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Mis-leading BT Engineer Charges!!! BEWARE!
MarkusDY
Posts: 7 Forumite
Just had the most patronising lady on the phone ever telling me that I am being charged £99 for an engineer to clip a tiny wire in my phone socket. I really cannot believe how they mis-lead people with their wording on their website.
I recently had to report a fault with my BT line, had no dial tone and when calling in to my number from another line, it was going straight to BT Answer 1571.
I decided to do the efficient thing and report it via the BT.com website, knowing how long it takes to get through to them on the phone sometimes! Having done the online diagnostic thing on their website, it came back with a message saying they didn't think it was a fault with the line or exchange and it was potentially a fault inside my house. Having had this happen before in my last house and the website was wrong, I was inclined not to believe it. I then had a disclaimer to agree to which read as follows:
"Engineer Home Improvement Service - We can send an engineer out to check the network and your home setup. If the problem is with our network it is free. If the problem is with your home setup or damage caused by you it's £99. It's worth carrying out some simple checks to see if you can resolve the problem yourself."
Like most of us on here I'm sure, I'm not a telephone engineer. I didn't realise that BT's interpretation of "Home Setup" is actually the internal wiring in the house. I had done all the right things and tried different phones etc before committing to the appointment. The engineer found a extra tiny wire in an extension upstairs and said "I can remove that for you if you want and it should work". So I agreed. However, what he didn't tell me was that it would cost me £99 for the privilege! If he had of told, I would have politely declined as I was having the line cut off imminently anyway!
I thanked the engineer for his time and he went on his way without a mention of a pending charge.
A few weeks later, I receive a phone bill for an additional £99 "Home Improvement Service" charge. When I called BT to complain, I got passed to another department in Cardiff and have never been spoken to in such a patronising way in all my life! The woman there told me that I had clicked the book the appointment and if I didn't read the terms or didn't understand them, that was my fault. I requested a call back from a Manager, who was equally as rude, so I can only conclude they must be trained that way. They both told that their engineers were trained not to discuss charges. I said there is a difference between discussing and disclosing, but they didn't see my point!
I explained to both the first person I spoke to and that when I read this online statement, it doesn't say if you have a faulty internal wiring, they will charge you. It just says "Home setup" and how do you define "Home Setup"? I could assume that means BT's equipment inside the house, or my actual phone, who knows? It also doesn't state on the BT website that the engineer will charge for even just coming to the house, whether they do any work or not. So I would never have had the option to decline the work. It doesn't say that you will be advised of the charges at the time the engineer is present and neither did he tell me that I would be charged regardless of what happened. I told them both that I felt this was mis-leading, and it implies by "Home Setup" that it could be a faulty phone, not internal wiring. I told them that I think it should be made clearer that BT will charge for faulty internal wiring and it is not their responsibility. However, they weren't interested and just told me the charge would not be removed and was a valid charge. I was then threatened that if I didn't pay it, I would have debt collection activity commenced.
As I live in a brand new house, if I had been given the chance to deal with this another way, I would have been able to contact the house builder and ask them to repair the wiring under their guarantee. But this way, I have lost £99 and BT have gained.
I have been a loyal BT customer for many, many years. Even in the face of much cheaper deals elsewhere, I have stuck with them. Luckily for me, I was recently persuaded to leave them for Plusnet and thank god I did! They have far better service than BT.
BT fail to recognise that their wording is mis-leading to many, most of us are not BT engineers and do not know their terminology. Or maybe this is done on purpose as a money making scheme from BT?
From this point on, I will absolutely never use BT again and I will make sure everyone I know gets to hear of this scam, because that's all it is... a scam!
:mad:
I recently had to report a fault with my BT line, had no dial tone and when calling in to my number from another line, it was going straight to BT Answer 1571.
I decided to do the efficient thing and report it via the BT.com website, knowing how long it takes to get through to them on the phone sometimes! Having done the online diagnostic thing on their website, it came back with a message saying they didn't think it was a fault with the line or exchange and it was potentially a fault inside my house. Having had this happen before in my last house and the website was wrong, I was inclined not to believe it. I then had a disclaimer to agree to which read as follows:
"Engineer Home Improvement Service - We can send an engineer out to check the network and your home setup. If the problem is with our network it is free. If the problem is with your home setup or damage caused by you it's £99. It's worth carrying out some simple checks to see if you can resolve the problem yourself."
Like most of us on here I'm sure, I'm not a telephone engineer. I didn't realise that BT's interpretation of "Home Setup" is actually the internal wiring in the house. I had done all the right things and tried different phones etc before committing to the appointment. The engineer found a extra tiny wire in an extension upstairs and said "I can remove that for you if you want and it should work". So I agreed. However, what he didn't tell me was that it would cost me £99 for the privilege! If he had of told, I would have politely declined as I was having the line cut off imminently anyway!
I thanked the engineer for his time and he went on his way without a mention of a pending charge.
A few weeks later, I receive a phone bill for an additional £99 "Home Improvement Service" charge. When I called BT to complain, I got passed to another department in Cardiff and have never been spoken to in such a patronising way in all my life! The woman there told me that I had clicked the book the appointment and if I didn't read the terms or didn't understand them, that was my fault. I requested a call back from a Manager, who was equally as rude, so I can only conclude they must be trained that way. They both told that their engineers were trained not to discuss charges. I said there is a difference between discussing and disclosing, but they didn't see my point!
I explained to both the first person I spoke to and that when I read this online statement, it doesn't say if you have a faulty internal wiring, they will charge you. It just says "Home setup" and how do you define "Home Setup"? I could assume that means BT's equipment inside the house, or my actual phone, who knows? It also doesn't state on the BT website that the engineer will charge for even just coming to the house, whether they do any work or not. So I would never have had the option to decline the work. It doesn't say that you will be advised of the charges at the time the engineer is present and neither did he tell me that I would be charged regardless of what happened. I told them both that I felt this was mis-leading, and it implies by "Home Setup" that it could be a faulty phone, not internal wiring. I told them that I think it should be made clearer that BT will charge for faulty internal wiring and it is not their responsibility. However, they weren't interested and just told me the charge would not be removed and was a valid charge. I was then threatened that if I didn't pay it, I would have debt collection activity commenced.
As I live in a brand new house, if I had been given the chance to deal with this another way, I would have been able to contact the house builder and ask them to repair the wiring under their guarantee. But this way, I have lost £99 and BT have gained.
I have been a loyal BT customer for many, many years. Even in the face of much cheaper deals elsewhere, I have stuck with them. Luckily for me, I was recently persuaded to leave them for Plusnet and thank god I did! They have far better service than BT.
BT fail to recognise that their wording is mis-leading to many, most of us are not BT engineers and do not know their terminology. Or maybe this is done on purpose as a money making scheme from BT?
From this point on, I will absolutely never use BT again and I will make sure everyone I know gets to hear of this scam, because that's all it is... a scam!
:mad:
0
Comments
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This is something that is fairly well known and has been the case ever since it became legal to add your own wiring to that provided by BT.
However, the wording usually makes it quite clear where your responsibility lies. That is; any wiring beyond the BT installed master socket. I've never before heard it referred to as 'your home setup' - something that is open to several interpretations by those not familair with domestic telephone circuits.There are two types of people in the world: Those that can extrapolate information.0 -
To the OP:
You said (my emphasis)
And a little laterHaving done the online diagnostic thing on their website, it came back with a message saying they didn't think it was a fault with the line or exchange and it was potentially a fault inside my house. Having had this happen before in my last house and the website was wrong, I was inclined not to believe it.
Yet, despite doing the tests, you think you know better about the fault being inside your house!Like most of us on here I'm sure, I'm not a telephone engineer
You quote
I have no idea where you are quoting from, but on this BT web site it is crystal clear where the demarcation is."Engineer Home Improvement Service - We can send an engineer out to check the network and your home setup. If the problem is with our network it is free. If the problem is with your home setup or damage caused by you it's £99. It's worth carrying out some simple checks to see if you can resolve the problem yourself."
Dave0 -
I have no idea where you are quoting from, but on this BT web site it is crystal clear where the demarcation is.
Link does not work.;)
Thread already running here as OP double posted
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/45247950 -
I assume the page DaveC is talking about is
http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12439/c/3450 -
Just had the most patronising lady on the phone ever telling me that I am being charged £99 for an engineer to clip a tiny wire in my phone socket. I really cannot believe how they mis-lead people with their wording on their website.
I recently had to report a fault with my BT line, had no dial tone and when calling in to my number from another line, it was going straight to BT Answer 1571.
[...]
I explained to both the first person I spoke to and that when I read this online statement, it doesn't say if you have a faulty internal wiring, they will charge you. It just says "Home setup" and how do you define "Home Setup"?
[...]
I decided to do the efficient thing and report it via the BT.com website, knowing how long it takes to get through to them on the phone sometimes! Having done the online diagnostic thing on their website, it came back with a message saying they didn't think it was a fault with the line or exchange and it was potentially a fault inside my house.
[...]
From this point on, I will absolutely never use BT again and I will make sure everyone I know gets to hear of this scam, because that's all it is... a scam!
:mad:
Who do you think should pay for an engineer to visit your home to fix a problem with your internal wiring?
This is like discovering your kettle isn't working one morning, so you report the problem to your energy supplier. They send someone out who discovers your appliance's fuse has blown.
What did you think the term ""Home Setup" meant? BT define it here:Engineer Home Improvement Service charge - £99 including VAT. Before booking an engineer, we'll have made you aware that we would charge you if the problem was found to be with your set-up or equipment
And here. There's even a few useful pictures to help you.
Having seen the mess some people make of their internal setup and wiring, I'm not surprised BT charges to fix such things.0 -
I assume the page DaveC is talking about is
http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12439/c/345
Yep, that's the one. Sorry about the bad link.
Dave0 -
The best thing to do is VOTE WITH YOUR FEET AND LEAVE BT if enough people do that they will change there ways0
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Every other telco will charge the same as it will be the same Openreach man that comes out, finds the fault in the household wiring and sends the bill to the provider to be recovered from the user.The best thing to do is VOTE WITH YOUR FEET AND LEAVE BT if enough people do that they will change there ways0 -
The best thing to do is VOTE WITH YOUR FEET AND LEAVE BT if enough people do that they will change there ways
Good luck with that, seeing as BT in effect still own most of the network. Perhaps you could move to,say, Talktalk, then you'll truly know the meaning of sh1te service - believe me, I left them and now pay more just to be shut of them.
NB - did you read any of the posts, because your post seems a bit random? The OP doesn't appear to have read, or has misunderstood their terms and conditions then sounded off and disappeared into the night when someone pointed out the truth...0
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