Penalised for not using my landline! Wut!!?

[captain_walker]

I hardly ever use my BT landline because I'm paying Three.co.uk £30.00 for 2000 minutes and endless texts etc.

 

So - today I get my online BT bill and for the first time I've discovered that I'm charged a total of £3.70 for not using my phone twice in one month and not calling their 1571 answer service twice in one month. I have contacted BT about this on the phone. Are you surprised that the response was not "yes, we will provide you with a full justification of the size of the cost"? They've been given 14 working days to provide what I request. Else? I draw my sword. Some will recall that I won a punch up with British Gas for some £800, and since then have won against certain large foodstores on other consumer issues. Yes - I'm confident.

 

A sizeable proportion will - as BT did - jump to the contractual clauses that allow them to bleed me and which it will be said allow me to be bled. Well - like me or not - I'm not interested in the clauses, I'm interested in finding out how BT arrive at £3.70 as a reasonable penalty charge, because this is what it is.

 

Why not £5, or £10, or £200!! Sure enough £200 would appear to be ridiculous, compared to £3.70. For any level of penalty charge, customers should be provided with a full costing of penalty charges on request [not a defensive response which hides behind contractual clauses].

 

Yes - I could dream up reasons for penalty charges. I'm not interested. I want to know how they care calculated. The issue is related to a similar one where certain airlines are bleeding people up to a tenner to use a credit card online, whilst my local cinema may charge a mere 75p. How are we (in general) as conusmers to be shielded from big muscle businesses, driven by greed and profiteering? Something is fundamentally wrong with the way business works in this country.

Edited July 5, 2012 by captain_walker

[locutus]

I do find it silly that they give you a fee for not using the calls, especially as these can be "inclusive free" calls.

 

There are a couple of tactics you can use here.

 

You can email the CEO as his department have resolved issues for others [email protected]

 

Read their complaints code HERE, and take this complaint to the ADR (alternative dispute resolution) which will cost BT a lot more than they will gain from you and see if someone sees sense before your complaint gets that far

[captain_walker]

I do find it silly that they give you a fee for not using the calls, especially as these can be "inclusive free" calls

I'm not intested in whether it is silly that they make a charge (fee or whatever). That is covered by contract and they are entitled to bleed me. I thought I made that clear. The extent to which they bleed me is what I am concerned about. And as this matter is about what is effectively (legally in my opinion) a penalty charge, I think I am entitled to seek and find out how they decide how much 'blood' they draw.

 

I hope that is sufficiently clear now.

 

ADR? ADR???.. I go for the jugular!! I'll not be messing about with ADR.. BT stooges please pass the message on.

[maroondevo52]

 

 

How are we (in general) as conusmers to be shielded from big muscle businesses, driven by greed and profiteering? Something is fundamentally wrong with the way business works in this country.

 

I don't have a clue what we do, what can we do ? getting 'ripped off' right ,left and centre it's sick !!!

[captain_walker]

I don't have a clue what we do, what can we do ? getting 'ripped off' right ,left and centre it's sick !!!

 

I think we as consumers need to change the culture among ourselves, so that has an impact on business. There is so much talk in this country about changing cultures.. well? Why don't people just do it! They want bankers to change their culture - so what about consumers? It is because consumers (in general) are lazy that big business is confident that they can get away with ripping off people.

 

I'm telling you, I hear so many people moaning about how they've been ripped off - yet they never venture onto google to find out what are their rights and what they can do. So whilst on one hand we groan about big business, we must also groan about the culture of consumers in general in ROB!!

 

This is not a matter to be joking about or taking the mick. I hope all of you out there reading this are on the same side of putting things right. We may all have to adopt a position of 'militant consumer activism' for a while, just to get the message across to big business.

 

I'm also leading the way. I've been helping people with small purchase disputes for nothing. Telephone advice and letters here and there. A friend of mine is doing the same. No - stop - I'm not here to advertise anything. I'm telling you that this is what we need to do. Those who know help those who don't know. And those who benefit from that experience become consumer rights activists in themselves. If we push that sort of cultural change among ourselves that can have a big impact faster than we might imagine.

[2Grumpy]

I must admit that I am looking forward to seeing their justification and the breakdown of costs, so please do share that information when it arrives.

 

I do like your method of taking them to task, no doubt the complaints process that you can take them into when you have the information will make them think twice.