MSE News: Post Office and BT cut landline-only bills

Ian011

takman wrote: »

Ok then show me a quote from Ofcom where they described it as a "rip-off".

Ofcom's use of language is very measured. You will never find Ofcom using words that would be more at home on a tabloid newspaper headline. Ofcom are furious about what BT and others have been doing and this is why they have taken action.

[Deleted User]

Ian011 wrote: »

Ofcom are furious

I'm sorry but I find that very hard to believe: OFCOM are the Regulator, not a disgruntled customer.

takman

Ian011 wrote: »

Ofcom's use of language is very measured. You will never find Ofcom using words that would be more at home on a tabloid newspaper headline. Ofcom are furious about what BT and others have been doing and this is why they have taken action.

Exactly so saying that Ofcom think it's a "rip-off" or are "furious" is incorrect. They simply made a decision using the information available that the charges were too high and took the appropriate action. It is simply a logical decision made using the information available with no emotion involved.

pmduk

Members of Ofcom's staff are able to be furious. Ofcom itself is not a sentient being.

Uxb

john539 wrote: »

So people have been ripped-off for years !
Now Ofcom need to take action on Broadband prices.

The people who have been ripped off are those who only have a voice service on their landline.
they have in effect being subsidizing all those with a voice plus broadband service on the landline.
The people doing the ripping have been those with a broadband service - that will be the likes of you and me.

I actually thought it was done this way deliberately to artificially reduce broadband quoted prices and thereby encourage the take up of broadband as much of the cost was packaged/hidden into the landline rental cost -which you had to pay regardless.

To do it properly we should be three separate monthly payments
1. To BTOR as the maintainer/repairer of the physical line to the address
2. To your retail voice provider for a voice service if you buy one
3 To your retail data (ie broadand) provider if you buy the service.

john539

Uxb wrote: »

The people who have been ripped off are those who only have a voice service on their landline.
they have in effect being subsidizing all those with a voice plus broadband service on the landline.
The people doing the ripping have been those with a broadband service - that will be the likes of you and me.

I actually thought it was done this way deliberately to artificially reduce broadband quoted prices and thereby encourage the take up of broadband as much of the cost was packaged/hidden into the landline rental cost -which you had to pay regardless.

To do it properly we should be three separate monthly payments
1. To BTOR as the maintainer/repairer of the physical line to the address
2. To your retail voice provider for a voice service if you buy one
3 To your retail data (ie broadand) provider if you buy the service.

We the customers don't set pricing or receive money.

Tamarisk2000

My In-laws are both in their late 80's so I manage their bills including their landline which they need to keep in touch with family and friends.

Because I have an email registered on their account I received notification about the letter that BT sent to their home address so my wife asked them if they had received said letter which was found opened in it's envelope under a pile of other envelopes containing various marketing materials from utilities including BT. The "Coupon" that BT wanted returning confirming they do not have broadband was still attached.

My concern (you may be ahead of me here) is that any and many older people will be in the same
position not understanding the importance of getting the Coupon back to BT to save £7 per month on their line rental.

Turn over the letter and look at point number 5 headed "What happens if I get Broadband" and they state: "IF YOU GET BROADBAND WITH BT OR ANYONE ELSE YOU'LL NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE SAVING ON YOUR BILL AND WE WILL GET IN TOUCH TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR REDUCED PRICE WILL BE ENDING."

Well if they know when you get broadband why are they sending out these letters to vulnerable older account holders since they would and should know if they currently have a Broadband service since these services are all monitored at the BT exchanges!

If you have any elderly relatives please check with them to ensure they get what they deserve from BT and follow up when they receive their monthly bills.

Tamarisk2000

Callum, BT customer services have advised yesterday that all customers are being sent out letters.

Just to be clear BT are not automatically giving this saving to anyone as your article and Ofcom have suggested.

06/04/2018 Update - Paul McGlynn Executive Level Complaints; BT Consumer has just phoned me to advise that I was given incorrect advise from their customer services team on Tuesday 03/04/2018 as letters have not gone out to all their customers and the majority of their clients will receive the line rental saver discount automatically!

Paul stated that their customer service supervisors will be advised on this matter so that anyone else who contacts them will be given the correct information.

Lets trust that Ofcom will keep a watching brief on this issue so that no genuine line only client gets what they deserve.

SteveB

I have been offered the cheaper line rental price by the Post Office despite having my broadband with another provider. Could this be because the Post Office will not supply broadband from my exchange? As it is classed as a small exchange BT/Openreach are allowed to charge more to other broadband providers than they do for larger exchanges. It is about time Ofcom stopped differential pricing.

The annoying thing is that I was told that I had to have paper bills and I will be charged £13 per month. Does anyone know if this is correct?

I wanted to put this on the Have Your Say section after the article about this, but I was asked to sign in to Facebook. I have not got and will never get a Facebook account and it is about time Money Savings Expert did not use Facebook for this section.

iniltous

SteveB wrote: »

I have been offered the cheaper line rental price by the Post Office despite having my broadband with another provider. Could this be because the Post Office will not supply broadband from my exchange? As it is classed as a small exchange BT/Openreach are allowed to charge more to other broadband providers than they do for larger exchanges. It is about time Ofcom stopped differential pricing.

The annoying thing is that I was told that I had to have paper bills and I will be charged £13 per month. Does anyone know if this is correct?

I wanted to put this on the Have Your Say section after the article about this, but I was asked to sign in to Facebook. I have not got and will never get a Facebook account and it is about time Money Savings Expert did not use Facebook for this section.

The Post Office line rental reduction for phone only customers is voluntary, but seems odd to offer it to you if you have told them you have broadband , not just with the PO
You are wrong, OR charge everyone the same for a local loop, BT wholesale do not have differential pricing, if there is a variation it's down to the retailer you chose.... if the Post Office ( who use Talk Talk ) had a customer in an exchange that had TT 'equipment' they may charge that PO customer less than another PO customer in an exchange where TT didn't have a presence, but that's the PO choice , If you want cheaper PO/TT , then TT need to be in that exchange, that's not BTW giving them access , that's TT deciding it's doesn't make sense financially to put their kit in that exchange , ...what you seem want is for Ofcom to interfere in the market and make TT wholesale and BT a Wholesale the same price, but if they are made to be the same price , why have two ?,