MSE News: How to beat BT's broadband, home phone and TV price hikes

minislim

what everyone need to do is ditch BT (and plusnet) and go with much cheaper companies offering better deals on line rental (like talk talk and SSE as advertised on here)

the line rental has for years been too much of a monopoly for BT to just hike them up and up.

i've only been in my home 6 years and line rental has crept up from £11.52 up to £17.99.

and in all that time has there been any improvement in service? no!

all these current hikes are to cover the stupid amounts of money they have paid for sports rights. £500 million for champions league and this week i think the ashes cricket rights ££££.

so they come up with an silly figure to buy them and we all end up footing the bill.

sorry but i think its time to go elsewhere. and from what i can see many others are doing the same.

diamonds

BT gave me notice within my first 30 days of a new contract, I gave notice via phone then via MSE Resolver they were hopeless even leaving they cut my services off meaning I can't transfer out.




My costs were to go up from £10 to £19.99 a month for BT TV and £1 for line rental so I left.




They had the cheek to charge me £30 cancellation fee for not allowing me to transfer to a new provider. 8 weeks service has been billed to me at £199.xx shocking!


Guess ill be going to ombudsman then...

harz99

diamonds wrote: »

BT gave me notice within my first 30 days of a new contract, I gave notice via phone then via MSE Resolver they were hopeless even leaving they cut my services off meaning I can't transfer out.




My costs were to go up from £10 to £19.99 a month for BT TV and £1 for line rental so I left.




They had the cheek to charge me £30 cancellation fee for not allowing me to transfer to a new provider. 8 weeks service has been billed to me at £199.xx shocking!


Guess ill be going to ombudsman then...

Suggest you look back over some of my posts in this thread as they tried that with me, and I was successful in getting that charge waived.

PocketMoney

As a result of poor customer service, problems with my Internet access reliability and the price increase I've decided to leave BT.

Got the default 30 days notice period with them and within a few days my new provider already has contacted them, so I got from BT an automated reply about the termination of their services.

As per the MSE article: "BT price hike: Last chance to beat it" I was expecting no charges.

To my surprise the BT email in the middle states this:
"...
Equipment charges

As you've got equipment from BT, you'll need to pay:

• £65 for broadband equipment charges.

You can find out more at bt.com/termcharges
Charges for ending your contract

You won't have to pay any charges for ending your contract.

..."


When I've inquired them this morning over the phone the advisor told me they can't remove this charge and provided me within an email an extract from the Terms and Conditions they believe are applicable to my circumstances:
"...
[FONT=&quot]Deferred Payment for Equipment[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In some cases we will allow you to defer payment of the full price of the equipment we supply for use with the service. If you then end the service within 12 months of BT accepting your order and you did not pay the full price of that equipment when you placed your order, then you will be liable to pay the balance – that is the price of the equipment as set out in the Tariff Guide, less any amount which you paid upfront when you placed your order, unless you end the service within the cancellation period (as detailed in paragraph 10 of the Residential Standard Terms). The deferred payment is no longer payable after you have received service for 12 months or more from the date that your order was accepted by BT.[/FONT]..."

Above they refer to the "[FONT=&quot]Tariff Guide" which I don't recall to see, or sign up for any time during the online ordering process, nor was called out to me when initiated the cancellation.
[/FONT]
The above condition anyhow seems to contradict the information in the MSE article I've linked in above:
"...
BT adds that customers won't be charged for their "hub" (router) if leaving due to the price rises. However, if you have line rental saver, while you can cancel this and other elements you have with BT penalty free, you won't be refunded any unused months left on your line rental saver contract.
..."

When I told them that I don't need their hub after their services are switched off and happy to return it in exchange of cancelling the £65.00 charge, I was told they don't do such service and the charge will have to remain on my account...

If they charge me I assume I own the equipment, does that mean I can try to recover my costs by selling the hub online (BT Home Hub 5)?

Anyone in similar shoes? Should I look for an ombudsman to report this?

JJ_Egan

Standard charges if you terminate the contract early .
You can sell the hub probably get £30 or so .
Unless you switch to VM cable the new ISP will send your broadband down the same BT Line .

maxlan

Hi,
I pay upfront for my line rental and broad band and got this in my latest bill :
Our prices have changed. We've refunded what you paid in advance and recharged you at the new price
Refund Broadband and Calls -£10.80
20 Sep - 30 Sep 15
This is a refund of the price of your Package which you paid in advance up
to 30 Sep 2015
Broadband and Calls £11.55
20 Sep - 30 Sep 15
This is the cost of your Package up to 30 Sep 2015 at £31.50 a month.

Are they allowed to do that?? Surely, I paid already for the service for a year..?

jem16

maxlan wrote: »

Hi,
I pay upfront for my line rental and broad band

You will have paid upfront using Line Rental Saver. That won't change.

However you don't pay upfront from Broadband or calls - that can change.

Are they allowed to do that?? Surely, I paid already for the service for a year..?

Yes they can put up BB and calls. You would only have paid your line rental for a year and your bill reflects that.