Paperless Billing, problems with....

[aerialsandtv]

In order to avoid the rip off "payment processing fee" on my business account (£9 ! how can they justify that.....) I signed up for Paperless Billing, and was told I could pay by card over the phone.

I have to say that BT`s "Payment Processing Fee" VERY much upsets me, both on my business lines and my home line. In fact I`ve even thought of leaving BT because of it. As a principle I do not like Direct Debits, particularly for varying amounts.

My first bill has just come through by E Mail but still includes the rip off £9 fee !

It took some time examining the bill to see I`d been charged it then credited it, too complicated.....

Next I tried to pay the bill Online with my company Switch card but the site said the payment was declined by my bank. After about 20 mins on the phone to my bank they said they hadn`t declined it and in fact hadn`t even had a request for payment through from BT !  Eventually I had to phone BT and get the bill paid that way (using the same card) no problem by the way......

The VAT invoice doesn`t include the total amount of the bill anywhere on it, I`ve got to get the old calculator out and write it on. Every VAT invoice I`ve ever received has the total excluding VAT, the VAT, and the total including VAT on it. Why can`t BT do the same as everyone else ?

[Fiona]

Hi

Payment Processing Fee is a charge levied against Bluebills which are not paid by Direct Debit or the Monthly Payment Plan payment methods. The fee was first introduced in July 2007 and was designed to reflect the increased cost to BT, of other payment methods which are more costly to collect and process.

In order to encourage customers to adopt paperless billing, BT has decided to reward customers if they choose this method of bill delivery.

From 11 September 2009, Standard Paper Billed customers who choose to take the paperless billing option will be rewarded by BT with a bill credit to the value of £9 per quarterly bill or £3 per monthly bill. This is automatically credited to a customer’s bill.

This credit is the equivalent of the Payment Processing Fee charged to customers who do not pay by direct debit or Monthly Payment Plan and so will effectively "off-set" those charges.

I hope this helps

Kind Regards

Fiona

BT Business Forum Moderator

[bookluver321]

Did you get charged a fee for paying over the phone?  This is a problem that I have run into lately.... companies charging processing fees for calling and paying. 

[Teable]

I've just been informed that BT have decided from 1 April 2013, to cease offering the paper free billing discount of £9.00 and only offer the discount of £9.00 if customer's pay by Direct Debit.

Since taking on a BT 'phone line (July 2009), every bill (and I do not exaggerate) has had errors.  I have to spend at least 30 minutes questionning the charges that have been applied to my company's account.  This costs me time, but of course this means nothing to BT.  Every business I know does not charge their customer's to handle their payment.  If this does upset BT, then BT should complain to the UK gorvenment because it is they who ask that we produce accounts and records (and for the VAT registered quarterly VAT submissions).  Bookwork is part and parcel of running any business in the UK.

Now I understand that we are to be charged, whether paper free or not, £9.00 to process payments to BT.  I was told that this was formally posted on the BT website.  I have carried out searches on BT.com and I cannot find it. 

When I complained to the BT billing centre I asked if my call was being recorded to which the BT worker replied 'of course', for what purposes were the calls being recorded?  I do hope that management listen to the feedback of their customers.