BT's Unlimited Evening & Weekend Deal Changing from 6PM to 7PM

[mouthyman]

I have a 12 month contract for BT’s unlimited Evenings & Weekends package that I started in October 2009. They have just announced that from 01st April “evening” will start from 7PM rather than 6PM. Also they fail to see why BT subscribers are upset about this and wish to be let out of the contract without penalty. I have had some correspondence with them already on this and have got the point where BT acknowledge paragraph 48 of their own Terms and Conditions. BT.com | Personal | Terms & Conditions

Paragraph 48 is about a change being “material disadvantage” and in such a case they would allow an exit route without penalties. They have reviewed my invoices since January and see I have made 13 calls between 6-7PM to local landlines, yet they say “therefore as the change of times within your calling plan are not to your "material disadvantage" the penalty charges will be maintained if you wish to downgrade” They can see I have used the service between 6-7PM and I did not at those time know I had to account for my usage in the 1st hour compared to the rest of the evening! Why didn’t they say these new terms will become applicable when I am invited to sign up to a new contract in the Autumn of 2010? They are moving the goalposts mid season. :-?

 

If come April the first I pick up the phone and call landlines national or local before 7PM, I will have to pay, so I feel this is a “Material Disadvantage” and I want out of this calling plan without penalty.

 

What does anybody suggest please?

And apologies if this is discussed elsewhere please refer me to it.

[Mark_Blackpool]

There's the mother of a thread about it here:

MSE News: BT cuts 'free' evening calls by one hour - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

 

The answer is yes, you may cancel without penalty precisely for the reasons you state.

[buzby]

The big caveat is justification. It is a disadvantage - no question. But the required wording is 'material disadvantage'. They will be able to argue (by looking at the usage, as they have done) that you do not make extensive use of your phone between 1800-1900, therefore there is no 'material' consideration.

 

This would mean that if they do not fold - then you will need a court to decide whether the practice materially disadvantaged you, and every complaint will have different usage patterns. The bottom line is that the change is NOT a free-pass from a contract minimum term - but don't tell BBC's Dom Littlewood, as he's not considered the options in every case.

 

Additionally - the reason for this change (BT claiming mobile networks have forced this on them) is nothing short of scandalous, and one of the many reasons I ceased to be a customer of theirs after 40 years or so.

[Mark_Blackpool]

Thankfully on this occasion BT have already publicly capituated and said people can cancel without penalty on one of the BBC shows (not the one you mention above)

[buzby]

The U-turn is welcomed, but you can see that this was not the way they were planning to play it (especially if they were going to evaluate all complainants on their own merits).

[patrickq1]

well said buz i stopped with them two years ago they are not fit for there purposes i would nt spend a dime with them ever ..

[Mark_Blackpool]

Lots of people were told different things. You'd think that their customer service team would have been fully briefed in advance of such a critically important change, bearing in mind that thousands of people were likely to exercise their right to cancel, but that doesn't appear to have been the case from the outset.

[mouthyman]

Thankfully on this occasion BT have already publicly capituated and said people can cancel without penalty on one of the BBC shows (not the one you mention above)

 

Thank you for posting the above. Can you name (or give us the iplayer link to? ) the BBC programme?

[Mark_Blackpool]

MoneySavingExpert.com Forums - View Single Post - MSE News: BT cuts 'free' evening calls by one hour

[mouthyman]

MoneySavingExpert.com Forums - View Single Post - MSE News: BT cuts 'free' evening calls by one hour

 

Now off the unlimited E+W without cancellation penalties :) and on the contract free unlimited weekends!! and have reference number. The lovely lady on the phone was not at all pushy and did the work immediately. Now to work on who gets my ADSL, landline and mobile custom.

[mouthyman]

Now off the unlimited E+W without cancellation penalties :) and on the contract free unlimited weekends!! and have reference number. The lovely lady on the phone was not at all pushy and did the work immediately. Now to work on who gets my ADSL, landline and mobile custom.

 

 

Monthly bill has just come in - WITH Cancellation Charges!! Have instantly e-mailed BT back saying they need to re-issue the bill corrected! Will have to see how they react over the next few days. I will keep you all informed.....!

Edited March 17, 2010 by mouthyman
Update to Situation

[mouthyman]

BT on Friday phoned and said that the cancellation charges have been removed fro the bill and they will only take the remaining balance from the account. On Monday they Direct Debit the whole amount -including the cancellation Charges!!! :mad: WELL DONE BT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[buzby]

It is NOT instant. Any action they took on your accout probably took place a week after the DD 'sweep', so it will show as a crdit on your next (or current online) bill.

[mouthyman]

It is NOT instant. Any action they took on your accout probably took place a week after the DD 'sweep', so it will show as a crdit on your next (or current online) bill.

 

I did have that in mind which is why I cashflowed for the worst eventuallity. However their telephone message made no mention of "BT Account" or "bank account"; it was just "your account". They just weren't clear enough.