MSE News: BT reveals price rises - but you can escape the hikes

Mergic

sergeant_cookie wrote: »

I rang bt this morning and have been told I have to pay £118 overall to cancel my contract which ends in April. I thought if I cancelled within 10 days I didnt have to pay anything. Am I under the wrong impreasion or are bt lying to me?

Thanks in advance

You've had the email within the last 10 days? If so, gather the evidence you need before speaking to them again.

1. You've got the email itself
2.Use the link Tharweb has given above to check your personal package price rise.
3. Have you got Line Rental Saver? If so when does this end, as your line rental will rise from then. If not your line rental will rise from January.
4. Have a copy of the T&Cs (the relevant paragraphs that refer to right to leave, see earlier in this thread)

With all this, I can't see how they can say you need to pay any penalties, but it probably won't stop them trying.

sergeant_cookie

Mergic wrote: »

You've had the email within the last 10 days? If so, gather the evidence you need before speaking to them again.

1. You've got the email itself
2.Use the link Tharweb has given above to check your personal package price rise.
3. Have you got Line Rental Saver? If so when does this end, as your line rental will rise from then. If not your line rental will rise from January.
4. Have a copy of the T&Cs (the relevant paragraphs that refer to right to leave, see earlier in this thread)

With all this, I can't see how they can say you need to pay any penalties, but it probably won't stop them trying.

hi. Yes I got the email yesterday and yes my package is going up in price. So this guy telling me I owe £118 is wrong?

Thanks

Mergic

You need to establish what the £118 penalty is for. Presumably they believe part of your package isn't rising in price, but if you have the evidence that it is then you can challenge it. Getting someone on here to tell you they're wrong isn't going to get them to agree, you need to challenge them with the evidence that you are within the 10days and both your line rental and 'calls and broadband' package are rising in price. Check your bill for a breakdown of what you're paying for.

travel_smart

MSE_Darryl wrote: »

"Millions of BT customers face increases on their line rental and call costs at the start of next year – but you can avoid the price hikes..."

As part of the price rise, BT are also changing the BT Smart Talk app allowances. Does anyone understand them? Currently the app allows your mobile to become an extension of your land line contract but going forward from Jan 2014, the app will only be free for the first 60 minutes. Is this correct?

sergeant_cookie

Ive just checked and my broadband is definitely going up

totalhysteria

Hi,

Just wanted to post my experience.

I called 0800 587 7216 stating that I had recieved the email, but also have now realised that my broadband (infinity 2 + Calls) is going up. They guy told me that this was not true, so I pointed him to the link which clearly shows that my package is increasing. After checking and then muttering something about needing to speak to someone, he agreed that I was indeed correct and that I "Could" leave my contract.

The next part of the call was quite an obnoxious sales pitch, stating that if I wait until next month, they could offer me some 'fantastic' deals on my broadband (but by this time i am out of the 10 days notice!) and that I am foolish for wanting to leave BT.

I said that I just wished to leave as this was my right. When asked where i was moving my service to, I said that Sky had a better offer.

He then told me that skys product was inferior and used different 'lines' to BT and that is why its cheap. He kept repeating, 'but what is the point in leaving'. In the end I said that I am exercising my right to leave and although he was still quite rude he agreed that there would be no charge and that I would not need a MAC (apparently).

I work in IT, so know that the different wires stuff is all claptrap. I was just genuinely shocked about how rude and unhelpful their customer service was!

Quentin

Their training on this seems to be deny the customer can leave without a charge , thereby putting off a sizeable section of punters who don't expect to be lied to by "reputable firms".

Then if the customer is assertive and demand their rights to just rubbish the competitor.

If they had any business sense they should offer to waive the various increases that allow us to be assertive and try and retain us. Not alienate us to the point we will never go back and make sure as many as possible learn of their underhand methods.

Hank_Marvin

Quentin wrote: »

I think the agent mislead you.

Yes, caller display is currently "free". Everyone can get it "free" currently irrespective of whether or not they are in a minimum contract, or how they pay their bill.

They don't start charging for caller display till next year, and getting it free from then on isn't connected to paying in advance. (They want a new 12 month minimum contract as from January 4th and in return will give you free caller display for 12 months from then irrespective of how you pay your bill)

Not what they told me 2 times when i rang about this. Mum's on BT Basic and got told twice that she would have to pay money for a years line rental in advance to qualify for free caller display. Saying that he didnt know she was on bt basic package.

steven_cardwell

The whole thing is a farce, i sent an email to 2 of the CEO ones and got a reply back, saying i would get a call by Friday.

Send another email today asking when i'm getting my call as it is now 2pm on Friday.

Get a call at 3pm that lasts 30 minutes, i'm told that i can leave without any penalties or cancellation fees, i say i have calls, broadband & tv that ends in May, if it is only line rental that goes up as well as £1.75 for caller display can i still cancel the lot without any fees, i'm told yes, as they are all reliant on line rental.

I then ask for my MAC, she tells me i can get that from another department, but she would put me thru and explain 1st to them, put on hold and she comes back with i don't need to talk to them as she has asked for MAC, this can take up to 5 working days.

Also told me she had put notes on my account saying that i can leave and MAC requested.

I asked for this to be put into an email confirming that i can leave and a MAC has been requested, 90 minutes after coming off the phone i'm still waiting for this email she said she would write after coming off the phone.

Just sent off another email to these CEO addresses saying i'm not happy that i don't have any confirmation, as everyone knows the dreaded "no notes on your account" nonsense if you have to phone Customer Service or if the MAC doesn't arrive, it takes it out the 10 day notice period, plus the fact that it was agreed on the phone, without an email confirming what was agreed, it is very much a he said she said scenario.

How hard is for BT to do anything simple, after a 30 minute phone call, is it too much to expect to get what they say and a 2 line email saying "as per phone call, BT agree you can leave without any penalties or cancellation fees, a MAC has also been requested", would have taken all of 1 minute to type out!

EDIT : After a phone call to Customer Services, it would seem they got my name wrong and that is how i didn't get the email!

sergeant_cookie

Are the terms and conditions on the bt website? And do they state the 10 day rule?