New BT charges without warning

andygb

I get all my BT statements online, and then download the PDF files (and print for my own files).
Today I checked the account and all seemed well, until I noticed an EXTRA charge of £5.25 for "BT Privacy and Caller Display".
I then looked back and found it had been applied on all my statements for this year.
Also in My BT I noticed that the anytime call charge is being increased from £5.48 a month to £7.50 a month.
I wondered if there are any better alternatives to BT, because this is the third time I have had to dispute extra charges being added to my bill.

poppasmurf_bewdley

BT started charging for Caller Display and 1571 about this time last year, and sent everyone either a letter or email about it. They were a little naughty in that they expected you to cancel if you didn't want to pay rather than opt in if you didn't mind.

I too was more than a little miffed with them about this and went with TalkTalk in June of this year. However, after a nightmare of experiencing their Broadband, I was back with BT by August.

You might save a few quid by moving elsewhere, but be prepared to suffer if you do. I'm not saying you will suffer. Many people have TT and are perfectly happy. But my own experience tells me that trying to save a few quid is just not worth the hassle and trouble. Especially when with a little haggling you can get BT to do a deal.

paulpud

I too had this situation last year and I didn't even get a letter (no doubt a Royal Mail issue) so I didn't get the bad news until I opened my quarterly bill. I did ring them to have a moan but made little progress other than to have them tell me if I wanted to end my yearly contract early it would cost me.

I had to wait until November but I finally ended my association with BT and moved my phone line and broadband to TalkTalk. As mentioned, TalkTalk isn't for everyone and they do have a somewhat chequered history in the world of customer service and I would urge anyone who does join TalkTalk to join the community forums as issues can be dealt with in this way - I had a minor broadband problem which was solved within 24 hours. For me it is so far so good, I'm enjoying the best broadband speeds I've ever had in my semi-rural location and I stand to save around £130 over the next 12 months.

andygb

We didn't receive any letters or emails, and we have been with them for about three years now.
I have been doing a little "Googling", and it seems BT were heavily criticised by MP's for operating an automatic "opt in" attitude for customers - charging them for it, despite not asking if they want the service.
Personally I think it is a pretty s h i t e attitude by BT, and could even be described as fraudulent.

AJXX

andygb wrote: »

I get all my BT statements online, and then download the PDF files (and print for my own files).

Today I noticed an EXTRA charge of £5.25 for "BT Privacy and Caller Display".

I looked back and found it had been applied on all my statements for this year.

Are you seriously saying that it took you 12 months to realise? Sounds a bit silly to me.

If you haven't read your statements properly for the last 12 months, that's hardly BT's fault, regardless of if they've set it up automatically or not.

teddysmum

I certainly knew about it last October, as I used that and other price rises to leave for Sky, with whom I'm staying as I have a very good retention deal.

andygb

teddysmum wrote: »

I certainly knew about it last October, as I used that and other price rises to leave for Sky, with whom I'm staying as I have a very good retention deal.

How did you know about it?
Were you contacted by BT?

oldharryrocks

BT informed me

and i read about it here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2013/09/bt-reveals-price-rises-but-you-can-escape-the-hikes

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2014/01/bt-now-charges-for-1571-calls-opt-out-to-avoid-42-year-bills

and it was mentioned widely in the media.

Plus i read about the forthcoming price rises here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/08/bt-confirms-up-to-65-price-hike-from-december

and i was advised by BT,and it has had extensive coverage in the media.

Uxb

I received an email on the 7/10/2013 advising me of the change
It was from "BT at Home"
and it was entitled "Important information about your BT account"

I also got a letter to my address dated December 2013
The title/heading in big letter was
"A little reminder about your caller display"


and today I got an email reminder entitled "You free caller display offer ends soon"

andygb

Uxb wrote: »

I received an email on the 7/10/2013 advising me of the change
It was from "BT at Home"
and it was entitled "Important information about your BT account"

I also got a letter to my address dated December 2013
The title/heading in big letter was
"A little reminder about your caller display"


and today I got an email reminder entitled "You free caller display offer ends soon"

I have never had any enails (apart from the initial flurry after I joined them back in 2011) and no letters, apart from one telling me that my direct debit was being changed.
I am quite an organised person and keep everything filed away.
Had they sent me an email or letter I would have acted on it.