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

steven_cardwell

Left BT on the 11/11, yet i've still got them getting under my skin!!

Phoned on the 29th to find out the status of my final bill refund cheque, to get told by yet another overseas CS that they paid it into the bank on the 27th!

After the incorrect £200+ original final bill, i closed the direct debit and sent an email to who dealt with everything at the CEO Office, they phoned me back (on the 20th) and in the conversation i explained why i closed the DD, i was told on the phone and in the confirmation email that the refund for £25.10 would be paid by cheque by 14 days.

I decided to phone on the 29th, to find out the status of the refund cheque, to get told about the "refund to bank", after having a rant on the phone, i'm then told i have to wait on the money bouncing back to BT before they will issue a cheque!

Needless to say, yet another email getting sent to CEO Office.

How hard is it, for these clowns to get something right, told them on the 20th no direct debit, they say it would be a cheque, yet 7 days later they still tried to pay it back into the bank, what i don't understand is, other companies are sending you info instantly when a direct debit is closed, so surely there must have been something on the BT systems that my DD was closed and a cheque would need to be issued instead.

Mergic

I've got my Final Bill and all seems to have been completed fine. I think the process could have been clearer and more straightforward but I'm pleased to say I managed to get it all sorted with only 2 phone calls and no involvement of CEO complaints. For those interested in leaving BT here is my experience:-

1. Received email advising of price rises (with small print advising can leave BT without penalty as long as I contact them within 10 days)
2. Phoned 0800 328 6738 (Options Team 'request MAC') - Advised I'd received email and wanted to give them notice of my intention to leave fee free and need a MAC (to move to Plusnet). MAC given verbally over phone with minimal fuss. Unable to give confirmation of penalty free or MAC by email but assured on notes.
3. Sent letter to BT Complaints address (Durham) to give 'written notice' of my intention to leave. I received no contact back so I don't know if this had any influence on the process but it was reassuring I had written evidence that I'd followed their t&cs
4. Gave MAC to Plusnet using their online order process. Plusnet confirmed order and give details of moving dates.
5. Phoned BT who advised they could see process was underway but could not give me my MAC in writing (never received it in writing, so glad I copied it down correctly)
6. Broadband move completed before phone line. Bill came through showing £49.00 charge for 'Home Hub'. Phoned 0800 328 6738 - Agreed I shouldn't pay this but advised need to speak to Billing, but after I politely said I was concerned they would not see the same system notes and agree to refund, he stayed on the line and spoke to Billing for me. Billing subsequently refunded the £49.00 (apparently ordered a jiffy bag for me to return the Home Hub, although I've not received it) and sent me an email to confirm this has been actioned. He assured me there would be not penalty charges on my final bill.
7. Phone line transferred and Final Bill produced a few days later. No penalty charges and in fact £2.30 refund. I've not been refunded my outstanding Line Rental Saver, but there's only 2 weeks left on it so I'm not bothered.

Thank you to the staff I dealt with a BT for a relatively painless process. The agent who stayed on the line while putting me through to Billing was great and has left me willing to consider returning to BT if their offer is competitive. :T

c-m

Tharweb wrote: »

Has everyone been told they have to return the HH/router (I didn't have BT Vision, only broadband) as it has never been mentioned? It isn't a problem, I still have it, in fact it's now providing my Plusnet fibre broadband but I just wondered if this was going to cause further billling issues.

I moved both broadband and my phone line due to the price increase.

That was all fine. Now BT have invoiced me £49 for the Home Hub. As it's locked to BT it's useless to me.

My response will be something along the lines of come and get it you lazy mofos.

Mergic

c-m wrote: »

I moved both broadband and my phone line due to the price increase.

That was all fine. Now BT have invoiced me £49 for the Home Hub. As it's locked to BT it's useless to me.

My response will be something along the lines of come and get it you lazy mofos.

A little more diplomacy may prove more beneficial. This was my experience following this issue:-

"6. Broadband move completed before phone line. Bill came through showing £49.00 charge for 'Home Hub'. Phoned 0800 328 6738 - Agreed I shouldn't pay this but advised need to speak to Billing, but after I politely said I was concerned they would not see the same system notes and agree to refund, he stayed on the line and spoke to Billing for me. Billing subsequently refunded the £49.00 (apparently ordered a jiffy bag for me to return the Home Hub, although I've not received it) and sent me an email to confirm this has been actioned. He assured me there would be not penalty charges on my final bill."

Tharweb

c-m wrote: »

I moved both broadband and my phone line due to the price increase.

That was all fine. Now BT have invoiced me £49 for the Home Hub. As it's locked to BT it's useless to me.

My response will be something along the lines of come and get it you lazy mofos.

My HH3 wasn't locked to BT. I just had to change the username/password and as I said, it's working fine on my new Plusnet connection, you may have a different version. If they really want it back they can have it, as I have the Plusnet router as a backup.

c-m

Tharweb wrote: »

My HH3 wasn't locked to BT. I just had to change the username/password and as I said, it's working fine on my new Plusnet connection, you may have a different version. If they really want it back they can have it, as I have the Plusnet router as a backup.

Aren't Plusnet part of BT anyway, so the router will work fine with that.

The HH3 has domain locking. It can be cracked quite easily but there is no point as it's hardly the best router around.

BT got in contact with me in the end and will be sending an SAE type package for me post it back to them.

JEG1

I don't want to pay £3.50 per month for 1571 and Caller Display so I just phoned BT and asked to have them cancelled from 4th Jan which is the date they start charging for them. I was told that the minimum notice period is 1 month so I would get charged for a few days and furthermore I will lose both services immediately as you're not entitled to them during the notice period.
So all you people out there who intend cancelling on 3rd January will have to pay £3.50 and not even get the services for the month you've just paid the £3.50 for. What a bunch of crooks BT are.

Mergic

JEG1 wrote: »

I was told that the minimum notice period is 1 month so I would get charged for a few days and furthermore I will lose both services immediately as you're not entitled to them during the notice period.

Their terms and conditions state "21. Once we have provided the service, you may tell us to stop providing it at any time by giving us 30 days' notice. We will accept notice via a range of methods including phone, e-mail, online chat and in writing. You can contact us to give notice using any of the contact details set out on your last BT bill or any other means of contact we have given you, for that purpose. If you are switching to another provider through an approved process, the notice you must give us will be 14 days. We can stop providing the service to you by giving you 28 days' written notice."

I think the last bit about them stopping your service immediately is just scare tactics and inaccurate; they need to give you 28 days notice. As you can see the T&Cs do state you need to give 30 days notice if leaving, but only 14 days using a switching service. I don't think you can switch to Virgin as it uses different systems, but if you get a MAC and transfer to Plusnet, TalkTalk, Sky etc. then you should be able to do so before 4th January. Phone BTs Options Team on 0800 328 6738 to give notice and ask for a MAC (some providers like TalkTalk will do this for you, while Plusnet request it during the online order process (although you can phone up with it later)).

Also, if you are still in your minimum contract period (often 18 months) then you will likely be charged early termination penalty charges/fees.

JEG1

Thanks for the advice Mergic but I'm not leaving BT, I just wanted to drop those 2 services.
I have since found out that the woman that I spoke to was wrong and you do keep the services during the notice period.
Anyone that doesn't want them needs to cancel now as leaving it until close to 4th Jan will incur 30 days charge.

jezzer99

I cannot really believe the amount of misinformation BT has given me about leaving penalty free in this way ...

but eventually, contact person at the CEO's office has agreed that I can leave penalty free and also with a refund of prepaid line rental.

Hurray.

So I arranged new service with TalkTalk only to find out two weeks later that the order has been cancelled because BT would not release my phone number to TalkTalk.

Can't really believe it.