BT Ignorance

[LEYLA]

Can anyone give me some advice please?

In July of last year, we changed from the surf time package with BT to their Broadband. Since that time there's been nothing but problems with their billing! Each subsequent bill has come through charging us for both broadband and surf time.

My husband has phoned everytime a bill has come, and each time, been told they will look into it, and sort the payment out. By the way, what a nightmare trying to speak to anyone - it can take anywhere up to 40 minutes, staying on the line!! Anyway, the problem has continued, so sent a letter of complaint out to them several months ago, asking them to look again at the account. Also added that we disputed our bills and wouldn't make a payment until they had sorted it out. We hadn't heard anything from them until today, when we received a `Notice of Debt Collection' from Wescot Credit Services Ltd, informing us that we have until the 17th July to pay the debt owing to BT.

I'm clueless as to what action we should take now, but so annoyed, that we've been totally ignored and that they've involved debt collectors when they are at fault. Could anyone point us in the right direction?

[dx100uk]

well there are plenty of threads about dca's and how to deal with them in the debt collectors forum.

as for bt, i would, to be honest if you are not already doing so, pay the surftime bit of your bill as you should, not paying that acknowledged part, does rather leave you open to problems from them.

i would be inclined to either phone or write to BT and ask them how do you start to make a complaint using their complaint procedure.
i would also advise them that you are going to be contacting OFTEL or is it OFCOM now, anyhow, their Govt watchdog body.

that should get the ball rolling.

once you have started the complaints procedure, write to Wescot, informin them that the A/C is now in dispute, they should them pass it back to BT. giving you a bit of breathing space.

might also be an idea to use the search fac at the top of every msg, and type in BT or something. that should give you a list of other threads concerning them & will prob also give you a few ideas upon how others are dealing with such problems.

Good Luck
&
Don't worry.

Wescot are a DCA, they don't really have any legal powers, so it should turn out OK

dx100uk