BT Disconnection Scam?

karvala

Hi All,

I've just got off the phone with BT trying to deal with a rather strange situation. I have always paid my BT phone bill by direct debit, haven't changed bank details or anything like that, and all other direct debits remain fine.

My BT direct debit, however, was apparently cancelled last month. BT claim the bank did it, the bank claim BT did it; all I know is that I certainly didn't do it. The end result was that BT couldn't take their money, which was due on September 20th.

The first thing I knew about it was today, when my phone no longer worked. I did not receive a single reminder in any form at all. Again, however, BT claim that they phoned me twice to remind me to pay my bill, and left me a message, and yet I definitely have no such message and have answered no such calls.

So what's going on? A direct debit that mysteriously gets cancelled, reminder calls that were never actually received? And the end result is that BT, who cut me off just 19 days after they failed to take the money without ever successfully notifying me that they had failed to take the money, now want to charge me extra for line reconnection and an unpaid bill charge (as well as the bill, which I'm perfectly happy to pay; there was never a problem paying it).

Is this some sort of new scam that I've not heard of? BT are adamant that it's not their fault, although they eventually agreed to waive the extra charges. It's certainly not my fault; I followed the instructions in the one and only communication I received from them - my bill - which was that I didn't need to do anything and the money would be taken by direct debit. The bank are adamant that it is not their fault either. The end result is that I'm supposed to hand over more money to BT, however, which looks like a conflict of interest to me.

I know they're a pretty dodgy company these days, but would they actually stoop to deliberately trying not to take money from people or let them know about, in order to hit them with more charges? Because I'm struggling to find any other explanation for this catalogue of mysterious events.

ValHaller

I suggest you pursue simultaneous written complaints to your bank and to BT. At some point the truth will out - it would be interesting to know the outcome.

somethingcorporate

Agree with the above, you've obviously not been told the full story. Given BT have millions of customers including some huge, global corporates and turnover in the billions etc I very much doubt they are nefariously cutting off a single line to raise a few quid.

karvala

Well that's partly why I posted; to see if it really was a single line or if anyone else had also experienced it.

One update: I have been in touch with my bank and got a definitive answer - it was definitely BT, and not myself or the bank, who cancelled the direct debit. Interestingly, they cancelled it on August 27th, which was the date of the last successful payment. That apparently didn't stop them sending me a bill dated September 12th assuring me that payment would still be taken by direct debit, even though they themselves had cancelled it two weeks earlier.

I don't know if it's a series of errors or a conspiracy, but their appalling attitude to customer service is not helping the situation; they still refuse to admit they are in any way responsible, even though I now have it in writing that they were the ones who cancelled the direct debit.

And what are they doing cutting off phones without sending a single reminder bill or even just speaking to the account holder? That would have resolved the issue without escalating into this problem in the first place.

Buzby

A conspiracy implies intelligence - you're not suggesting for a moment BT have any?

Incompetence they have in spades, the reminder calls are automated and it is very possible you never got them. Time to switch supplier, methinks!

ValHaller

karvala wrote: »

One update: I have been in touch with my bank and got a definitive answer - it was definitely BT, and not myself or the bank, who cancelled the direct debit

Do you have that in writing? Because you will need that to beat BT with. Hence the advice to follow complaints procedures.

karvala

ValHaller wrote: »

Do you have that in writing? Because you will need that to beat BT with. Hence the advice to follow complaints procedures.

Will do. Apparently I have to go to a branch tomorrow so that they can print it for me (don't get me started on poor bank customer service!), but it was confirmed that they'll definitely be able to do that, and meanwhile they confirmed it over the phone.

cynicalgit_2

Bt has gone from an out of control State Monopoly to an out of control Private Monopoly. If you don't pay by dd they charge you to make a manual payment! It's called customer care. YOU'RE a customer and they don't care!!

cynicalgit_2

BT are nearly as incompetent as NPower. They've poured a billion quid into they're football venture hence they've got to shaft their poor customers to recoup the inevitable losses.

cynicalgit_2

Bt has gone from an out of control State Monopoly to an out of control Private Monopoly. If you don't pay by dd they charge you to make a manual payment! It's called customer care. YOU'RE a customer and they don't care!!

BT_company_representative

Hi Karvala,

I'm really sorry about this, if you need any help with your BT service please contact me using the link found in my profile.

Thanks

Neil