BT charging an extra 14.4% per month INCLUDING on what's already been paid (line rental saver)

southsidergs

Bottom line is you've paid 219.84 to get 19.99 pm off your bill, they're still giving you that but because it's been paid "up front" you think they should be giving you a higher than 19.99 credit despite you paying nothing else up front, why that's not seen as "I want BT to give me something for nothing" I don't know

What_time_is_it

southsidergs said:

Bottom line is you've paid 219.84 to get 19.99 pm off your bill, they're still giving you that but because it's been paid "up front" you think they should be giving you a higher than 19.99 credit despite you paying nothing else up front, why that's not seen as "I want BT to give me something for nothing" I don't know

I don't want something for nothing.
I want BT to not retrospectively charge me extra for something that was, in their own terminology, paid for in advance.

I paid £219.84, in advance, for 12 months "line rental". I expect that price to be honoured.

bristolleedsfan

What_time_is_it said:

southsidergs said:

Bottom line is you've paid 219.84 to get 19.99 pm off your bill, they're still giving you that but because it's been paid "up front" you think they should be giving you a higher than 19.99 credit despite you paying nothing else up front, why that's not seen as "I want BT to give me something for nothing" I don't know

I don't want something for nothing.
I want BT to not retrospectively charge me extra for something that was, in their own terminology, paid for in advance.

I paid £219.84, in advance, for 12 months "line rental". I expect that price to be honoured.

BT are not charging extra for what you ( and I) have paid in advance they are charging extra on the broadband/line rental package.

Taken from MSE Chris post earlier in thread   "Line rental is subject to CPI"

southsidergs

I'm out, it's clearly not sinking in what you're saying is ridiculous

What_time_is_it

I don't think I am being ridiculous at all, @southsidergs.
I think that the terminology BT have used is, at best, very misleading. And I do not expect to be charged extra for something that I have paid for in advance. In fact, part of the reason I paid up front was to avoid the forthcoming price increases.
Clearly we have different views on this and that is, of course, absolutely fine.

bristolleedsfan

https://community.bt.com/t5/Bills-Packages/Landline-price-rise-and-line-rental-saver/m-p/2281140#:~:text=Re: Landline price rise and line rental saver,to £5.61 0n a BB charge of £15.

molerat

It is really a case of what you thought you are getting and what the contract actually said you were getting.  You spent £219.84 to get £239.88, £19.99 pm, off your bill, you did not pay for line rental for a year.  I don't think it was advertised as 12 for the price of 11. Unlike the old Plusnet scheme that was paying for line rental up front.  It looks like the link above shows that they closed the possible (legal) misinterpretation of the scheme.

What_time_is_it

The very first line of the email I got from BT in January to confirm the payment for the line rental saver is:

"As you've paid for your line in advance, that means you're saving money now..."

So, have I "paid for my line in advance" or not?
If not, surely I have been misled?

Stuart_W

Just to chip in here, I am with The Phone Co-op (or Your Co-op at they are now called) and have their version of Line Rental Saver - an annual payment for Line Rental, which is £180 per year, and I pay an additional £9 for my broadband and calls on top of this (I only have a basic package and weekend calls). Their March price rise was applicable on just the broadband bit (£9 increasing to £9.95 following their 10.5% increase) and they have confirmed that my line rental charges are not impacted by the annual price rise and will even remain at £180 on renewal (although it is not available to new customers AFAIK).

Surely this is a much fairer way to do it - paying upfront for 12 months line rental is exactly that. I've already bought it at the price agreed at the time. Surely any increases should apply when the 12 months come to renew. Increases to other annual charges to things like car tax or TV licences only apply at time of renewal and not mid year. 
 
It looks like what I actually bought from the Co-op is what you thought you'd bought from BT.  BT must accept this is misleading at best.

I have paid for my line rental like this since 2012 (used to be £120 a year), and it is much like PlusNet's old scheme that WAS paying for line rental upfront for 12 months, except the Co-op's deal is very much still alive and active for existing line rental advance customers.

Vegastare

When I received notice of increase the email had a link - suggestion was maybe a better deal.

Basically my contract for landline and Fibre 1 is till Sept 23 then increase of £6, plus the CPI etc that will be as of next month.
It then gave the option to agree new contact at same price as today for 24mths.
I phoned BT to ask if this was correct and whether the 24mth would see April CPI increase, and did I have to purchase Digital Voice.(this was mentioned in package)  She came back several minutes later and said I would have a new 24mth contract at the price quoted and it would not have the 14% increase in March.  I went through everything again in detail and agreed and received confirmation.

My reason for piggy backing this thread is because quite honestly I am concerned that this will not be the case.
I noted her name and location and have both the start conversation time and end (via pin email and confirmation email) I will wait and see what April's bill brings. 

As Martin Lewis said month back they did not have to make it over 14% but why wouldn't they money grabbing while they can.

Plus if I paid 12 months line rental saver from me in January I would be have expected no increase also.