BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

[Tommy]

Didnt know where to put this so here goes.

Around april/may time i switched from AOL to bt for BB. my partner has had a bt line for ages, just added the service on.

Since then ive been hit with huge final reminder letters but no bills. Each time untill now i have made part payments and been assured a bill will follow.

Three times i have been assured on the phone it will be dealt with and a copy sent out, not once have BT sent us a statement, telling us we have paper free billing. Well i told them i never asked for this so send a bill FFS!!!

Previously they took a card payment in person on the phone, which is now against there procedure, and when i complained as to how i was able to deal with partners account, be told the balance etc, they replied by email apolagising for breaching DPA!!!

So anyway, im now considering going with talktalk, and telling BT where to go, what should i write to them and where should i send this, i think they need a real rocket up there a$$, and im NOT preared to pay another dime untill i see the phonebill on paper as it was before april/may time.

Thanks in advance tommy.

[Amethyst]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

Personally I wouldnt go with talktalk - have heard so many issues with them and experienced their poor service myself.

I'm sure BT have to give you a paperbill even for broadband if you request it. I also think they are allowed to charge you a premium for doing so, I have to go out, but unless someone else just knows the info, I'll have a look up when I come back x Think there was something on OFCOM about it.

[shell]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

As for Virgin, they charge you £5.00 just to pay your bill every month, unless you pay by direct debit.

[enaid]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

here is a bit info re complaining and code of practice.
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Regula...ofPractice.htm

[Amethyst]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...addcharges.pdf
bit on there about UTCCR and charges for paper bills.

BT's own site states
''All broadband deals require a BT phone line, line rental of £11.25 paperless billing or £12.50 standard billing applies.''

Is your phone on paperless billing? Might be that has to change to if the services are joined together.

[Tommy]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

Bt have now restricted my line, sent another reminder, and are threatening cancelation charges on the phone.

Im right now talking to a far east call centre and getting nowhere fast... again...

[Tommy]

Re: BT automated 'pay your bill' messages, no statements!

Here is my previouse email RE them breeching DP just for a giggle...

Response (Kelly McDermott)16/03/2010 11:18 AM Dear Tommy,

Thank you for your e-mail dated 12/03/10 regarding you most recent contact with BT.

I called you this morning, I am sorry I missed you. I did leave a message on your answer machine to let you know I had called and would reply by e-mail.

In relation to your most recent email query I would like to apologise in regards to Data Protection being breached.

I would also like to apologise that you don’t feel comfortable making payments to off-shore colleagues.

You can be added as a contact on the account and this can be done if the account holder gets in contact with BT and authorises your name on the account. I do apologise that this has not been advised to you before. We do not pass on customer information so therefore your email address will not be passed to any other departments.

There is a £10.00 charge for obtaining information in regards to getting correspondence records from BT. This needs to be sent to:
British Telecommunications PLC
PP M3042 DSAR
Colindale House
The Hyde
Colindale
LONDON NW9 6LB

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience you may have been caused and my thanks for your patience an co-operation in this matter.

I hope this clears all your questions and concerns and again I am sorry I was unable to speak to you directly; If there is anything else I can help you with; please feel free to contact me via replying to this e-mail or visiting BT.com Help

You will shortly receive a survey by email asking how I personally dealt with your recent contact via BT.com. If you would like to comment on how I have dealt with your email contact then please use the survey that will be sent to you to do so. The questions relate to me personally and any feedback you provide will be highlighted to my Manager. There is also a box for general comments about your experience with BT.

Thank you for contacting BT.

Yours sincerely,

Kelly Mc Dermott
BT Digital Care Advisor

This email contains BT information, which may be privileged or confidential. It's meant only for the individual(s) or entity named above. If you're not the intended recipient, note that disclosing, copying, distributing or using this information is prohibited. If you've received this email in error, please let me know immediately on the email address above. Thank you. We monitor our email system, and may record your emails.
British Telecommunications plc

Registered office: 81 Newgate Street London EC1A 7AJ Registered in England no: 1800000 Customer (Tommy)
12/03/2010 09:42 PM
Hi.

The account this complaint is regarding is A/C xxx.
I am not the account holder, my partner is.

Today I recieved a call from BT automated ringing system at 17.20 12/3/10. The operator claimed to be called Daniel. In fact i was later informed his name is ED Marcus Arguelles.

The operator asked to speak to the account holder, but as i was already aware of the line being suspended and was intending to pay the over due bill of £32.35 I just informed the operater i was going to pay the bill if thats what he was calling about.

The operator went on to ask me if i would pay the account in full- £80.81p, to be honest at that point i had my card ready and gave him the details, my name, card number/exp/security etc. Just prior to making the payment i asked if i had authorisation to deal with the account ( every single time i call about my partners account, including other accounts, im asked for her to give verbal authorisation) . 'Daniel' said no, if i cant confirm the account details i have no authority. I then went on to explain that as i have no authority, he has breached data protection by telling me the exact account balance before getting authority. I asked to talk to a superviser, but he didnt seem able to find one so i thought he had sweat enough, and wouldnt make this mistake again.

I would be gratefull if you would listen to the recorded call, and maybe produce a copy for me too.

It was only a short while later i thought i would ring bt to see when the bar would be lifted on the phone line, and i heard the recorded massage saying that BT have now changed the way card payments are made in the interest of our personal security. No longer could an operator take card payments. So i queried this with the next operater, and she confirmed that 'Daniel' wasnt actually 'daniel', and not only had he breached data protection, he had also acted in non accordance with his own offices guidelines!!!

At this point i called my bank, varified the card payment to bt was correct and reported the suspect operator fraudulently getting my card details. My card has been cancelled, and now i will be inconvenienced should i need it in the next 4 working days.

The reason this bill was paid so late was the way call centre operaters have previously dealt with my calls. I dont trust half of them, especially those that appear to speak very bad english. I also do not like using the automated system incase the computer makes an error. In future this account will be paid via chq or direct debit.

A bit about me, I work for several large debt recovery companies, and through them i have collected many bad debts originating from BT amongst other clients. I am fully aware of the OFT guidelines set out and put in place to protect consumers. I feel my trust in BT holding any information on myself of my partner has been totally violated. Please tell me why i should not make this formal and involve the OFT and trading standards.

I trust you will not pass my email address on without permission, and if need be you can respond in writing to the account holder. Also as the account holder has the right to retrieve any and all information held on your records, id like you to send the account holder the records including this conversation recording, or send the documentation needed for you to produce it (sending this now will make both our lifes easier and may lessen the overall complaint), otherwise i will personally seek advice and draft the relevent documents myself, at your cost should a complaint be found.

Looking forward to your reply,

Tommy.