BT - Excessive and punitive leaving charges

iniltous

bxboards wrote: »

I placed a new order with TalkTalk.
I then cancelled it, the same day as soon as the 'leaving BT' message was sent, as my contention has always been BT are wrong, and I think I've got solid proof they are reporting the change 1 day prior.

I have a Complaint in with BT.
Dido Harding's office is also looking at this from TalkTalk's side.

If you had the same date on BT last day of providing service and TT first day of providing service, who would you pay line rental to ?, and even if you had no problem with paying twice for that day, do you think the regulator, who has a major part in the design of the migration rules would be happy for you to pay twice ?
Have you looked at your initial BT bill and seen what date they first started charging you line rental ?

jem16

iniltous wrote: »

If you had the same date on BT last day of providing service and TT first day of providing service, who would you pay line rental to ?, and even if you had no problem with paying twice for that day, do you think the regulator, who has a major part in the design of the migration rules would be happy for you to pay twice ?

In each of the 3 switches I have done so far, the date of leaving and the date of starting with the new provider have been exactly the same. This is always the case when transferring your phone number as the OP is doing.

With my most recent switch I started Sky on the 10th November. My final bill from PlusNet used the 10th November as the migration date and I was not charged by PlusNet for that day. Sky started billing me from the 10th November.

As to providing a day or two after the contract ended, the Op provided a day. His BT contract was to finish on the 15th and TalkTalk had arranged the transfer for the 16th which is the date BT should have used.

Unless the Op is not telling us something, BT has messed this up and should not have been applying a cease order to a telephone line that was due to switch to another provider.

iniltous

jem16 wrote: »

In each of the 3 switches I have done so far, the date of leaving and the date of starting with the new provider have been exactly the same. This is always the case when transferring your phone number as the OP is doing.

With my most recent switch I started Sky on the 10th November. My final bill from PlusNet used the 10th November as the migration date and I was not charged by PlusNet for that day. Sky started billing me from the 10th November.

As to providing a day or two after the contract ended, the Op provided a day. His BT contract was to finish on the 15th and TalkTalk had arranged the transfer for the 16th which is the date BT should have used.

So Plusnet charged you until the 9th, regardless of the date on the paperwork, so you didn't pay twice for the same day, individual CP's presumably compose their letters how they seem fit, but your experience seems to confirm your old provider charged you until the day before the changeover, and the new provider from the day of the changeover,

jem16

iniltous wrote: »

So Plusnet charged you until the 9th, regardless of the date on the paperwork, so you didn't pay twice for the same day, individual CP's presumably compose their letters how they seem fit, but your experience seems to confirm your old provider charged you until the day before the changeover, and the new provider from the day of the changeover,

As my switch happened at 10am PlusNet presumably didn't feel the need to charge me for a day. However unless we can start being charged for part days, I wouldn't bother with an overlapping day's charge.

PlusNet provided the first notification of the date which was exactly 2 weeks from my order. Sky later confirmed the same date which was expected as the phone number was transferring.

No cease order was applied by PlusNet and downtime was around 15 minutes whilst the phone line transferred from BT equipment to Sky's equipment at the exchange.

This is what should have happened with the OP and why BT applied a cease order on the day before the switch remains to be seen.

[Deleted User]

jem16 wrote: »

Unless the Op is not telling us something

I suspect this may well be the case...

bxboards

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

I suspect this may well be the case...

Why do you suspect that?

All dates and e-mails from / to Talktalk and BT are published on this thread directly from the e-mails in my inbox.

I've had contact from TalkTalk executive escalations today regarding this.

I've really got better things to do that make up tall tales, and I resent the implication frankly.

jem16

bxboards wrote: »

All dates and e-mails from / to Talktalk and BT are published on this thread directly from the e-mails in my inbox.

Can you clarify how it went from BT saying that a provider was intending to switch you away from BT on the 15th to BT applying a cease order on the 15th?

Was there anything in your subsequent discussions with them about early termination charges that could have led to BT applying a cease order?

I've had contact from TalkTalk executive escalations today regarding this.

What are they saying?

bxboards

jem16 wrote: »

Can you clarify how it went from BT saying that a provider was intending to switch you away from BT on the 15th to BT applying a cease order on the 15th?

Was there anything in your subsequent discussions with them about early termination charges that could have led to BT applying a cease order?



What are they saying?

This is what I am asking Talktalk to clarify, as I was given 3 different reasons why my switch utlimately failed. Refer to post 25 and 30 - one of the 3 rasons was a 'cease order'. I want them - as this is provider led - to find out why this failed, and what was the reason, and why I've been given different reasons.


This is what TalkTalk are saying, again directly from my e-mail which came today (I also have a missed call on my mobile)

'
Dear xxxx,

I am sorry you have felt it necessary to contact our Chief Executive, Dido Harding, to resolve your complaint.

I am a manager in the Chief Executive's Office and have been asked by Dido to own and resolve your complaint. In doing this, I will carry out a full investigation into what has happened and discuss a solution with you. I will be in touch with you shortly to help me understand things from your point of view.
'

[Deleted User]

bxboards wrote: »

Why do you suspect that?

Largely because your problem seems to be mostly of your own making, I'm afraid. I wasn't insinuating that it was a "tall tale", just that you may well have (unknowingly) left out some information pertinent to your predicament.

Complaining to OFCOM certainly won't help you..

bxboards

Right, thought I'd update this - it's taken BT a while to work out what has gone wrong and why I was being levied leaving charges when my contract was due to expire.

It turns out that when I asked Livechat in June to active caller privacy (caller ID) this signed for up to a new 12 month contract. So my leaving date was now June 2016, not middle of December 2015.

Now the during the Livechat, I said I didn't want privacy activated if this meant a new contract and the chat handler said this could be done. Turns out it wasn't!

So these 'leaving charges' are due to me being erroneously signed up to a new contract. The BT complaints handler has read my chat transcript and said and I quote: 'xxxxx placed a new order but didn't tell you there would be a contract. I'm truly sorry about this'

So that's it in a nutshell - because a new contract was set up without my knowledge, this effectively moved my BT contract expiry date from mid December 2015 to mid July 2016 - hence the charges as this moved my end date by 6 months without my knowledge.