Saffy's fallout with BT - RESULT !!!!!

Well it seems its our turn for a fight with BT (maybe or maybe not but lets see)

Here's the background:

We work from home and have 2 business lines, one for calls the other for the fax & broadband.
About a year ago we signed up with Rely Telecom for our call charges on the 2 business lines and the house line, and I have to admit they are cheaper (not sure if its relevant but I have told anyway).
So in a nutshell we pay BT for the line rental and Rely for the calls.

Today we have received a bill for the fax & broadband line and thought errrrrrr this is a bit steep

Rental charges £48.15
One-Off charges £270.78
Payment charges £4.50

VAT £55.81

TOTAL £379.24

Anyway's I had a small fit and decided to brave the press 1 for this, 2 for that and eventually after 4 attempts got through to a nice lady in Middlesboro who was very helpful. So I asked her what the £270.78 One-off charge is for and apparently they reckon that we have agreed a minimum spend of £500 a year, so as we havn't met that criteria they are billing us for the difference.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
So after a nice little discussion I explained that no way would we have agreed to that as the line is for fax/broadband only and she agreed that it did seem to be wrong. She has raised a complaint and promised that I will hear from them within 14 days.

Lets see what they say, oh and I also complained about the £4.50 charge for not paying by direct debt.

[WendyB]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

Is this bill from BT? Does it not say anywhere what these "one-off" charges are for? The line rental at 48.15 sounds right, as does the 4.50 (for not paying by d/d). Have you spoken to BT to query the amount and find our what the 270 quid is for?

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

Yep they say its a reconcilliation charge for a BT Business Plan. Apparently when you sign up, in the small print you agree to spend £500 a year or they charge you the difference between what you actually spend and the £500.
Like I said before there is no way we would have agreed to that as its a Fax/Broadband line only, so I'm now going to wait and see what they come back with.

I bet you though it will be something to do with us having our calls through Rely Telecom and that BT will come back with that excuse.

[WendyB]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

Sorry Sapph, I must have posted my questions beofre you edited your first post. If they have said they are going to come back to you then I suppose you should wait and see what they say. Otherwise a case for mis-selling the product in the first place I would think.

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

Funnily enough we received an 'advertisement card' with the bill for the Business One Plan and right at the bottom in writing so miniscule that I can't read it without my glasses is the following:

Terms & conditions: 1, opt in required, Annual minimum spend of £500 plus and reconcilliation fees apply, 24 month term etc etc

Well they make that easy for peeps to see don't they, now I am thinking was this the same when we signed up. Ho Hum will have to wait and we won't we.

[TANZARELLI]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

Do you not have copies of the T&Cs?

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

I'm going to dig out the original agreements and see what I can find.

[Sapphire]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT

BT have just called, yes Argie it was a nice person from Foreign climes. Anyway after a long drawn out talk with himself (I let him talk to them he is more subtle than I am) they have agreed that we would not have signed up for a 'Plan' as the number is obviously just for the Fax & Broadband and therefore no calls would be made from the number.
They have agreed to cancel the bill and re-issue without the £270.78 One-Off Charge.
They are going to pass on our comments about the £4.50 processing fee, and in fact said that they are receiving many many complaints about that fee, and BT are looking into it.

So all in all it looks like this is settled, I call that a RESULT !!!!!

[scottishlass]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT - RESULT !!!!!

Brilliant Sapphy

Also like the bit about the £4.50 charge

[WendyB]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT - RESULT !!!!!

I am impressed. You must have got one of the 30% of the 0.1%. And a helpful person at that.
That's a very speedy resolution and BT deserve a pat on the back.

RESULT!!!!!!!!

[TANZARELLI]

Re: Saffy's fallout with BT - RESULT !!!!!

Nice one