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

billsavings

I_luv_cats wrote: »

Guardian -


Rates for international calls to some destinations will increase by 6.5%, and the voicemail service, Answer 1571, will now cost £1.75 a month. The service was previously free to those making more than two calls a month.

The same price will apply to BT privacy, which helps stop unwanted calls and was previously free to those making two calls a month.



We have had ambiguous various media reporting before.



Prices now are are weird: (new plans) £7 for unlimited anytime calls (as they'd added the £2 saver) and weekend plans, their weekday calls are hefty #all week# 9p min plus set up:eek:

The Mail says its 2 lots of £1.75 one for each product.These are the relevant bits.

"Previously free BT Answer 1571 and BT Privacy with Caller Display will now each cost £1.75 a month. Customers will be 'opted in' if they have ever used the services in the past."

BT Answer 1571 is an answer phone service that callers can access by dialing '1571'. The company said that it will consider any customer who has ever dialed 1571, even if it was several years ago, as having opted into the service and will add £1.75 to their monthly bill. They can avoid this by responding to the letter they will receive next week to opt out, and BT said they can cancel at any time.
BT Privacy with Caller Display has been offered for free since 2005 and was taken up by those who wished to avoid nuisance calls. Customers needed to request the service, at which point BT would have also signed them up to the Telephone Preference Service to avoid cold-calls. Anyone that requested it will now have £1.75 added to their bill unless they act.

Customers opted into BT Answer 1571 can continue to get the service for free if they agree to sign up to line rental with the company for another year.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2434872/BT-opts-millions-customers-new-1-75-month-charges-services-used-free-prices-hiked.html

billsavings

So it looks like everybody,s old and new plans rental goes up to £15.99

Old customers call connection and call rates will go up but not as high as those on the new rates.

Everybody will be charged for 1571 voicemail and caller display.

MillicentBystander

Graham1 wrote: »

According to

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/nmr-13/statement/statement-summary

"we are removing BT's obligation to offer carrier pre-selection (CPS) and indirect access (IA) where BT's retail arm provides the retail access line"

This could be bad news for people who rely on indirect codes for making their calls.

Removing the obligation does not, of course, mean the facility will definitely be withdrawn immediately but, in time, I think it will.

Bad news for the likes of 18185 subscribers but great news for BT. I suspect this obligation to allow indirect access numbers costs them dearly (probably another reason, along with 'free' BT sport why they increase their prices so regularly). I would imagine many of the savvy punters using the indirect access numbers would flee should they be disallowed. But I also suspect that BT would be pretty happy to see the back of them.

For phone line rental, u/l up to 16mb BB, caller display, 1571 and any time calls (I suspect this is a pretty typical package) the price will be £42.50/mth with an EIGHTEEN MONTH contract! :eek:

PS According to the Torygraph, 90% of BT customers do not yet have BT Sport. But it's fairly obvious that they are clearly paying for it anyway!

System

Sparx wrote: »

BT should have a bare bones or basic package where you pay £5-8 per month and you don't get a phone number allocated and can't make outgoing or receive incoming calls.

Why do you think the lack of a telephone number reduces the cost? You are still using all the equipment that having a number entails.

I_luv_cats

billsavings wrote: »

The Mail says its 2 lots of £1.75 one for each product.These are the relevant bits.

"Previously free BT Answer 1571 and BT Privacy with Caller Display will now each cost £1.75 a month. Customers will be 'opted in' if they have ever used the services in the past."

BT Answer 1571 is an answer phone service that callers can access by dialing '1571'. The company said that it will consider any customer who has ever dialed 1571, even if it was several years ago, as having opted into the service and will add £1.75 to their monthly bill. They can avoid this by responding to the letter they will receive next week to opt out, and BT said they can cancel at any time.
BT Privacy with Caller Display has been offered for free since 2005 and was taken up by those who wished to avoid nuisance calls. Customers needed to request the service, at which point BT would have also signed them up to the Telephone Preference Service to avoid cold-calls. Anyone that requested it will now have £1.75 added to their bill unless they act.

Customers opted into BT Answer 1571 can continue to get the service for free if they agree to sign up to line rental with the company for another year.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2434872/BT-opts-millions-customers-new-1-75-month-charges-services-used-free-prices-hiked.html

Is that legal ? Are they desparate for £1.75 to act this way! (it should be opt in)

unclepotter

rogerblack wrote: »

If you are in receipt of certain benefits and with BT, you can switch to BT basic.
This is suitable if you make few calls, and is available even if you have broadband.
http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html?s_cid=con_FURL_btbasic
£4.95/mo, with a £4.50 call allowance.
Calls 11p/min - so unless you're at under 45 min/month - it gets more expensive.

Amongst those qualifying - those on IS, or income-related JSA or ESA.

We get this.How will BT's latest Januray price hikes affect customers on BT basics?.
We also get foc 1571 and caller display...It has been reported that there will be a charge of £1.75 for EACH of those,will BT basics customers have to pay the charges.?

oldharryrocks

unclepotter wrote: »

We get this.How will BT's latest Januray price hikes affect customers on BT basics?.
We also get foc 1571 and caller display...It has been reported that there will be a charge of £1.75 for EACH of those,will BT basics customers have to pay the charges.?

Good point see if you get a letter or email from bt.

Possible solution dump 1571 and get a cheap answering machine,and cancel caller display if not important.

wakeupalarm

Remember £1.75 per month is £21 per year, so for both existing free services it is £42 per year extra. Add this to the line rental increase and BT have gone from £185.40 per year to £233.88 which makes it over 26% increase before making a single call!
Someone remind me what the inflation figure is supposed to be?

I_luv_cats

wakeupalarm wrote: »

Remember £1.75 per month is £21 per year, so for both existing free services it is £42 per year extra. Add this to the line rental increase and BT have gone from £185.40 per year to £233.88 which makes it over 26% increase before making a single call!
Someone remind me what the inflation figure is supposed to be?

The media still quote penny calls (evening) but lots are now on the 9p min rip-off (all day and night) weekday (+ set-up fee)

Are BT trying to bamboozle as they have legacy and new pricing!

poppasmurf_bewdley

MillicentBystander wrote: »

Why don't they act like a responsible company and charge a fee for BT Sport instead of getting even their punters who don't even use it to help pay for it in constant price increases? That would be the fairest approach...

I think it's because BT know that very few people would pay £9/£12 per month for their BT Sport channels.

I have it for free, but only watch ONE premier league match a week (I'm watching it at the moment) - their other offerings are of no interest to me. I certainly will not pay to receive the channels. And if I lose it, then that would not bother me in the least.

In fact, I've already decided to cancel their BT Privacy service when I receive their letter, and I have yet to decide whether I will be cancelling the whole BT service as well. In the next few days, I shall certainly be looking at what other phone companies are offering. BT Sport will pay no part in my decision as it is so minor a part of my viewing.