BT Light User Scheme

chinesewhispers

We have lived in our house for just over 6 months now, and have only made 1 telephone call from our landline.

When I heard about the light user scheme from BT, I thought it would be perfect.

However, it seems you don't qualify for it if you have i) A mobile telephone in your name ii) A broadband connection. Apparently there are more exclusions (probably if you speak english, wear blue jeans and other such ridiculous unrelated reasons).

I am most annoyed about this, I now have to pay £10.50 for BT line rental, purely for the reason to get broadband (oh and Sky).

It seems that a broadband connection on the line counts as another telephone service provider, so if they switch it to light user, it would cut off the broadband (anyone have any technical details about this?).

Why having a mobile is even any of their business is completely beyond me. I am quite infuriated by this monopolising company, but there is nothing I can do about it at all.

Anybody else had any similar experience? >:(

gt94sss2

The BT Light User scheme is a special scheme and is supposed to be for "light users" of the telephony network and is so priced below the cost of provision (If BT could target it to low incomes instead they would..)

In pratice, this means its supposed to be for "poor"/disadvanted people who would otherwise not be able to afford to have a telephone and thus be socially disadvantaged.

As such:

- if you have access to another telephone line (cable or a mobile) you do not qualify (as you are not poor enough as you have access to other telephone lines etc)

- if you have ADSL you do not qualify (as you are not a "light user" of the "telephony network"/local loop - as you use ADSL on it!)

If you have ADSL and try to switch to teh Light User Scheme - I believe BT's computer systems throw up an "alarm" and block the operator from doing it.

In the same way, if you have a Light User line BT will not enable it for ADSL.

Regards
Sunil

chinesewhispers

Then it should not be called 'light user'.

I am a light user and I cannot have it.

It should be called economy.

gt94sss2

You are not a light user of the telephony network as you use ADSL on it (which uses the telephony network)

Regards
Sunil

rabialioness

hiya, hope you dont think im ignorant but what is ADSL ??? ??? ??? ???

trafalgar_2

hiya, hope you dont think im ignorant but what is ADSL ??? ??? ??? ???

ADSL
Stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. This is the technology that has been developed for enabling broadband connections using existing telephone networks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadband/info/glossary.shtml

mrtickle

We have lived in our house for just over 6 months now, and have only made 1 telephone call from our landline.

When I heard about the light user scheme from BT, I thought it would be perfect.

I think whoever told you about it didn't explain properly why it exists and who it is for!

The Light User Scheme is (a) provided because BT have to do it by law because of their monopoly, and (b) only intended for elderly/disabled/vunerable people whose telephone is their lifeline and who otherwise could not afford to have a telephone at all. It isn't a discount package for the rest of us. BT are in a unique position: they have to provide universal service to most of the UK under the terms of their licence; whereas the cablecos can cherry-pick the most profitable areas.

Ever since its introduction it has been a breach of the terms of the Scheme to be on this tariff but then use another carrier, have a mobile phone, broadband etc. That's an abuse of the system (and morally repulsive in my view) and if you're caught then your bills should be backdated to the normal tariff. Unfortunately for many years BT didn't police it properly (it was also mis-sold by BT customer services operators) and many customers who were not elligible for the Scheme used it.

Welliesorter

Abuse of the Light User Scheme used to be rife. I can certainly remember salesmen for various phone companies telling me that I could use it if I switched to them.

A few years ago BT barred access to indirect access operators (the ones where you dial a prefix) on the lines of LUS customers. The same applies to carrier pre-selection (where you don't use a prefix).

I seem to remember BT staff were (probably still are) duty bound to recommend the scheme to those who might qualify. Unfortunately there was no way to know the difference between customers who were genuinely light users and those who made their calls via other operators. Customers who didn't qualify were encouraged to go on the scheme and this gave rise to complaints when the bar was introduced.

DonnyDave

What is the line rental price for LUS? I cannot find that information anywhere. I've found the information on rebates, and I know calls are charged as they were on BT Standard.

...Unfortunately there was no way to know the difference between customers who were genuinely light users and those who made their calls via other operators. ...

Maybe if Oftel/Ofcom actually wish to do something worthwhile, they should move all access numbers to these services onto another number range. Instead on some being 0844, some 0845, 0870 and 0871 etc they should all start something like 081. That way BT could bar calls to these numbers. It would be up to the regulator to ensure these services only operated on that prefix.

gt94sss2

What is the line rental price for LUS? I cannot find that information anywhere.

The LUS line rental is £34.50/quarter - the same as BT Together Option 1.

Of course, you do get the discounts here if you don't use the line..

Regards
Sunil

Welliesorter

What is the line rental price for LUS?

Pricing info is here.

Maybe if Oftel/Ofcom actually wish to do something worthwhile, they should move all access numbers to these services onto another number range

I think you've misunderstood what's meant by 'prefix' in my earlier post. The examples you mention are part of the phone number. The ones I'm referring to are added to the start of a phone number in order to route the call over another operator's network. 18866 is an example that gets discussed here rather a lot. There's less need for this sort of thing now with Carrier Pre-Selection.

LUS users aren't barred from calling 0844, 0845, 0870 etc. They're barred from having their cake and eating it: getting ultra-cheap line rental from BT and making their calls through another company.