NEW MANTRA: BT don't press 3

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  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    And BT reckon how many people come back to them every day/week/month???
    It's just marketing spiel from BT, it's intentionally misleading.

    People see these ads and assume BT must be doing something right if thousands are coming back every month, but what BT don't tell you is that even more are actually leaving every month. Companies such as Carphone Warehouse, OneTel, and Tele2 are all eating into BT's call revenues, and cable companies like NTL are taking customers away from BT altogether.

    BT are at least  managing to hang onto line rental customers, but by devious means. They can't stop customers leaving for a cable line and they can't stop customers using cheaper companies for their calls but they can force those without access to cable to pay for an expensive BT line and any sneaky hidden costs by making it virtually impossible for CPS providers like One.Tel to offer a single bill, they do this by forcing them to pay over the odds in wholesale cost.

    BT rivals urge watchdog to act on billing issue

    http://www.connected.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2004/07/12/cnbt12.xml

    By Dominic White (Filed: 12/07/2004)

    (Moderator comment:- I have had to remove part of your post because of copyright restrictions. You may quote the odd sentence or two with a citation or rewrite it in your own words. )
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    I have other issues to do with BT and their charging policy.

    I have 2 lines, one used extensively, the 2nd used for incoming calls and to divert calls when the main line is busy. The 2nd line is never used for outgoing calls and used to be £9.99 per month. From July, the line rental is £11.50 per month, with BT saying they have done this to simplify and reduce MY COStS!

    I have spoken to them about
    a) making the 2nd line an incoming call line only (the charge for this is £5 per month) but they tell me that this is not possible for customers with more than a single line!

    b) converting the tariff to the Light User Scheme, where there is an extensive rebate on line rental for low usage. Again, the response is that this option is not possible for a 2nd line, saying that the light user scheme is only for people with low telephone usage, not low line usage!

    I am re-avaluating my line needs and may dispense with the 2nd line altogether. This will probably be of minor incovenience to me, but BT will lose out on the revenue from the solutions requested in a) and b) above.

    However, BT obviously knows best!

    Paul
  • mrtickle
    mrtickle Posts: 187 Forumite
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    I don't know why there is any surprise with (b). The LUS is intended for elderly/disabled/vunerable/etc people who could otherwise not afford a telephone - that's all. BT are in a unique position, they have to provide universal service under the terms of their licence; whereas the cablecos can cherry-pick the best areas to offer service. The LUS is NOT intended for people on normal incomes to save money, and any such use of it for that purpose is a breach of the T&C. This is a FAQ :-/
  • gt94sss2
    gt94sss2 Posts: 5,631 Forumite
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    I have 2 lines, one used extensively, the 2nd used for incoming calls and to divert calls when the main line is busy. The 2nd line is never used for outgoing calls and used to be £9.99 per month. From July, the line rental is £11.50 per month, with BT saying they have done this to simplify and reduce MY COStS!

    This won't help much but if you pay your bill by direct debit or monthly payment plan you will save £1/month in Line Rental

    If your 2 lines are on the same BT Account/Bill - ask for the 2nd line to be put on a seperate account and pay each by direct debit.

    This is because BT give the £1/month discount once per bill not once per line on the bill - if that makes sense.

    Regards
    Sunil
  • ianduncan
    ianduncan Posts: 9 Forumite
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    Yet again BT show their true colours, hiking prices (ringback from 10p to 15p is a 50% hike, not just a 5p rise). This is exactly the reason that i moved away from BT as soon as i could to a cable co. It still smarts that we got what we were given, BT pocketed £93 a second, and we had no choice, back in the late 80's.
    Good to see people sussing them out with the ''more and more are re-joining us everyday'' nonsense. If all these people were re-joining, why did they drop the £10 reconnection fee?! HA!
  • adrienneadrienne
    adrienneadrienne Posts: 36 Forumite
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    I'm stillnot clear - can they charge people who use another provider? I'm on Equitalk UK Home tme (very pleased with them). All calls go via Equitalk and free landline calls evenings and weekends. I wouldhave to press a code if I wanted to override and call via BT. But can they still get the charge if I press 3?
  • gt94sss2
    gt94sss2 Posts: 5,631 Forumite
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    I'm stillnot clear - can they charge people who use another provider?  I'm on Equitalk UK Home tme (very pleased with them).  All calls go via Equitalk and free landline calls evenings and weekends.  I wouldhave to press a code if I wanted to override and call via BT.  But can they still get the charge if I press 3?  

    Yes, - this is as 1471 "3" is a BT service - it has nothing at all to do with Equitalk - and calls using this would go via BT, without you needing to dial the BT 1280 override code.

    Its the same if you wanted things like Caller Display or Call Waiting - all these services are provided by BT and BT would bill you for them + the line rental

    Regards
    Sunil
  • thespacecowboy
    thespacecowboy Posts: 161 Forumite
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    Something made me laugh

    A BT advert saying if they make an appointment to come to your house to complete work, they will try their best to make the appointment.

    I SHOULD THINK SO!!! HELLOOOOOO - shouldn't they do this anyway!!!!

    wwwoooo big marketing message!
  • goolieman
    goolieman Posts: 101 Forumite
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    I use 1471 3 all the ttime, it is gonna be a right !!!!!! remembering not too >:(

    As for those adverts Spacecowboy, they make me soooo mad I have to yell at the tele!

    Letting people think they are doing them a favour by doing the bear minimum customer service, it makes my blood boil! GRRRRRRR

    *calm*
    C
    :)
    No reliance should be placed on the above.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    You can ask BT to remove the Ringback facility on your telephone line by calling 150. This will prevent you from accidentally pressing the 5 when the number is engaged.

    Please note that once you have pressed 5, you will still be charged the Ringback fee even though BT is unable to connect you within the next 45 minutes.
    I have just called BT and asked them to remove the ringback facility from my telephone line and they advised they couldn't!
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