bt and xln

[george1234]

can you help?

was talked into changing phone provideres by xln.

line changed over on the 8th april, Bt my current provider sent me a letter out on the 2nd of which was not received until the 10th, it was a letter advising us that xln had applied to take over the line, it then went on to say that if we were under contract there may be charges and these charges are £xxx. we then presumed there were no charges but it then went on to say in the letter that if they could not calculate the charge it would be shown as £xxx. The letter was received after the line was transfered. Called BT on the 15th who told me on each line i was transfering there was a 207 pound cancellation fee. I have still not received a bill

Bt told me xln applied to have the line transfered on the 30th march and it went over on the 8th of April this does not seem to me that there is enough time to be informed of charges. BT tell me that xln just take over the line and should give 10 days notice. xln tell me it should take 2 -3 weeks to transfer and it is bt that tells them when they can transfer.

Anyone have any views its a complete farce

[buzby]

What really takes precedence, is DID you ask the new carrier to provide you with service? And did you do this whilst you were still under an obligation with BT to serve out a minimum term?

[george1234]

Yes is the answer to the question.

Unfortunatley this is somethink that my mother did. She was informed by the rep who came in to sell her the new service that if they were to supply a cheaper service than her current supplier BT, BT would let her out of the contract, he made this statement in front of witnesses, i personally would have checked but my mother is gulable. She proceeded to sign the contract with the new supplier and then after the phone line had switched over she received the letter from bt that i mentioned in the above thread, she also did not know until then that she had signed up to a 5 year contract with BT.

[buzby]

There's no way she's gullible - she was only given half the story, so could not make a proper choice. The new firm was in no position to know whether she was still obligated to BT, and I'm almost sure they (the new firm's agent) did not qualify his 'cheaper' statement by asking whether there was any minimum period outstanding on her existing phone contract.

Because BT actedn on the instructions of their customer, they are simply complying with her request, and of course the gotchas in leaving are fairly due. What DOES upset me, is that the new company have effectively 'mis-sold' their service, as if they said it would be cheaper but there may be a break-out fee from BT, they did all they could. If they - as it seems likely - they didn't, I'd look to the new firm to pay these charges on her behalf, and perhaps even raise a small claim against them should they not be forthcoming.