📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

BT Temporary Line Suspension

Options
I temporarily suspended my BT line whilst on an extended 3 month holiday.
I am trying to have my line reinstated from abroad via e-mail. It has been very trying as the responses seem to be coming from India and never seem to respond exactly to the matter in hand.
I expected to simply have my line reinstated but now I am being given a new account number and 12 month contract with the problem of setting up direct debits, paper free billing etc. Is this how it should be?
I am on my third e-mail and still not making progress.

Comments

  • sicker
    sicker Posts: 1,370 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Contact '[EMAIL="'ben.verwaayen@bt.com"]ben.verwaayen@bt.com[/EMAIL]' and ask to have your problem resolved by his staff.
  • topherxp
    topherxp Posts: 267 Forumite
    Leblanc wrote: »
    I temporarily suspended my BT line whilst on an extended 3 month holiday.
    I am trying to have my line reinstated from abroad via e-mail. It has been very trying as the responses seem to be coming from India and never seem to respond exactly to the matter in hand.
    I expected to simply have my line reinstated but now I am being given a new account number and 12 month contract with the problem of setting up direct debits, paper free billing etc. Is this how it should be?
    I am on my third e-mail and still not making progress.
    BT don't simply suspend accounts, they are closed but can be reinstated relatively easily. The 12 month contract is standard on all new accounts and was introduced on May 1st. If the line was to be terminated within those 12 months then a termination fee of up to £70 is charged.

    You don't need to have direct debit or paperfree if you don't want them. But you will need to pay the payment processing fee of £4.50 per quarter and an additional £0.50p per month for the paper bill.
    If saved £2710 and only spent the interest (Based on a return of 5%), you would have enough money to pay your TV Licence every year. Saving you £7452.50 over a period of 55 years, based on you buying a license from the age of 20 until your 75 at a cost of £135.50.
  • sicker wrote: »
    Contact 'ben.verwaayen@bt.com' and ask to have your problem resolved by his staff.

    Are you serious??

    Dont do that. Try calling BT customer services, explain your issue and they will resolve it for you.

    If you dont want to use your mobile then I am sure that a friend or reli will let you use theirs.
  • sicker
    sicker Posts: 1,370 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    telephone man?? I am serious, the more complaints BT execs get about poor service from their call centres the quicker they will restore them to UK. (but I'm not holding my breathe). I worked for BT all my working life and their customer service has become diabolical.
  • gt94sss2
    gt94sss2 Posts: 6,091 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    sicker wrote: »
    telephone man?? I am serious, the more complaints BT execs get about poor service from their call centres the quicker they will restore them to UK. (but I'm not holding my breathe). I worked for BT all my working life and their customer service has become diabolical.

    While BT do have CS issues, closing the 2 Indian call centres won't really improve them - for one thing there are still 30+ BT call centres in the UK.. BT's CS problems lie elsewhere.

    As for emailing Ben Verwaayen - its all well and good that he will reply personally but you should only use it if you can't get anywhere after trying the usual BT channels..

    Otherwise, you might find that as in several other companies - the CEO's internal email address will change and any complaints will just be seen as 'normal' ones and not difficult issues that need someone to pay more attention too...

    Regards
    Sunil
  • gt94sss2 wrote: »
    While BT do have CS issues, closing the 2 Indian call centres won't really improve them - for one thing there are still 30+ BT call centres in the UK.. BT's CS problems lie elsewhere.

    As for emailing Ben Verwaayen - its all well and good that he will reply personally but you should only use it if you can't get anywhere after trying the usual BT channels..

    Otherwise, you might find that as in several other companies - the CEO's internal email address will change and any complaints will just be seen as 'normal' ones and not difficult issues that need someone to pay more attention too...

    Regards
    Sunil

    Exactly what I was getting at.

    Emailing a company does not get things done faster and emailing the CEO can slow things even more as the issue has to be cascaded to the relivant dept before they can act on it.
    One call to customer services and the issue can be resolved (usually) at first point of contact.
  • Leblanc_2
    Leblanc_2 Posts: 157 Forumite
    After yet another useless e-mail response from India I telephoned BT/ UK from abroad at my expense. I was kept in a queue for 18 minutes then answered by an Indian operator. Given my e-mail problems I requested my call be transferred to a UK operator. She refused and said she would just put me back into the queue. I said no because I was phoning from abroad whereupon she cut me off!
    I have now e-mailed the ceo.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177K Life & Family
  • 257.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.