BT try it on - again!

[Martin]

having had a long and bad relationship with BT over many years -crap line, 8 years of line faults, "daxing" the line (cuts a 44k connection to half that!), we finally decided to leg it in the direction of an "all-in-one" package from Tiscali, which we've been using for the last few months. Bt don't like you doing that!
you should therafter only pay them about thirty quid a quarter for the line rental, and the balance to your service provider.
When our first bill from BT arrived a few months ago, I queried all the calls on the bill (they were neither itemised nor dated), and asked for a printed full copy of the alleged calls - the man in Bangalore agreed, and I duly agreed to wait for their arrival - whilst waiting for them, they cut me off! When you're using another provider, if they've cut you off, there's no way you can even 'phone BT from it - I duly squawked, they apologised, and reinstated the line pdq. A few months pass, and the next bill is due - we did have the lightning strike in the interim but the engineer said "don't worry -it's up the pole, you won't get charged"
This morning, I received a call from Bangalore - please pay your bill! - how much said I - sixty five quid says the lady - I asked her what it was for - "thirty for line rental, twenty quid for reconnection, and 5 for late payment charge" - I pointed out that we had not been in error, and was stuffed if I was paying the extra 25! - after much clicking and awful muzak, I'm put through to an English voice - I repeated what I'd said, and she agreed to remove the charges - I then said, right, how much do you require? (expecting 30 plus vat) - she came back with a figure of over 200! - hang on says I, what on earth is all that? - they'd added 170 quid for the engineers call!!!!!! - I explained that it was a lightning strike, and I had been told that I would not be charged...........she didn't bat an eyelid! - just happily deleted that too! - so its 30 plus vat, as it should be!
So watch them like the plague! - they are obviously "trying it on" bigtime, probably to try to scare us back to the fold - no way!

[baldowrie]

Martin, wait no more.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

Make a formal complaint and watch it be sorted in 10 days , they will quote more.

[goldy1]

We'v not been BT costomers for at least ten years but still get special offers saying " as a valued BT costomer"

[red]

makes you wonder about less able people just being scared and paying.......

[jondy]

Hi Martin, I don't like BT either. It was only when they allowed competiton that BT lowered prices, its hard to escape them. My Dad has a BT answer service, he does'nt know how he got it. If I phone and he does not answer quick enough the automatic answer cuts in. I hang up. He dials 1571 or whatever, and uses the automatic ring back service. From this little wheeze BT get 2 calls instead of one and a connection fee. (?) Not to sure of the exact facts here, thought about looking into it as many people have this system running. If this goes on as I suspect accross the country, they have a nice little earner for a 'free' answer service.
Escaping your ISP. Tried this with mine once Wanadoo/orange, trouble with MAC nos to get away. I am staying for a while as it will be easier to swop soon. If it gets as easy as changing your energy supplier it will be great.

John

[hedgewizard]

I've switched three times now, but it can lead to problems if your circumstances aren't straightforward. If there is any chance of a house move or suchlike, wait until afterwards. I'm currently in dispute with TalkTalk, whose product was fine but they cocked up my house move completely and then were unable to restore service. Their customer service is the worst I've ever, EVER come across (and that includes buying a discontinued kitchen from Ikea) and now they would like me to pay a £70 fee for stopping using them... because they couldn't put the service into my new house!

[Martin]

I really get the hump with companies like these - as Red said, it's the little old ladies of this world who'll unquestioningly cough up, and they'll carry on getting away with it!
I loathe BTs arrogant attitude - when they halved my connection speed to the net, I complained long and loud for years - their reply was always the same "we only have to give you a working voice line - you've got that - now stop moaning" - and over many years, I had a recurrent line fault - we had a long procession of engineers who all pronounced it perfect, and the next rainy day, back came the frying chips on the line!
So there you are, with a virtually unintelligible line, so you phone the engineers - in bloody Bangalore! - they can't hear you properly, you can't understand pidgin English anyway, so it takes twenty minutes! - 2 days later, a different engineer (no sir, you can't phone me direct if it goes wrong again, you have to call the faults number sir!) - ad inbloodyfinitum!