Where do I stand - what should I do?

confusedmick

Through no other reason than price I decided this year to switch from Sky to BT for my TV, broadband and phone. I'd had no problem whatsoever with Sky. I placed the order over the phone on the 14th November and they gave me an installation date of 1st December. The landline was taken over sometime before the 1st and my current TV expires with Sky on the 15th December.

I came home on the 1st and discovered I didn't have the Sports or the AMC pack and couldn't access the interactive functions. I also noticed that I didn't have a dial tone on the landline. So I did a quick test and dialled my mobile - it worked. So I dialled the landline and that worked. Just thought it was something and nothing and thought I'll mention that when I call them about the missing parts of the TV package.

Big regret. I spoke to BT and mentioned the TV package first and the lady I spoke to said OK we'll have a look at that. A quick look on the TV guide showed no channels between 220-odd and 600. As she was clicking buttons and doing stuff her end I happened to mention the missing dial tone. Oh she said that's odd but we can quickly check that also. She said that her test was showing that the line was working fine. I hung up and she called me on the mobile to try a few more things. She asked me to unplug and replug the phone (BT Sonus with an upstairs set also). Can I do the same upstairs? Then could I switch everything off and back on. Could I look at the white box on the wall? Does it say BT on it? Do I have microfilters? I did. Can I unplug and replug them? Then she said it might be my phone. Could I go and knock on neighbours' doors and ask to borrow a phone? Er no! Or I could get one from Argos for a fiver! This had taken a while and I was now not too happy. I asked if they could get an engineer round within 24 hours to sort this out. She said it would take up to 3 working days to sort an engineer but before she booked an engineer she needed to read out some legal bumf that I'd need to agree to, the bottom line of which was I would be liable to a £129 call out charge if the engineer didn’t find a fault of BT’s. I refused and pointed out that they’d had an engineer out that day and shouldn’t he have sorted this. As far as she was concerned he would have done the same line test as her to which I pointed out he needed only have picked the phone up. It was working when I left for work - it’s not working now since your engineers’s been. In the end I lost patience and said I’d call BT again in the morning, cancel and go back to Sky. I said I wasn’t happy with the missing services, the landline issue and that I was amazed that the solution seemed to involve me going knocking on neighbours’ doors or going to Argos and forking out a fiver.

She then hit me with the cancellation fee threat. Surely there’s a cooling off period? There is she said it’s 14 days. So I said well that’s no problem, I’m less than 24 hours into my subscription to which she said it’s 14 days from the date of the order and we were now at 16 days. I said surely it’s 14 days from when I receive my goods/services. Er… no.

So I called BT in the morning and said I wanted to cancel. This time the tone was had I been told that the services can take up to 24 hours to work? No. Did I know that Sky do some network things that can block the line until midnight? No. Whilst initially sounding sympathetic towards my amazement at the suggestion to knock on neighbours’ doors for a phone it was then suggested again that I try that even saying it would be a good opportunity to get to know them (I happened to mention we’re on a new build you see). Doing this or buying one for a fiver is far cheaper than the consequences - the lady I spoke to strongly advised I tried this as she’d worked in faults for years apparently. She even said that transferring can damage a phone. I said again I wasn’t prepared to do this and that I’d made my mind up and wanted to leave. This time she upped the ante and STRONGLY advised against leaving saying I hadn’t given BT time and that the cancellation fees would be very expensive.

I called Sky and got them to request taking over the phone, start the broadband and as my TV package is still valid until the 15th December that could carry on. Basically the same package I was on with them before BT got involved. That night when I got home I packed the BT box away and put the Sky one back on. I’m still using the BT hub and landline until Sky take over the phone. Was planning on boxing that up as soon as and sending them back to BT.

Today I got a bill from BT - £644.88 - wow, not bad for less than 24 hours with them, most of which had been spent on the phone, unplugging and replugging and looking at a TV guide with a big hole between channel 220 something and 600 and being asked to go knocking on neighbours’ doors.

What should I do? Paying and sodding off isn’t an option. Going back to them would be done begrudgingly and the phone problem hasn’t gone away. And now I’m worried that if I call Sky back and explain that whilst not wanting to I’d need to cancel with them again and they might charge me too?

JJ_Egan

Sorry cannot follow your post its like wading through treacle .

spadoosh

Ultimately you have a contract with BT and will need to comply with that contract. Whilst they also do, there is allowances for break downs in service etc.

As long as they rectify the issues youre having (which i imagine they will be willing to do) they wonte be in breach of contract.

You probably should ring sky and cancel whilst in the cooling off period.

Financially your best option would be to stay with BT and get them to rectify the problems.

I believe they have been messing about quite a bit with phone lines recently causing quite a few problems. My mum had a similar issue as the phone one you mention and didnt have to pay anything to get it resolved. She borrowed her neighbours phone and then got an engineer out who rectified the problem.

When threatening to cancel you do so right up untill they say that will be £xxx please. At which point you ask to be put through to complaints and get the problem solved that way.

Just be reasonable (demanding in the next 24 hours isnt that reasonable) no one can ever put up a coherent argument when youre reasonable. And you should be protected under contract when things arent reasonable.

spadoosh

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Sorry cannot follow your post its like wading through treacle .

Went to bt from sky.

Some channels missing on tv package and phone line not working properly. Warned of potential charge for unneccessary call out, advised to try a different phone (neighbours or a budget one). Options not wanted by the OP.

Cancelled BT went back to sky, got a big bill off BT, would rather not pay the bill but sounds like they would begrudgingly if they do have to pay the bill.

lee111s

You have two options

Go back to Sky and pay the cancellation fee's as you haven't given BT reasonable time to rectify the issue.

Or, cancel the move back to Sky and allow BT to try to fix the issues. You will need to accept that if the problem is in your house or with your setup, then an engineer charge will be raised. If you've removed the faceplate from the front of the master socket and tested into the test socket then you have no risk of being charged, unless it's your telephones that are faulty.

macman

You cannot seriously expect an engineer appt in 24 hours! The OR norm is around 3 to 5 working days. If you want priority response, then you need a business tariff, not a consumer one.
The £129 call out charge mantra is always read out to customers who request an engineer.

groundskeeperwilly

I am no expert but i would assume that if you give BT a 'reasonable' time to solve the issue and then cannot then you'd fully be entitled to leave without penalty. However you do probably need to give them that chance since you did enter a new contract with them.

However I do have complete sympathy with you - so frustrating when you make a seemingly simple with and then suffer!

[Deleted User]

Sorry OP but you had a bit of a knee jerk moment going back to Sky without checking:

You have a general right to change your mind and cancel the service within the first 14 days from the day after the day we accept your order.

Considering they don't fit it until the cooling off period is over is slightly shady but the information was there for you to read. You also didn't give them enough opportunity to solve the issues.

Cancel the Sky if within your cooling of period.

boatman

Go back to BT, they are awful, but that is your cheapest option, cancel sky. Try another phone in the master socket.
Do you get good internet?

BT are correct, the 14 days runs from the day after you order not from the day it goes live.