New BT User at Same Address?

macman

A friend asked me to look at her landline and ADSL options, as she has been with BT forever and says she has never been able to get them to offer much discount once out of contract. Paying about £55 per month for ADSL and Anytime calls. What she would like is the same deal that a new customer would get: around £20 less.
I got her to send me a copy of the bill and then noticed that her late father is still named as the account holder (he died about 8 years ago). She pays the DD and has online account access, but has never changed the name on the account. Could she then apply to take over the line as a new account holder, and retain the same number and avoid any downtime?
She doesn't want to leave BT due to having a BT email address.

JJ_Egan

(Could she then apply to take over the line as a new account holder, and retain the same number and avoid any downtime?)

Yes via the bereavement team on BT .
but the 8 years may be a sticking point ( long probate ??).
But i doubt if she would be offered a new customer discount .Could say wants to cancel the account and see what they offer .

macman

She called them and they said it could be done via a Working Line Transfer. The number can be retained. However the best price he could give her was the standard new customer rack rate, which comes to £43.50pm. The MSE linked online deal is £6pm cheaper, plus the cashbacks of £150. He said they cannot offer the online deal by phone.
The problem is that we can't see any way of provisioning a WLT online.

MataNui

Be very wary of accepting renewal deals of any sort with BT. New customers get 12 months min term. Usually renewals are 24 months. If they do offer you any sort of discount you may find its only for 12 months leaving you locked into a much higher price for the second year of your now 2 year minimum term.

Oh, and unless you specifically ask they wont tell you. Sneaky lot BT.