying by direct debit" or whatever. The claim is that it is a fee for processing a payment.

I have just done a BACS transfer to them for enough money to cover at least 2 months bills. So it will enter the second month already in credit and there will be no payment to process. If they charge a payment processing fee for that month then I shall call them to ask why they have made a charge for a service they have not rendered.

Can anyone please comment on the above?

If they don't deduct the £1.50 then I shall make damn sure to get my money worth in future months - I'll divide each bill into 30 and send them 30 cheques in an envelope along with an explanatory letter. Call me petty, but I find being charged an explicit fee for paying a bill to be rather loathsome!

BexTech

What's wrong with learning some budgeting and money management skills, or refraining to living beyond your means and pay by DD?

Though I like the sound of you sending several cheques, though maybe they have hidden away in the T&C or soon would if several people did the same, to state they will charge a fee for each cheque.

I also to be honest don't like being penalised and prefer a credit when you pay by DD, but everywhere seems this way geared at least BT make it clear, look ad Gas and Electric suppliers, you can be paying over 20% more because you choose to pay cash/cheque, easily over £120 per year more.

garrence

BexTech wrote: »

What's wrong with learning some budgeting and money management skills, or refraining to living beyond your means and pay by DD?

I've read that sentence several times and am completely flummoxed as to what you mean. It reads as though you are randomly accusing me, without any evidence whatsoever, of having poor money skills and of living beyond my means simply because I prefer not to pay by DD?!

Whilst my money management skills are frankly none of your business, I'll briefly mention that I run a business of many years, employ others, and find paying my £30 monthly BT bill to be entirely within my means. It's also none of your business why I prefer to not pay by DD, but reasons include the time that a provider missed out a decimal point and deducted £3000 from my account in one swoop.

My point is thus: The charge is explicitly stated as a "payment processing fee". A fee for processing a payment. If I pay several months in advance then for the second month onwards my account will be in credit and there will be no payment to process. Therefore how can BT attempt to justify a "payment processing fee" in this case?

BexTech

garrence wrote: »

My point is thus: The charge is explicitly stated as a "payment processing fee". A fee for processing a payment. If I pay several months in advance then for the second month onwards my account will be in credit and there will be no payment to process. Therefore how can BT attempt to justify a "payment processing fee" in this case?

You are right, I can't argue with that, I don't think you should be made to pay a processing fee for when you are in credit.

I also like the idea of sending multiple cheques. Have you checked the T&Cs to see if they have that covered?

garrence

It'll be interesting to see whether they've been bright enough to program the computers to not levy a charge when the account is in credit. If not then it clearly is just a fee for the chosen method of payment and not a fee for processing it. Also they'll have no moral case because they can't claim that receiving one BACS payment in advance for several months costs them more than processing monthly DD's. So it'll make for an entertaining conversation with their call centre!

What I really want to know is the legality of charging a "payment processing fee" when they have not processed a payment that month. I suspect the logic will be the same as for why they charge £4.50 for processing one payment for a quarterly bill but £1.50 for a monthly one (cost more to process larger amounts?!).

I haven't checked the T's&C's re sending enough cheques to get my money's worth - will do if the call centre can't give a sensible explanation and I go ahead with that.

Funny how I and many others can accept not receiving a discount in return for keeping control of our bank accounts, but when it's presented as a fee we become belligerent Brits about it!

BritBrat

It'll be interesting to see whether they've been bright enough to program the computers to not levy a charge when the account is in credit.

This may interest you, I already tested it and I am still laughing.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=446084

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=5432799&postcount=12

I suspect the logic will be the same as for why they charge £4.50 for processing one payment for a quarterly bill but £1.50 for a monthly one (cost more to process larger amounts?!).

Exactly, I said the same a while back and it proves that what they charge is more than it costs.