BT price hike + moving provider?

vigman

I live in a different part of the UK for 5-6 months a year.

At that property I had a BT line with basic BB and evening and weekend calls for £24.99 pm.

I went online to the BT site only to do a line quality check after issues with voice comms.

I was horrified to see that they were now charging me £51 per month for the same service. It seems that my 12 month contract had expired but I had had no email or post from them about this.

I rang and the rep assured me that they would have been in touch and in the end I settled for an 18 month line rental from today's date, basic BB and weekend calls for £24.99 (he wouldn't add the evening ones back in). Some of the advance overpayment will be refunded.

A few things. My EE home BB contract at my main address kept at the super low price I got initially without a price hike at the end of the contract. Is this the norm or is there often a price hike at the end of BB contracts?

I have 14 days cooling off so looked at the MSE BB checker. There are some good offers but many finish in the next day or so and I'll have to act quickly

Do I tell BT first that I want to stop the new contract and then sign up with someone else, or the other way round.

Equally some BB offers are for new customers only. If I already have that company, say EE at my main address, but don't have it at my secondary address, I take it I am not a new customer (even though I am changing from BT at the secondary address?)

Finally do you still have to get authorisation codes to leave one BB company for another please, or is it done by the companies involved now?

TIA

Vigman

ValiantSon

vigman wrote: »

I live in a different part of the UK for 5-6 months a year.

At that property I had a BT line with basic BB and evening and weekend calls for £24.99 pm.

I went online to the BT site only to do a line quality check after issues with voice comms.

I was horrified to see that they were now charging me £51 per month for the same service. It seems that my 12 month contract had expired but I had had no email or post from them about this.

Why should you have? You were notified of the end date of the fixed period when you took out the contract. Why should BT then let you know again. You are responsible for keeping track of these things.

When you say that you are now paying £51 per month, how long has that been the case? If it is anything more than one month (and therefore the direct debit has't been claimed yet) then you should have noticed this money going out of your account. You do check your bank statements, don't you?

vigman wrote: »

I rang and the rep assured me that they would have been in touch and in the end I settled for an 18 month line rental from today's date, basic BB and weekend calls for £24.99 (he wouldn't add the evening ones back in). Some of the advance overpayment will be refunded.

Then you are extremely lucky, as you haven't overpaid! You have been charged the correct price for the service provided.

If they claim to have contacted you that is still irrelevant, as they are not obliged to do so. In effect they would be letting you know that the contract you took out was continuing to be honoured by them. Do you normally expect companies to contact you to tell you that they are still honouring their terms of a contract?

vigman wrote: »

A few things. My EE home BB contract at my main address kept at the super low price I got initially without a price hike at the end of the contract. Is this the norm or is there often a price hike at the end of BB contracts?

You weren't at the end of your contract. The contract is ongoing until one party terminates it. You had reached the end of your fixed discounted period (it is the same with BT). It seems that EE are being very generous (or perhaps incompetent). Normally at the end of the fixed discounted period (not the contract) you would expect a price rise.

What is your equestion?

vigman wrote: »

I have 14 days cooling off so looked at the MSE BB checker. There are some good offers but many finish in the next day or so and I'll have to act quickly

Best get on with it then.

vigman wrote: »

Do I tell BT first that I want to stop the new contract and then sign up with someone else, or the other way round.

In your case I would contact BT and tell them that you wish to cancel the new contract and revert to the standard rate, as per your previous contract, otherwise you face having to pay early termination fees if you apply to switch provider. You can then apply to switch.

vigman wrote: »

Equally some BB offers are for new customers only. If I already have that company, say EE at my main address, but don't have it at my secondary address, I take it I am not a new customer (even though I am changing from BT at the secondary address?)

You are a new customer at that address.

vigman wrote: »

Finally do you still have to get authorisation codes to leave one BB company for another please, or is it done by the companies involved now?

No, you don't. Apply to switch your service with a new provider and they will do the rest.

vigman

Thanks for the information

Vigman