BT overcharging for unlimited broadband

lemming64

So I was paying approx £27 a month BT unlimited broadband package, when I recently noticed that for over a year they have only been charging £16 a month for the same service on a new plan on their website. I have been out of contract for that entire period.

I would have thought that I should have been charged the correct price for the service I have been receiving, but BT are adamant that I should have called up to switch to the cheaper tariff, even though, as far as I am concerned, it is the same tariff with a different name. So won't refund me the overcharging for the past 15 months or so.

This to me stinks of the same nonsense the electric/gas companies pull by keeping people on older/redundant more expensive tariffs and not informing them of newer cheaper ones. Using small print as an excuse is very underhanded.

Has anyone had any luck getting BT to budge on this position, or had luck with the ombudsman arbitrating this sort of thing?

Thanks!

honeybean

A bit confused you say you were paying £27 but bt were taking £16 how were they overcharging????

teddysmum

I think the OP means that the current price is £16, but they are being charged £27.


However, it is £16 plus line rental, so does the £27 include line rental ?

lemming64

the £27 was before line rental, basically it is the price that BT infinity is now, but I don't get that, and unlimited used to be the same price as infinity until around Feb 2013.

edited the original post to clarify, I was paying £27, but could have/should have got the same service for £16

spyhunter

Sounds like you are on the old BT total broadband option 3 package.
It includes some extras such as free anti virus and 50 GB online storage that you do not get on the £16.00 unlimited option so there is a difference.

BT advertise all there broadband products heavily and you also get updates in your bill and they have a website so it is up to you to check.

If i were you i would speak to BT retentions dept on 0800 800 030. They should be able to offer you a much better deal.

VisionMan

Why on earth didn't you check your bill for the last 15 months? You lose your discounts if you don't renew your contract. You won't get your money back, sorry.

lemming64

Because I am naive enough to expect that I would be charged the current price for something obviously. Why on earth are you defending this shoddy practice?

Clearly if I had checked they I wouldn't have a problem, but why is it acceptable that I should have to check? I don't expect to pay more than the going rate for a service, ignoring all their nonsense trying to distinguish them, the service I want is unlimited broadband.

If I go into a shop, and the price of mars bars has gone down, I don't expect to pay the old price because I didn't enquire to see if the price had gone down.

VisionMan

lemming64 wrote: »

I don't expect to pay more than the going rate for a service

You weren't. The going rate is £27 a month. If you had checked your bill and renewed your contract it wouldn't have been. I am defending nothing.

Caveat emptor.

duchy

Both sound quite expensive compared to other companies- Sky is £7.50 for unlimited BB (and the usual extras like McAfee for the first year etc) plus line rental.

Like any other utility to pays to check annually that you are on the best tariff

spyhunter

lemming64 wrote: »

ignoring all their nonsense trying to distinguish them, the service I want is unlimited broadband.

.

It is not nonsense. The 2 packages are completely different. Both are unlimited but one costs more because it has added extras.

Imagine if BT just changed you to the cheaper package without telling you. You would lose the free anti virus software. if you use it would you be happy with that?

You would also lose 50GB of online storage so if you use that you may lose lots of precious files and photos.

Thats the main reasons why BT have not changed you over to the new plan.

kwikbreaks

In my experience if you agree to a price for a service then you will pay that price (and possibly more if the price increases) for the minimum term. At the end of that minimum term you won't get the benefit of any price reduction unless you ask for it and then the chances are you'll be stitched up with a fresh minimum term. Unfair? Yes. Widespread? Yes.