Haggle with BT - our new guide

singhini

B13blues wrote: »

Seems decent enough really. I'm paying £35 for Fibre unlimited and weekend calls that I never use. They did upgrade me free to 80 Mbps last year though. Sometimes the hassle that can happen when changing isn't worth risking imo.

I think I'm going to have to stay with BT unfortunately :sad: As suggested by JJ Egan i looked at another deal elsewhere: i found a deal with Vodafone (36mb broadband for 18 month at £22 per month + £50 voucher) [I came to the conclusion I would sacrifice TV and BT sport and just pay for BB].


Now the problem I faced yesterday was Vodafone run a credit check via Experian, however i have a password on my Experian file which they need to ring me to confirm its actually me that's applying and not someone trying to commit fraud. They rang yesterday and i gave them the password, only to be told i had provided the wrong password and thus they will not be able to accept the Broadband request (i was told i would not be considered for 90 days so don't bother trying to re-apply within that time frame).


I've sent an email to Experian this morning but if i cant get it resolved within the next week or so and try to find a deal elsewhere, i will have to ring BT and accept their £43.99 offer boo-hiss :sad:

yessuz

So...
Called BT today again. They were sticking with the same offer.
So I took that Plusnet offer for same speeds, but 27.99 a month (instead of 58.99 potentially if no changes, or 39.99 BEST AVAILABLE BT deal).

In short - will be Plusnet customer very very soon. Paid fees and stuff already. Now question is - won't I regret the switch (and I shouldn't as it's basically same) and if BT will come back to me within few days with better deal... and in such case how to cancel?

sherpalina

Hi all

I've been with BT for 6 years now. I've not been happy as broadband has been really slow, and I'm having a lot of problems with wifI (our rooter is now pretty old) and would like to change but partner really wants BT Sport!

I'm out of contract now and have been lazy to do anything about, but I'm biting the bullet, accepting we're not leaving BT and need to get on with is as for the past little while I keep getting messages about exceeding our data allowance (50GB).

Then I realised that my bills weren't showing me how much data I'd been using through the BT Vision box (which they used to). I rang compaints and they admitted that they have no idea how much of our data has gone through the BT vision box - they've just been charging me for all of it! :eek::eek: A manager is meant to be ringing back. I'm hoping to get all of these charges reversed (£125 over the last 15 months, but most of it the last 4 months). Does anyone have experience of this? Is the BT Vision data not being excluded a known issue? :mad:

Any other tips gratefully received! We're currently paying for unlimited calls but in no way use it - I realise now that the calls we use it for we end up paying for as they tend to me long ones!

Is there any chance that I'll manage to get a new BT Hub? Or should I just buy my own router? (I could do with one that would extend our wifi around the house as we have thick walls).

Is it worth it trying to get this sewn up today, or as I'm an existing customer does it not make a difference?

sherpalina

Quick update - I did get a call back from the manager, he said he can't do any more than offer the £24.20 we were charged for the last bill. He said that can't tell me how much we're using through the BT vision box but it's definitely not included in our data bill. He denied that they have ever split out how much data was due to the BT vision box (though I definiltely remember seeing it, I now can't find it either online on my bills from the past 18 months, or on the previous paper bills, but there's a gap.

I've done a spreadsheet of all of our usage, and i honestly can't see how we go over 50GB without including the BT vision box.

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

I'm so fed up, i've been loth to call BT about this because every single time I end up taking hours, raising my blood pressure, and no solution :mad:

singhini

So update since my post #222

rang BT and said i would like to renew (but just the broadband at £29.99) and not the TV and BT Sport as i needed to save some money; i want to get my bill below £40 per month).

And unlike the previous times i had called BT this time the lady asked if i watched a lot of TV (said no), so she offered to drop to the basic TV package which would save me £5 per month and i could keep BT Sport (the thing i do watch) and the total would be £38.99

BB = £29.99 (35mb speed i think)
TV = £5.00
Sport = £4.00


im happy, my bill is below £40 and i still get to keep my BT Sport (however it does seem like its the luck of the draw with who you speak to and what they can do / what their interested in doing)

jaybeetoo

You could get the same bundle from PlusNet even cheaper.

singhini

jaybeetoo wrote: »

You could get the same bundle from PlusNet even cheaper.

Yeah i agree (its £11.61 a month cheaper for me). :rudolf:

If you read post #222 you will see i did try to leave and go to Vodafone but had credit check issues, so had no choice but to stay with BT.

What gets me about the whole thing is on the two pervious occasions i rang BT, i was categorically told the best "cheapest" price i was going to get was £43.99 and there's was nothing the employees could do to get the bill down. Yet when i rang on the third occasion the lady said i could downgrade TV channels (channels i didn't even watch) and she was able to save me an extra £60 a year (hence why on post #226 i say it all depends on who you speak to).

TF03

Hi all,

So I'm currently with BT. Have been for the past 3 years. Never renewed or started a new contract with them.
I currently get unlimited Fibre, no call package just line rental (don't use landline anyway), TV essential package and BT Sport. I'm paying £70.99 a month for this. I've never even had an updated hub or Vision box.

Last year (maybe about 6 months ago) I rang up to try and haggle but only got them down to £65 for the same stuff I already have. Left it with the intent to change but never got round to it.

At my postcode I'm limited to either BT or Sky for what I want. As a new Sky customer I can get unlimited fibre, line rental, Sky TV + Sky Sports for £65 for 18 months (or £42 a month without sports).

I'd be happy for even a bit of a discount but maybe with a new hub and their Wi-Fi Discs thing as I do have a couple of blackspots in rooms in my house.
I'm really rubbish at haggling. I'd rather stay with BT but I really want to get that price down. Can anyone give me any tips? Is it better to do it via their online chat or via telephone? Should I ask to just to straight to their cancellation team?

Would be interested to hear what people have recently successfully negotiated them down to.

JJ_Egan

Via cancellations

Start by knowing what you want .
Do you need the high speed fibre or would up to 52 meg do .
Likewise what sport .
New TV boxes are circa £49 last time i looked with a new contract .




My out of contract price rise haggle gave me .
Advanced Line Rental Paid + up to 52 BB no calls + BT Max TV and BT Sport HD at circa £36 pm + BT TV You View 1 TB box at £49 +pp


Then price up alternatives so as you can say no sorry i am leaving as XXX is cheaper.
But BT Sport is more expensive than BT on Sky etc.

JJ_Egan

See your identical post.