BT

[KP1985]

Basically I moved house ages ago, but didn't take my BT line so I phoned and cancelled it. I was told that I wouldn't have to pay anything as I specifically checked!

 

Sometime later they wrote to me at my new address advising me that I owed xxx amount. I disputed this and I still believe it is unfair to pay for a service I didn't receive or sign for. Apparently as I did it over the phone thats all they needed to hold me too it. So in the end, to save hassle I agreed a monthly payment with the debt collection agency (Westcott).

 

When it came to my last payment of £24.91, I had changed bank accounts and closed my old one so I missed the payment.

 

They then chased me for this which I have put off and apparently now I owe like £60+ which I am NOT going to pay. Also, they are going to send round a door step collector.

 

Can I pay this directly to BT now and leave the debt collectors out of it? Also whats the deal with door-step collectors?

 

Any info is much appreciated.

[buzby]

OK - the issue is you owed BT for services provided and didn;t make the requiremet payment. The good news is BT do not (yet) report their customers to a CRA, so that's one problem less.

 

Yes, pay BT either on their website (if it will let you) or against any old bill you have at a PO or Bank counter. You are not required to pay any additional amount that a DCA wants from you, and you can ignore them.

[KP1985]

Cool. It was because I took out line rental at a house, and then when I moved, I was living with my parents until I found my own place.

 

Until I cancelled it, I had paid by bills by direct debit.

 

So the money I apparently owed them was for AFTER my line had been disconnected, but I still had to pay the line rental even though I didn't live there and the line was cut.

[buzby]

When the service was suspended is immaterial to the amount they say is to be paid. For example, unless you are in some lock-in deal, you have to give 30 days notice of termination, but you may wish to move in 2 daysw, so they suspend the line on the due date, but you still have to pay the remaining amount of the period, plus any calls made (as these are always billed in arrears). This may be offset by a compensatory credit for any amount paid in advance for line rental. The secret is to provide them with 30 days notice, and if this ties up with your monthly billing date, there's very little to pay except calls.

[KP1985]

I get that I had to pay for any calls made, and that I would have paid until their billing date, but they say I owe them for the line rental for the ENTIRE year, which was like 5-6 months or something AFTER it had been disconnected. Is that right?

 

So confused.

 

It was only your bog standard line rental and free evening and weekend calls. I had broadband with another provider and just needed a line otherwise I wouldn't go near BT!

[buzby]

Did you accept their 'tempting' offer of FREE Evening and Weekend Calls? This came with a sneaky 'gotcha' - in that in heralded the arrival of BT's now 'Rolling Annual' contract. If you only got free calls at the weekend, this would not apply.

 

The deal involved you having an arbitrary date (when the free daily evening calls commenced). From then for the next 12 months, you were effectively locked in until the anniversary, when it would automatically renew.

 

If you did agree to this, BT would bill you until the anniversary date UNLESS you transferred their service to another address. The bill being based on the time remaining of the minimum term.

 

Does that ring any bells?

[KP1985]

Yeh, I'm sure we had the free evening and weekend calls.

 

Crafty buggers!

 

In that case, I will just pay BT direct and avoid the middle man.

 

What if BT won't accept my payment?

[buzby]

They're daft, but not THAT daft! If you pay with an old bill at a PO, they've no way of sending it back! If not, post a cheque with your account number on the back for the full amount BT says is owed. If they don't want it, THEY can send it on to the DCA!

[KP1985]

Brilliant, thanks so much for your advice. It's been very helpful!

[buzby]

Anytime - keep the thread updates with news of any developments!