BT broadband cancellation nightmare!

[lolabelle]

I hope somebody can help us in our battle with BT!

My husband and I placed an order for BT broadband by phone on 27th November 2010 . I paid £90 by card and was given two numbers to keep as a reference of this transaction and we received an email confirmation of our order.

I have a bank statement showing this transaction and I also phoned my bank and received confirmation that the money had left our account on that day.

 

We decided to choose a different provider and called BT a few days later to cancel our order, we received a full refund of the £90 on the 6th of December 2010 and we were reassured that our account with BT was closed and no future payments will be taken. We then received a bill through the post stating that we had received a refund on the 6th of December but on the 2nd of January we were to make another payment of £90. My husband phoned BT and asked that the payment be stopped as we did not owe any money!!!!

 

On the 4th of January 2011, I noticed that a direct debit of £90 was taken by BT from our account. My husband called BT on the day and a lady said that she is really sorry for the mistake and a cheque for £90 will be sent to us by post, within the next 5 working days.

 

By Monday 17th of January 2011 we still hadn’t received our cheque and my husband phoned BT and another person reassured him that the money will be refunded to us by bank transfer in the next 5 days. We asked if there were any other way to get the refund quicker and the person on the phone said she would call my husband on his work number later in the day but to no avail!

 

On the 18th of January 2011 my husband called BT again and after long conversation with an advisor he requested a supervisor. He then spoke to person who informed him that BT doesn’t owe us any money as a refund was given on the 6th of December.

For some reason BT has no longer any record of the transaction from the 27th of November so the money was taken back on the 4th of January. In fact we were told that BT doesn’t have any record of the order we have placed on 27th of November or any phone calls we have made before 17th of December (but we have ref. numbers of all the calls!!)?!

We definitely paid £90 on the 27th of November and are finding it extremely appalling the way we are being treated!! I personally have spent over an hour on the phone with BT and I can’t count how many times my husband was forced to contact them to get our money back! We feel like we have spent £180 for the product we never had but only received half of the money as a refund.

The phone adviser I personally was talking to was extremely patronising and I don’t appreciate the way she was talking to me.

This situation cost us a lot of money (endless phone calls from our mobiles, only yesterday we have spent nearly 3 hours on the phone!) and a lot of stress.

We know we are right and have the documents to prove it! I have posted a letter (and email) with official complain and attached copies of emails and our bank statement, now we are waiting for a reply from them.

 

Has anybody had any similar situation with BT? Past few weeks are a real nightmare and just so stressful...

[Piggybilling]

First contact: Ofcom and getting some advice, and make a complaint. They will give you a reference number, Then send a recorded letter to BT in Durham.

[lolabelle]

Thank you i'll do that!

[ihateyes]

also if you notice a ddeb that you did not agree to or authorise coming out of your account, if you catch it within 3days, go to your bank and execute the ddeb guarantee. the bank will cancel the payment, recall it, and deposit the funds back in your account. This is the easy way, unfortunately you chose the long dragged out, many telephones way..... hope that helps.

[Piggybilling]

Remember that when you speak to BT the people you speak to could be in Northern Ireland,Scotland,India or some other new place.

Ask for there full name, they will most likely only give you there first name(in many cases) and there employee ID or agent number.

Ask where they a based in the world too.

(*They have your full name and address, So they should be polite and give you some information back)

 

There job is to use psychology on you to get there point across, Remember your the customer ,And don't work for BT.

It's not you job to worry about there Managers!, and other departments.

If they don't have authority to deal with you, than way are they wasting your time in the first place.

 

Use Ofcom & Ottel as your back up.

Send any letters by recorded post(to Durham)

And keep a note of any people you speak to.

[Piggybilling]

Oh and the picture is one of mine, (Forgot to re-name)It was from news report about BT India problerms.

 

As i have a BT complaint going in too.

[lolabelle]

thank you so much for your advice! i'll keep you updated with the progress (if any will happen haha)

[Piggybilling]

You might get the recorded BT robot calling too(from 0800 number)

 

They tend to use this automated system for late payments on bills, or to threaten you, i.e disconnection.

 

Luckily BT does not rule the World, and we are now free to chose.

 

I moved into a place with BT Vision, and have been threatened will bills from £400-£600 (2 year contact)

As I'm also a Distributor for the Utility Warehouse, I'm moving over to them fully today.

I prefer to keep my business UK based, and want to speak with people who are helpful,friendly, and have a decent level of English.

 

We're probably both get some odd letters from BT over the next couple of weeks.

[jamesl1983]

I have currently spent the last hour on the phone with BT trying to resolve an issue with my BT Vision, AGAIN!

 

For the last six month of having this service I have only been able to enjoy about a months worth of 'on-demand' programmes as I keep getting an Error message.

 

I have made 5 calls to BT for this reason and every single time I am put through what seems like an endless elimination process and every time the answer lies with BT. It seems that the line they provide me is not fast enough for the BT Vision to deal with yet when I asked to cancel this service that they are not providing me, I am told that it will work within the next 48hr, although it does seem to work after this time it is short lived and I again find myself making hourly long phone calls to sort the problem AGAIN only 2 weeks later.

I was told by the cancellation people that they needed conformation from the tech people that i cant get the service before they can cancel my contract but the tech people are refusing to carry out my wish to cancel and are urging me to wait again. How long do I have to keep waiting?

 

Can someone tell me what I can do, because I am SOOOOO fed up at this time!!!!

[watchinginvestigation2010]

Please dont go to utility warehouse, go to the utility forums and the threads about them to find how many are peed off. Also a utitlity distrubutor with them is unlikely to provide a non biased opinion o fthem due to the fact they take a cut........

[postggj]

what the hell is wrong with bt

have a nose at this thread as it has some contact details of the chief executive office and they sorted out my problem

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?278262-Compensation-from-bt&highlight=

[Piggybilling]

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

 

http://www.otelo.org.uk/

 

http://www.btplc.com/thegroup/contactbt/index.cfm

 

You should go to Ofcom and register a complaint,

they will give you a reference number, and record your details.

They are quite helpful too.

 

You can send a recorded letter to BT in Durham.

 

And if it goes on after 8 weeks from 1st complaint, Go to Otel.

 

*I'm a distributor fro the Utility Warehouse, But I'm more interested in my Environmental Science work now.

U.W is Brown Energy, And I'm free to say what the duck i like about U.W

 

P.S I'd go full-time Environmental, But not enough people care about Nature & Wildlife(just cash & living,etc)

[watchinginvestigation2010]

Of course you are able to say when relelvant what you like about UW. The same as I say AVOID at all costs, especially when a rep mentions them, just read the complaints on this forum, simples xx

[Piggybilling]

Utility Warehouse are the No 1 of the UK & will be in Euro soon!

 

*We can not be matched, We offer the best options for Domestic And Small Business needs(not big)

You can even buy all your shopping with US!

 

How many people can do this!

 

Why don't people get this?

 

I will help you convert, and even buy you a few beers!

I am happy to travel too(PMS ME)

 

Have a nice day!

[teaboy2]

Utility Warehouse are the No 1 of the UK & will be in Euro soon!

 

*We can not be matched, We offer the best options for Domestic And Small Business needs(not big)

You can even buy all your shopping with US!

 

How many people can do this!

 

Why don't people get this?

 

I will help you convert, and even buy you a few beers!

I am happy to travel too(PMS ME)

 

Funny piggybilling (i take that you like taking money from people piggy banks hence your username). But since you have no credit license attached to your registered Dormat and NON-trading company (company number 03650848) Then i very much doubt anything you say. OH and as for accusing us of slander in another post, i think you find telling the truth based on evidence available at the time is not slander, and also the correct term would have been lible as slander is resevered for verbal false statements not written.

 

P.s. a report will be filed with OFT, CSA, ICO, Trading standards and with, yep you quessed it companies house and HMRC, as no doubt there is likley some tax issue involved as a result of the way your company is operating whilst listed as dormant and non trading. So you better get your accounts in order as i suspect you will be getting a visit shortly and you will love that, not! lol

[Piggybilling]

Sorry I have left the company.

 

I am under pressure not to speak about the Utility Warehouse, Due to legal reasons.

And U.W agent pressure(phone calls,spam email,etc)

 

I'm not sure who you are supposed to contact at the Utility Warehouse if you have problems?

 

Have a good weekend!

[teaboy2]

Sorry I have left the company.

 

I am under pressure not to speak about the Utility Warehouse, Due to legal reasons.

And U.W agent pressure(phone calls,spam email,etc)

 

I'm not sure who you are supposed to contact at the Utility Warehouse if you have problems?

 

Have a good weekend!

 

Ignore my original post above and that was posted here, i just read your post in the other thread (as part of an email) i made mention to in my above post. Though it was removed from the thread in question like the first post i referenced to in the other thread about the slander claim. But i have read it as part of the email sent to me when a new post is made, now am fully aware of the issues you have had then all is forgiven as clearly you were not responsible for what was said in anger as a response to situation you discribed. As such, i also apologise for the response i gave you above, not knowing that you had such issues.

 

Have a good weekend too PiggyBilling.

 

P.s. if you want any help with the issue then normally i would say start a thread in the Employment section but given the implications that could arise from doing that, simply PM me instead as am willing to help.

Edited February 26, 2011 by teaboy2

[Piggybilling]

Thanks Teaboy2,

 

I'm Going to the Citizens advice on Tuesday, and have been told I can get 1 hour free with a local Solicitor.

And I will also report the abusive phone calls and texts,email's for U.W agents

 

I contacted my local police station via the phone today , as i received over 21 calls:jaw: from a women who works as

a U.W Distributor.(some of the calls where at 2-3am, i didn't answer)

 

*And anyone looking at the Utility Warehouse, Please make sure you get independent information and advice.

[teaboy2]

Hi PiggyBilling,

 

keep me updated on how things progres.

 

As for the free 1 hour with a solicitor, well enerally that is the case. Also check your home insurance as you may be entitled for free legal help through it.