BT £158.97 Charges!!!! Please Help!!

Bluebelle72

Please can someone advise me on what to do here. I moved into this property at the end of March and needed to set up a phone line to enable me to get broadband. I wanted the broadband and line rental package from tiscali, but as I hadn't got a number yet I set it up line rental with BT, I was told there would be no installation cost as the line was there already it just needed to be switched on, so when it went live I contacted tiscali and got them to set it all up for me, which they did. Now i've just had a final bill from BT stating they want £158.97 charges for stopping calling plan before term ended!!!! They want it by the 13th!! I can't afford that! Can they do this? Is there any way round it! I never signed anything, Please help someone. :eek:
Thanks guys Helen XX

mountainlioness

when we moved house last year I discovered that BT had upped their minimum contract length from (I think) 6 to 12 months (or was it 18?) so if you come out early you have a lot more to pay them back than before (basically I think you pay for all the line rental you would have paid had you stayed the min contract term). The length of the contract and the implications for breaking it should have been made clear to you when you signed up though - if not, you may have a chance of a reduction or something though it may just be a case of having to appeal to their "better nature" (?!!)

sorry to be (potentially) the bearer of bad news... having said all that if you don't ask you don't get so worth a call or a letter. Am sure the real experts will be along soon!

Bluebelle72

mountainlioness wrote: »

when we moved house last year I discovered that BT had upped their minimum contract length from (I think) 6 to 12 months (or was it 18?) so if you come out early you have a lot more to pay them back than before (basically I think you pay for all the line rental you would have paid had you stayed the min contract term). The length of the contract and the implications for breaking it should have been made clear to you when you signed up though - if not, you may have a chance of a reduction or something though it may just be a case of having to appeal to their "better nature" (?!!)

sorry to be (potentially) the bearer of bad news... having said all that if you don't ask you don't get so worth a call or a letter. Am sure the real experts will be along soon!

Thank you sweetheart for your reply, I'm in such a pickle, in debt up to my eyeballs already without this on my plate too. X

mountainlioness

Aw hun try not to get too pickled up... have you posted an SOA on here and asked for advice? (sorry if you already have!) There are some amazing ppl on this board who always seem to have ideas on how to tackle even the worst-seeming problems

Bluebelle72

yeah i did it on the bankruptcy board hun thanks it's just come as such a shock another 158 in debt

mountainlioness

Maybe worth doing one on here - there's a lot more ppl about and they're always happy to help...

slipthru

Can't you cancel tiscali? Before it all gets up and running. Surely there is a cooling of period.

Bluebelle72

slipthru wrote: »

Can't you cancel tiscali? Before it all gets up and running. Surely there is a cooling of period.

no i'm afraid not hun, I am already up and running with tiscali and have been for a month already thanks anyway. X

ships-cat

Minimum contract is now 12 months, if you cancel you pay the balance of the remaining months. You can try calling them claiming you weren't aware - although your call will be retrievable on their call recording system if you made the contract on the phone to them.

Suspect you're stuck with that one as a fair bit of time has elapsed.

Can you not do Broadband only from Tiscali for now and keep the BT line to run it down? Wait until the BT contract finishes and then up-sticks to a combined package?

Bluebelle72

ships-cat wrote: »

Minimum contract is now 12 months, if you cancel you pay the balance of the remaining months. You can try calling them claiming you weren't aware - although your call will be retrievable on their call recording system if you made the contract on the phone to them.

Suspect you're stuck with that one as a fair bit of time has elapsed.

Can you not do Broadband only from Tiscali for now and keep the BT line to run it down? Wait until the BT contract finishes and then up-sticks to a combined package?

thank you hun i suppose that's an idea, but won't tiscali then charge me for leaving their call package early. swings and roundabouts eh? LOL I'm gonna call them later just want to see what other advice there is from others out there, thank you very much for taking the time to reply. XXX :beer:

Bluebelle72

bumpety bump