BT - deleted all my emails are they entitled to do this?

TrishTrash

BT deleted my emails because I hadn't used my email account for a while. I didn't know they were going to do this. I did not know they COULD do this, if I was continuing to pay for this service. They did not check that I was aware of their intention by text or mobile or warn me in my paper bill. I had paid loyally for their service. Please see copy of (edited for confidentiality & length) live chat with BT, Tweets from BT, and a text I received after I switched to another provider saying I have to PAY BT to leave. - TrishTrash.

This is self-explanatory:

25th April 2017 online chat with BT

BT : Please allow me few moments to check your account.
Me: OK thank you
BT : You're welcome.
BT : Which e-mail is it ?
Me: *.********@btinternet.com
BT : Okay, let me check this for you.
Me: OK
BT : I do suggest you to please log out from your account and then log in again and go to "My Profile" and then My account and then "I should be the account holder".
Me: Having trouble finding "My Account"
BT : Under My BT>My profile.
Me: Have gone in again to My BT, but cannot see My Account anywhere. I saw that my account is suspended (WHY? i pay my bills!)
Me: When I tried to log in to my emails, I couldn’t get in again.
BT : Okay, let me check what best can be done in this.
Me: OK thanks. I don’t understand why, if someone is an existing customer, pays their bills, has their email account suspended, because they are infrequent user - that's irrelevant if I am paying for the service isn’t it?
BT : Please do not worry at all ** *****. I am here to help you and I will fix it for you.
BT : Do you have your Mobile Number with you at present ?
BT : We sent your pin to 0**********. Please let me know the PIN here once you receive it.
Me: ****
BT : Yes, please wait for a moment. Please do not do anything.
BT : I can see that your e-mail address have been permanently deleted on 21/04/2017. It has been suspended since 21/11/2016. You should contact us earlier than today .
BT : Now, it cannot be re-activated. And, you will need to create a new one.
Me: But nobody warned me this was to happen. I pay my bills. I have lost my emails! This is outrageous.
Me: How was i supposed to know this was going to happen? Why was there no warning in my paper bills I get sent?
BT : I understand your concern. However, it seems that you did not log into your e-mails after 21/11/2016, that is why you were unable to get to know earlier.
BT : That is why we do suggest to log in to e-mails once within a month.
BT : I do suggest you to please create a new e-mail and then we will update that on our records.
BT : Will that be Okay with you ?
Me: How do I complain about this? (Nothing personal to you). This practice by BT is outrageous.
Me: it's NOT OK that I should have to set up a new email address etc. I am paying for an email service! Why was i not refunded for this service when it was suspended?
BT : Okay, what best I will do I will transfer your chat to one of my Supervisors and they will check what best can be done in this.
Me: OK thank you
BT second person: Hello. I'm BT second person. Thanks for that information, I'll check it and get back to you in a moment.
Me: OK thank you
BT second person: Hi ... , I am one of the floor supervisor, let me go through the conversation
Me: OK thank you. I am upset about this.
BT second person: ... I see that you haven't used the email from long and the email has been suspended.
BT second person: I understand you that you are upset for this
Me: Yes, I hadn't used it for a while - BUT I have been paying my bills, plus I received NO warning that my account would be deleted. That is very high-handed.
BT second person: However this is globally with all the email services and any other domain too, if you don't login to the mail for 90 days it gets disabled and in 120 days gets completely suspended.
BT second person: The email address is nothing to do with the paying bills, as this is on the server and even if you make any other email on ID like google or yahoo or any other domain this is the global policy with all the email services.
Me: I was not told this. If someone's emails are deleted, and their account suspended, do they get a refund? Not that £ is my concern. My concern is that I have lost my emails.
BT second person: There is no option for recovery of the emails, as those gets deleted from the server automatically.
Me: People pay their bills for a service.
Me: How do I complain please? Or can you send a copy of this conversation to your complaints department? Upset is not a sufficient description of how I feel about this.
BT second person: Emails are free always and they are not paid till you are with BT. In case you leave BT services and you want to keep the email address, then its a paid service.
Me: I am really angry at BT now, and will warn all my friends about this.
BT second person: I can open the complaint for you, and even the complaints department will tell you the same thing, as this is a global policy, I would have loved to help in this case, however this is really not possible
BT second person: Even if you check with other providers or any other email service, the policy remains the same, exactly the same
Me: In that case there should be clear warnings on the BT web site
BT second person: As I told you it’s with any provider or email service and you won't find it mentioned anywhere.
Me: OK. There's no point continuing with this conversation. Nothing personal to you, but this policy is extremely unfair and high handed. There was a crucial email I needed to look at. Now gone.
BT second person: ... , I understand your concern, would have been any possibility, i would have loved to help you
BT second person: ... , I understand your concern, would have been any possibility, i would have loved to help you
Me: Well thank you anyway. Bye.
BT second person: Thanks for contacting BT. Have a lovely day ahead.

TWEETS from BT

May 2
( Me to ) @bt_uk @BTCare WHY did you DELETE FOREVER my email account / all emails WITHOUT WARNING ME? I pay my bills!

May 2
Replying to @BTCare
If someone PAYING for a SERVICE, regardless how often they check their emails - their emails should not be DELETED + NO WARNING #BT @WhichUK

BTCare‏Verified account @BTCare May 2
Sorry to hear that. Do you have broadband with BT or was the email separate? ^D**

May 2
I (had) the whole lot. I pay my bills. I am now leaving BT after years of loyalty. Now I have NO EMAILS. Some VERY important. Am FUMING.

BTCare‏Verified account @BTCare
To keep the email you need to set up premium mail which costs £5 per month. ^D**

BTCare‏Verified account @BTCare May 2
Your email account only stays active for a short time after broadband is stopped. ^D**

Replying to @BTCare
I had NOT stopped my broadband package. I have been a continuing customer!

TEXT from BT 16.05.2017

Hello, BT here. We're sorry to hear you want to leave us. Just so you know, there's GBP26.7 to pay on your account for leaving BT. If you'd like to talk to us about this, you can call us on 0800 678 1974. If we don't hear from you by 2pm on 26-May-2017, your move will go ahead as planned. Thanks.