Bt bill-charging £4.50

breadline

I have just recieved my phone bill and Bt are charging me £4.50 for paying
with cash...
I am told I have to pay by direct debit or pay the charge...
is this legal...probably is..but I am so angry that I want to change from
bt to another provider, the problem is I am very very rural and have loads of
problems with my phone, my internet (dial-up) no broadband..and I dont really
know what to do...

ginger_nuts

yip its legal .
the cheapest option is paying by direct debit and on line billing

BritBrat

The cheapest option is to set up the direct debit but pay using some other method, I know online banking works as I have now done it twice. If the account is in credit before the direct debit activates there will be no fee as there is no bill to pay.

And another person has used a payment card and that avoids the charge.

BT Direct Debit, How To Beat It

Full Thread Here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=446084

billsavings

Also read http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=400053

gbhxu

Have to disagree with ginger_nuts on this.

I thought that you could only surcharge if payment is made by credit card?

wantmemoney

yep it don't add up to a legal charge to me either

https://www2.bt.com/static/i/microsite/help_and_tips/payments/faq/about_payments.html#faq11
What is a Payment Processing Fee? From 1 May 2007, BT Payment Services Ltd, a separate BT Group company, is introducing a payment processing fee for customers who do not pay their telephone bills by Direct Debit or Monthly Payment Plan as all other methods of payment cost BT more to process. Customers not on a Direct Debit or Monthly Payment Plan by the time of their next bill will be charged a discrete payment processing fee of £1.50 (for monthly billed customers) or £4.50 (for quarterly billed customers). You can avoid the new payment processing fee if you sign up to Direct Debit or Monthly Payment Plan. Visit www.bt.com/payments. Please note: These changes dont apply to customers on a special scheme such as In Contact Plus, the Light Use Scheme and Pay & Call

ok it's a "processing fee" for each non direct debit transaction because it costs BT more for processing a cheque (for example).

so why

They charge a single "Processing Fee" of £1.50 for processing each monthly cheque.
They charge a single "Processing Fee" of £4.50 for processing each quarterly cheque.

A "processing fee" has to reflect the true cost to them of carrying out that process. This "processing fee" is obviously a charge/month. As it doesn't reflect the true cost to them it's obviously punitive.

topherxp

You basically pay £1.50 per month for BT Payment Services Ltd to handle your account payments.

BritBrat

They charge a single "Processing Fee" of £1.50 for processing each monthly cheque.
They charge a single "Processing Fee" of £4.50 for processing each quarterly cheque.

A "processing fee" has to reflect the true cost to them of carrying out that process. This "processing fee" is obviously a charge/month. As it doesn't reflect the true cost to them it's obviously punitive.

I agree its a charge not a payment for what it costs, I contacted BT and was told they would not provide any information on the cost for the various payment methods.

You basically pay £1.50 per month for BT Payment Services Ltd to handle your account payments.

I dont, I signed up to Diret Debit but they have not used the DD system because I pay using online banking. I used to not have the discount and now I get a discount and still pay in the same way as I have done for ages, wish I had known about it a few years back. I will also do it in the future to any other company that wants to charge me for paying on time.

one-non-blonde

breadline wrote: »

I have just recieved my phone bill and Bt are charging me £4.50 for paying
with cash...
I am told I have to pay by direct debit or pay the charge...
is this legal...probably is..but I am so angry that I want to change from
bt to another provider, the problem is I am very very rural and have loads of
problems with my phone, my internet (dial-up) no broadband..and I dont really
know what to do...

I just got my phone bill this morning and it took me a while to figure out why it was higher than normal (my calls are made through TalkTalk) when they've been advertising lower package prices. Flipping hell I'm mad! :mad:

I can't remember being notified that this would happen. Also, as I've been paying through online banking for years and never been late I fail to see how my transaction can cost them £4.50 more than anyone paying by direct debit. AND how can one quarterly payment cost 3 times as much as a monthly payment to process??????

:mad: and :mad: :mad: again.

Is there any way of getting out paying it for this quarter?

Oh, and also who can I take my business to when I tell them where to shove it?

Heinz

one-non-blonde wrote: »

I just got my phone bill this morning and it took me a while to figure out why it was higher than normal (my calls are made through TalkTalk) when they've been advertising lower package prices. Flipping hell I'm mad! :mad:

I assume you were also mad last quarter and the quarter before that, and the quarter before that .................when you were charged £3 more than someone paying by DD.

Ypaymore

one-non-blonde wrote: »

Oh, and also who can I take my business to when I tell them where to shove it?

If your in a cable area you could move to Virgin Media and be charged £5 a month,not a quarter for non-payment by d/d. Or you could move your line rental to Talk Talk (Not Recommended) but they insist you pay by d/d.:D