Bt callout charges (merged threads)

flutterbyuk25

Hi all

this is a bit long winded so please bear with me.

we live just off the main road down a short (30ft) lane. We have always had a BT phone line here. Every time we have high winds there is a problem with the line and it goes crackly or cuts off.

Couple of weeks ago there was an intermittent phoneline and broadband service (we changed to BT Broadband in Nov). So mum reported the fault and an engineer came out. Whilst my mum rung BT to report this the phoneline cut out 4 times so there were aware of the fault but when they did a line test all was ok, hence they sent an engineer. Engineer could not find a specific problem. The problem seemed to fix itself then we had high winds so it started again. So once again reported fault, phone cut out twice during that call! Also reported fault with BT broadband router overheating and was sent a replacement.

2nd engineer came same day as new router. He checked the line and said there was interference due to the router overheating which may also have been causing power surges which would make the phone cut out. He very kindly waited whilst I changed router etc over to the new one and quelle surprise all was okay, and has been ever since.

Yesterday mum gets BT bill and has been charged £99 for each call out!!! :mad:

How can they charge this amount without warning? Also the need for the call out was due to their faulty broadband equipment!

Any advice on how to tackle this one? We have not yet spoken to BT as my mum wanted to wait til after Christmas

Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to you all xx

normanmark

To be honest just get in touch with them. They're the ones who can alter the call out charges, not anyone on this forum

My advice is to speak to an adviser, just be calm & state why the call out charges have been applied because as far as what the engineer has said, its down to faulty BT equipment. If the member of staff you're talking to can't help you then ask to speak to a team leader.

Drunkstar

normanmark wrote: »

My advice is to speak to an adviser, just be calm & state why the call out charges have been applied because as far as what the engineer has said, its down to faulty BT equipment. If the member of staff you're talking to can't help you then ask to speak to a team leader.

And thats the important bit! When peopel go ranting and raving it really makes it less likely they get help. :money:

gunslingerOK

In my latest BT home phone bill, I was shocked that the total was £154, especially as my call charges were just £4.
Upon closer inspection the large part of this figure was made up of £99 + VAT for a 'Call Out charge' on June 2nd.

I had reported a fault on my line, and an engineer was despatched who found my main socket connection to have come loose. He fixed it quite promptly.

Is that really right? £99 + VAT seems a bit steep to fix a socket that I assume they had installed originally.

Browntoa

I would query it if the fault was the main socket as BT are responsible for everything up to and including the main socket

if it was proved to your own extension wiring then the charge stands

dashforth

Current BT master sockets have an internal socket that isolates BT's wiring from internal wiring. Before an engineer was despatched they should have got you to go through this basic throubleshooting to confirm that the socket was at fault and to re-assure you that there would be no charge for the callout.

BritBrat

They may be trying it on, but as Browntoa said if it was your side of the connection it will cost you that price.

In future always do the test that dashforth has mentioned and keep a close eye on what the engineer does and make notes and admit nothing to any questions he may ask.

Try and confirm with the engineer what the problem was.

suzyp1982

The line from the post to our house had become loose (must be due to the high winds, i noticed it when it was windy and it was flapping about.

So rang BT and informed thme that it was quite loose compared to the others so they informed me they would send the engineers round.

Well they did, i wasnt in, the engineer rang me to explain that he had been and that apparently it was disconnected?? - erm well the phone worked perfectly fine, he then asked if we had any building work done, so i said yes. He then basically implied that it was the roofers fault and that if we get charged to pass the bill on to the roofer??

TBH i had just woken up, complety wasnt with it and said ok.

No 2 weeks later we have a !!!!!!! £220 bill landed on our doorstep! i rang up to complain, and they are putting it through the complaints dept, do you think i have a leg to stand on? my issue is A) it was nothing to do with building work as that was 1 year ago, this has become loose in the past month they never informed us before they did any work that we might get charged!? C) surely it is their property?

BritBrat

Well they did, i wasnt in, the engineer rang me to explain that he had been and that apparently it was disconnected?? - erm well the phone worked perfectly fine, he then asked if we had any building work done, so i said yes. He then basically implied that it was the roofers fault and that if we get charged to pass the bill on to the roofer??

Sounds like you did to me, but lesson here is admit to nothing.

They try it on now so lets hope your complaint gets the bill removed.

Ragtimeplayer

Received our phone bill yesterday and was stunned to see a charge of almost £200 on there.

Our phone line went faulty in December, the fault being, we could ring out but no one could ring in.

Phoned BT about it and was told on the phone that we might get charged but not the amount.

I told him what the fault was and I assumed that because the fault was on the main socket, we wouldn't get charged.

Engineer came and did something to the socket, took less than 10 minutes, was told by him we wouldn't get charged and it was a BT fault and he left.

I immediately rang BT after receiving the bill to complain as no way am I paying that amount and they have agreed to investigate it. I suspect this just means they will look at the call log to make sure I was made aware of a possible charge (which I was) and that will be it.

Is there anything else I can do or anywhere else I can go as I really cannot afford to pay this bill.

irishjohn

If they insist it has to be paid ask to see the engineer's visit report and ask why a copy was not left with you identifying that the fault was not a BT one.