BT £125 connection charge

[MARTIN3030]

Round the bend !

[locutus]

The independant arbitrators for BT are Otelo. You can write to them explaining the situation providing your complaint has not be sorted within 12 weeks (which this one sounds like it hasn't)

 

Otelo

PO Box 730

Warrington

WA4 6WU

[valhala]

Got a reply from Bt they say

 

"At the time you placed your order to have a line connected at your new property, BT idenitified that additonal exchange work and a potential engineer visit to your property would be required to connect your line. This was due to the fact that a new telephone number had to be assigned to your line and there was no previous telephone number to take over and that physical work had to be carried out at the exchange, as there was no connection there to be automatically reconnected. At the point of placing the order you were advised and accepted the charges for the work to be carried out..

 

THE ABOVE BIT IS NOT STRICTLY TRUE, I PLACED THE ORDER AS THE SMALL PRINT ABOUT CONNECTION CHARGES LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE I WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO PAY THIS AS I ALREADY HAD A BT LINE IN MY FLAT.

 

I WAS GIVEN A DATE WHEN THE ENGINEER WAS DUE TO COME AND MAKE THE ASSESEMENT NO ENGINEER CAME TO MY HOUSE AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN I PHONED BT THEY INFORMED ME THE LINE WAS ACTIVE AND THE ENGINEER HAD DONE WORK YESTERDAY.

 

WHEN I RECIEVED MY FIRST BT BILL IT WAS ACTUALLY DATED FROM 2 DAYS BEFORE THE ENGINEER WAS DUE OUT??

 

YOU CAN SEE WHY I AM ANGRY ABOUT THIS!!!

 

Anyway the letter goes on to say it is my stutory right to pursue my complaint outside BT but "AS THIS MATTER IS REGARDING BT`S TERMS AND CONDITIONS I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT YOUR COMPLAINT FALLS WITHIN OTELO TERMS OF REFERENCE"

 

Is this correct what they say, should I just go ahead with taking this to OTELO now??

[locutus]

2 thaughts...

 

1 They obviously weren't clear on you getting charged this connection fee

 

and 2nd, they say they treat everybody equal... why didn't they offer you the discount?

[summanotre]

Watch out for their combined broadband/telephone/tv service - I was tied into an 18 month contract - after 12 monts the router broke. I had to buy a new one at full price (it was originally cheaper with the offer I took up).

 

So I bit the bullet, bought the router, waited for the contract to be up and then signed with another service provider only to be told that BT wouldnt agree me going across because I owed them £7 and I was still in contract with BT () I would have to pay a large amount + £7 to be released.

 

I didnt owe them anything, I was a good month out of contract with them and luckily I could prove it. I complained and whoever I spoke to saw that BT had made a mistake and suddenly I was £7 in credit, released from the contract (the one I was no longer in anyway) and sent a bunch of flowers as an apology.

 

This was summer last year and Im still waiting for my £7

 

Im considering selling the replacement BT Hub as its still in warranty and hardly used with 2 hub phones!! Any takers??

[callumsgran]

Lol how much?

[summanotre]

Well, lets see ... All are in good working order, all are boxed, hub phones unused - you can make me an offer or you can go for my special introductory offer of £unlimited but you'll be tied into a 20 year contract the details of which Im not obliged to tell you & can change at any time without penalty to me, but probably to you!!!!

 

Failing that £50 for the lot & FREE P&P!

[Beijing3773]

Just had the same thing myself, the flat I moved into already had a BT socket so I ordered to get the line connected knowing if they needed to do the extra work they would inform me and I would be able to cancel. I always intened not to get the line if I had to pay this fee.

 

Anyway they were coming out between 8am and 1pm so I too kthe day of and waited, by 2pm no one had been so I phoned them and spoke to some guy in India who told me that they had already been and done the work outside and the line is now active.

 

So I thought cool, no charge so I asked the guy and he said "actually it says on the system they have done a lot of work on the road to connect the line so the £125 charge will apply".

 

I was fuming about this, I mean firstly they don`t even come up to my house and let me know they are here and secondly I don`t get the option to cancel.

 

I don`t even think anyone came out, probably just a case of seeing the line was already in place and they just need to activate it.

 

Anyway I am going to write them a letter of complaint and tell them to either cancel this charge or cancel my account as it is well out of order, if they do not do either I shall complain to whoever it takes.

 

I was on a same boat as you. Thanks to this forum and information re: important email addresses of Biggies in BT, i've got the refund of £125. However had to take up "18 months contract line connection fee free" offer.

[summanotre]

I was on a same boat as you. Thanks to this forum and information re: important email addresses of Biggies in BT, i've got the refund of £125. However had to take up "18 months contract line connection fee free" offer.

 

Yup. There's always a sting - by the time your contract is up you will have paid more than £125 for the privilege of receiving your refund - Its always a BT win - You lose, situation.

 

Im so glad Im free from them....

[Beijing3773]

Yup. There's always a sting - by the time your contract is up you will have paid more than £125 for the privilege of receiving your refund - Its always a BT win - You lose, situation.

 

Im so glad Im free from them....

 

Not really true that BT always win. I was on 12 months contract anyway. In order to get £122.50 refund I have to take up only 6 more months - which cost me £11.25 x 6 months = £67.50. Therefore I made extra £55.00

[callumsgran]

Not really true that BT always win. I was on 12 months contract anyway. In order to get £122.50 refund I have to take up only 6 more months - which cost me £11.25 x 6 months = £67.50. Therefore I made extra £55.00

Lets hope you get charged £11.25 a month

I took the same contract and i'm paying £15.50!!!!!!!

[Beijing3773]

Lets hope you get charged £11.25 a month

I took the same contract and i'm paying £15.50!!!!!!!

 

Hi Callumsgran, Congrats to your daughter. Yes mine is charged £11.25 a month because it is basic line rental (free call on weekend only - evening not included) and got further discount for online paper free billing.

 

Anyway, I am only writing here to thank especially you for the email address and wanted to suggest Valhala that if BT insist not to refund, the other way is to change to this 18 month contract.

 

Thanks everyone. Have a nice weekend.

[callumsgran]

Hi Callumsgran, Congrats to your daughter. Yes mine is charged £11.25 a month because it is basic line rental (free call on weekend only - evening not included) and got further discount for online paper free billing.

 

Anyway, I am only writing here to thank especially you for the email address and wanted to suggest Valhala that if BT insist not to refund, the other way is to change to this 18 month contract.

 

Thanks everyone. Have a nice weekend.

Oh bless you, you've made me blush

You're more than welcome, glad to be of help and so pleased you got the right result

Do come and visit again, you're always welcome

Have a great weekend yourself

[Crooked world of money]

I moved into a new house and went to another provider of BT Services. Because the prvious tennant had ceased the line instead of having it disconnected, my charge for re-connection was £2! It was also live within 30 minutes. Luckily the previous ADSL marker had been removed and they were able to hook me up in 3 working days to their BT Resold Broadband service!

[locutus]

If you move into a house and there is a socket, 1st plug a phone in. If you get any sort of tone the line is "stopped" This is like a light switch turned off and it can be "started" or switched on almost instantly, usually with no initial outlay, subject to credit status providing you sign for a minimum of 12 month term. Just dial 150 from that line.

 

When the line is ceased, their is no tone at all and it needs an engineers visit (probably only to the exchange, but you will be advised to be in at a certain time) which is where this £125 charge comes in.

[summanotre]

Not really true that BT always win. I was on 12 months contract anyway. In order to get £122.50 refund I have to take up only 6 more months - which cost me £11.25 x 6 months = £67.50. Therefore I made extra £55.00

 

Well, Im really happy for you - but Im still waiting for my £7 refund from BT ....

[MArsbar989]

I'd like to say that thanks to this site, my 10 months of hell by BT have been resolved and Im happy. Scan back thru this thread to read my story.

 

The result -

Call display cost of £14 odd refunded.

£86.51 from the terminating of a contract refunded. (although this was done last year).

£4.50 cost of non DD refunded. I refused to pay by DD and stated that I would withhold payment from them, only agreeing to DD once fully happy.

and

£80 compensation !!

 

I used the email addresses on this site - and one of the guys forwarded it to their BTs "Billing & Enquiries Priority Care Team" was answered next day and resolved the day after that.

 

You might be wondering why I didnt take up the offer of the free connection. This is because I'm moving in 2 wks time so the fact that this property has no line doesnt bother me now. Its not my problem. (And yes the house I'm moving to does have a BT active line - I checked!)

 

Its also worth saying that I was told I SHOULD have got the line installed free under their free connection back in september.

 

 

Many thanks all.

 

[Sillyboots]

Try e-mailing [email protected] . I exhausted all other so called customer services avenues and a chance conversation with a colleague led to this. All my charges (£125.00 incorrectly charged as already connected to BT, but they decided one month to randomly add on another connection charge) were removed within 24hrs, a miracle after a 15 month battle.

 

Good luck, BT are a nightmare!

[Enigma2362]

I would like people to volunteer to write a complaint to OFCOM reguarding this £125 connection charge. If you like I will send you a outline letter via email and all you have to do is put you address on it sign your name and post it. I'm going to stick up a YouTube video as well, one guy got thousands of hits for moaning about his broadband speed, so if I stick one up about the charge hopefully I'll attract more volunteers.

 

Any takers?

 

yes please like you i think this charge is unfair and way too inflated.

[Enigma2362]

i think that in this current economic climate BT should be more senseitive to its costomers, £125 connection fee is a disgrace. its would not cost that much to connect a land line or broadband. i think they are just doing this for more profit. shocking.

[locutus]

The problem you'll find is BT can prove that this in not disproportional to what it costs them to send an engineer to the exchange to do the work to connect your phone line, and bearing that in mind OFCOM won't do anything.

 

BT are offering to connect people for free if they sign up to an 18 month term, and there is nothing stopping any of the other phone suppliers connecting you so shop around and find a deal suitable for yourself!

[valhala]

I am very annoyed. Sent my complaint to otelo after reaching deadlock with BT and today I got their report back to me with the conclusion

 

"I am aware that Mr Williams remained unhappy with the outcome of his complaitn ti BT. I do not consider that he recieved a shortfall in customer service in the companys handling of his complaint as his contacts appear to have been responded by telephone and in writing in a timely manner. I therefore do not consider that any action is required at this time."

 

What a load of rubbish, this wasn`t really my complaint about customer service it is about the way the connection charge was levied to my bill.

 

 

Is there anything else I can do?????

[Human Writes]

I am very annoyed. Sent my complaint to otelo after reaching deadlock with BT and today I got their report back to me with the conclusion

 

"I am aware that Mr Williams remained unhappy with the outcome of his complaitn ti BT. I do not consider that he recieved a shortfall in customer service in the companys handling of his complaint as his contacts appear to have been responded by telephone and in writing in a timely manner. I therefore do not consider that any action is required at this time."

 

What a load of rubbish, this wasn`t really my complaint about customer service it is about the way the connection charge was levied to my bill.

 

 

Is there anything else I can do?????

 

You can appeal Otelo decisions on certain grounds, i.e. that there is some sort of fundamental flaw with the decision or/problem with the legal reasoning used in reaching the decision, you'd have to check the Otelo website for full details and read the decision carefully to assess whether this was the case, disagreeing with a decision because you don't like the conclusions reached isn't grounds for appeal.

 

If there is some sort of fundamental problem with the decision you can ask Otelo for the right to appeal, I believe they can refuse this right if they don't agree with the basis for your appeal. If there is no fundamental problem your options are simple.

 

You can either let the matter rest or take legal action, when independent arbitration of your complaint ended you finished the final stage of BT's complaints procedure, they are unlikely to entertain any further complaints/contact from you in relation to this matter.

 

In terms of your prospects in legal proceedings, civil adjudicators use the same criteria used by judges in small claims for making rulings, i.e, the burden of proof lies with you and to win your claim you have to prove your on the balance of probabilities to their satisfaction that your allegations against BT are true. You may find that a small claims judge would reach the same conclusion as the adjudicator, so if you do plan to take legal action take independent legal advice on the merits of your claim.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Human Writes
typos

[theycallmelaura]

I got the £125 connection fee too, but i'm guessing as it's a new build with no previous line I couldn't get out of this?

[valhala]

Yeh my reply from Otelo is very strange as it starts of as

 

"Provisional Conclusion"

I have now reviewed your complaint about BT. After considering the evidence. My view is that BT should take certain actions to resolve your complaint. My reasons for this and the proposed remedy are set out in the attached report".

 

Yet there is nothing about this. The conclusion at the end is no further action.

 

Very strange response letter.