British Telecome £5 Late Payment Charge

[Enron]

Haven`t been stung by this, but thought that it would be interesting to tackle them of it.

 

They have lessened the period in which you are allowed to pay your bill from 14 days to 7 days, and imposed a £5 Late Payment charge so decided to contact them asking what their true cost was.

 

Needless to say despite mailing the letter to their correspondence division in Derby, I had someone from an Indian call centre get in touch to deal with my enquiry.

 

Despite my saying that I needed a response in writing he proceeded to tell me to call 150, he commented that it cost BT £5 which frankly is laughable as the only change would be a rewriting of software to include the incurred charge if payment was received past a certain date.

 

Still think its time to write direct to the financial department at the head office - and put that I require a response in writing, and not to talk to an indian call centre.

[gizmo111]

Spent 3 hours on the phone to their Indian call centre on broadband problems a couple of months ago - being passed round and round - I lost the will to live at the end of it - can't understand why you don't want to enter into dialogue with them

[Enron]

Plain and simply, this guys English isn`t good enough.

 

When I say i wanted a reply in writing, he said phone 150!

 

Complete waste of a 32p stamp, my time, their call to me, and employing this guy to answer my questions.

[Rich44]

Huh not only that when I had the phone line cut off as had a bulldog line fitted I got a final bill 2 weeks before payday so said screw it they can wait (£25 bill) as no money and 2 weeks should be ok after 8 days I got a solicitors letter threatening me with all sorts - idiots ffs

[buzby]

Life is too short. You cannot challenge what you've not been billed, and I'm surprised you didn't get the now usual response 'we do it because everyone else is'. It also goes without saying that as you didn't specifically agree to it, you'll have it refunded when challenged, just like everyone else.

[Enron]

Know someone else who challenged it and had the charge refunded. Not everyone will challenge it though so decided to question the charge because of that.

 

Was pretty appaulled that they shortenned there payment period from 14 to 7 days as well. Guess they are trying to persuade people to switch to paying by direct debit.

[buzby]

Agreed, and BT are famous for using the billing date rather than the date you receive the bill - making it 5 days to pay instead of 7. I challenge all such 'fines' and refuse all Direct Debits. The sooner we all do this, we can end the lie that 'people prefer DDMs'!

[Enron]

In the instance of something variable such as a phonebill would never be happy about setting up a direct debit.

[meagain]

If you do get hit by the charge, pay the full bill minus the charge, and put it in writing that you will not pay the charge until it has been justified and fully costed to you.

[Mark_Blackpool]

I noticed this. The statements used to arrive by second class post, which at the time (about 2 years ago) used to take anything up to 8 days when the postal system seemed to fall to bits.

 

By then it was already overdue for payment.

 

Originally the bill said something along the lines that the charge would be applied if the payment was not received by the due date, which then changed to 'by the date on the red letter' or some such.

 

I did on one occasion have someone from BT ring up chasing payment when the bill had only arrived the previous day and suggested the answer was to change to direct debit. I suggested that perhaps a little less arrogance wouldn't go amiss and changed phone company.

[Enron]

Sure you could pretty much argue that the payment period isn`t long enough - can you imagine if bills went out during December.

 

Also as someone people stated you never signed a contract agreeing to the imposition of a late payment charge.

 

However, some people will stomach it and pay the money regardless.

[buzby]

I did on one occasion have someone from BT ring up chasing payment when the bill had only arrived the previous day and suggested the answer was to change to direct debit. I suggested that perhaps a little less arrogance wouldn't go amiss and changed phone company.

 

Looked at in isolation, BT's changes doen't seem much to get upset about, but when you realise what the total picture is, the manipulation foillowed by date juggling and late fees... all to get you on DD are a scandal.

 

It's all very well trying to move to another provider, but there is every possibility their terms will be more onerous - DD or no service! It is this unfairmess I wish the OFT would take a serious look at!

[Guest Battleaxe]

I make BT work for their £5.00 charge. irefuse to pay it on time, they shortened the payment time, so now I pay on the red letter. I will not enter into dialogue with them, it is a useless excercise. they try to badgetr me into a DD, I tell them politely to put that suggestion where the sun don't shine. Indian Call centre absolutely useless. this is whyt after three weeks we got rid of BT broadband, it had more downtime than online time, but no refund of charge for the downtime.

 

Looks like another class action to the Trading Standards. Now if they offered a discount for paying the bill on time or early there might be an incentive for us all to toe the line. I am finding the older I get, the more stroppier I get with these companies. BT wants to remember it is no longer a monopoly

[buzby]

I am finding the older I get, the more stroppier I get with these companies. BT wants to remember it is no longer a monopoly

 

You too...? I thought it was just me...!

[Guest Battleaxe]

Buzby,

 

I am becoming a cranky old lady..would be a good panelist for the show. i am outspoken, half the time out of my bum, but still it is an opinion even if it is not PC..arrrrgggghhhhhh....I call a spade a bloody shovel and I am in your face especially if I know I am right you are talking crap. i will not be patronised or talked down to and these complanies think they can walk all over us. No way, narda, zilch, I kicking back and kicking back hard, affter all what can they do to us, that hasn't been done to us already.

 

Off topic but have to share. back home, we have three years to apy our rates (Councilt ax and it is done on the unimproved value of your land, tenant note, only the owner of the property pays the rates and water is included in this, so many gallons for free than excess water rates). So some us naughty people who had a gripe with the council would wait until 3.50pm on the final day troop in to the Council payment office and pay the rates for the twelve months in the lowest coin of the realm, in my case I took in wheelbarrow of 1 cent coins to the value of seven hundred dollars. The following year the Council ffered a discount if we paid early, something like 20%, so word got out and most of the homeowners paid on receipt of the Council tax demand that year the next year they weren't so generous, so we went back to our old ways. If you don't pay up by the deadline, the council can seize your property and sell it for unpaid rates, but that is a process of last resort. it was the only way, apart from sitting in the public gallery at the council meetings and heckling. I was the President of the local progress Association at the time. My son reckoned the Council held a party to celebrate when I moved to New Zealand.

 

My old boss used to call me Lucretia Borgia and also referred to me as his rotweiller

[buzby]

There's just not enough people like you around....!

[Enron]

Now if they offered a discount for paying the bill on time or early there might be an incentive for us all to toe the line.

 

Funnily enough that was the very same thing I was thinking earlier this morning.

 

If they were to offer you a 5-10% discount off your bill for paying by direct debit people would be more inclined to make payment by those means.

 

However as BT are a Plc and wouldn`t want there profits affected they are more likely to go the dreconian route and penalise people into accepting the direct debit.

[Moodymulder]

Hi,

 

I just had the £5 late payment charge from BT refunded after sending them the template available thru this website about letter before action.

 

I also added onto the template that infact they were charging me for services NOT YET RECEIVED. BT charge you in advance for their services and the only other item on my bills are the last 3 months of calls. My £200 quartly bill is made up of about £35 in call charges (which I have made) and the rest is for future charges............................ how can they charge a late payment for services you aint even had yet?

 

I was glad to get my £5 back anyhow !!

[Guest Battleaxe]

Moodymulder, you might have just opened the floodgates. i am going to get back my £10.00 late charges for the last two bills..better in my pocket than theirs.

 

letter being posted tomorrow...hehehehehe.

 

Stevenelmes, no way would I pay my bill by DD for a discount. Discount if bill paid on receipt like I always pay, ring them up and make them do the work the hard way.

 

I am a miserable person. I like my money too much. i think the habits of a certain yourkshire man are rubbing off on me.

[Enron]

Neighbour has just told me that BT are planning to increase their late payment charge to £10...... disgusting.

[buzby]

Already covered here;

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-consumer-issues/25177-bt-late-payment-charges.html

 

They might as well make it £100 - I'd still not pay it and challenge them every time.

[goide]

Hi,

 

I just had the £5 late payment charge from BT refunded after sending them the template available thru this website about letter before action.

 

 

Could someone please tell me where this template is located in regards to BT charges? I would like to use it to get back some of the charges that BT has included in my bills.

 

Thanks

[Enron]

In this thread:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/telecoms-mobile-fixed/74802-penalties-not-paying-direct.html

[comebackjimmy]

Hi All

 

On the subject of what it actually costs to disconnect and reconnect a line I asked our local BT engineer and he said it could be done with a keyboard command so the actual cost would be about 1 minute of a persons time. The cost would be even less if that person happened to work in an Indian Call Centre.

 

My own experience of Telecom billing is that there is a sophisitcated billing engine running on a big computer in a data centre somewhere. This machine just follows the processes and if, after the set dates and times, it has not seen a credit on your acount it will automatically disconnect you.

 

When I have paid late using a debit card through BT's automatic system it seems to take about 24 hours fo the line to come back.

 

This could indicate the attention of a human but I wouldn't bet on it.