Another BT complaints waiting to be resolved

[FeralArtCommiss]

My partner directed me here as she found that some cases had been solved by getting in touch here.

I have copy and pasted my situation as I have been trying to get this resolved for nearly 6 months and I'm tired of explaining it.

If any help to solve this can be given I would be very greatful as I have been passed from complaints manager to complaints manager and they 'assure me my bills are correct' even though I have a contract that says otherwise along with a slew of other evidence and they have lied to the onbudsman to get half my complaint thrown out ( the part with over inflated bills, incorrect charges, and the money the owe me, by saying it's a different account number, which it's not.

I have appealed the onbudsman decision but yet again waiting on them.

Next step if this fails is seeking legal advise as I've had enough 

 

As of August last year I had to move from plusnet to BT business as plusnet would no longer provide business internet.

The first interaction with BT (14/08/23) I couldn’t connect a device and I the first thing a representative did (before trouble shooting) was try to upsell me a static IP, at a monthly fee, turns out it was a software issue with the hub

Then as I have since found out my direct debit failed and the first instance I knew about this is when I received a letter telling me it had been cut off and I needed to reconnect which MAY lead to additional charges, apparently there is also a step they missed besides informing me that my speeds should have been restricted but that also was not followed.

The potential fees ended up with me having to take out a new line with them (under the same terms and pricing as the previous contract) which lead to a a bill of nearly £1000 being generated for the other line being cancelled, bare in mind this is the ‘potential’ fees and for a service I didn’t know was being cancelled.

Since then I have questioned the fees and despite their lack of communication they still stand by their fees.

I ended up setting up a payment plan for the owed amount as I felt pressured in to doing so with their overwhelming communication once they had decided I owed them this money. But have only made the first payment of £255..34, I have since ceased as not only should I not owe them this but they have continued to try and take more and more from me and not fully resolving issues.

Further to this with the new line that was taken out I have been in touch with them a further 5 times. Due to each bill being generated being wildly over priced. 
My original bill I was paying came too £41.94 but I was issued bills of double that and up to over £100. Over phone calls and their live chat I have been assured it would be solved. They had also added a cloud voice express service that I was being charged for which I never asked for.

This was ‘fixed’ multiple times and when the next month came around I would have another over charged bill waiting for me.

I then moved house and due to their outstanding fees I was worried about not being able to take out internet with anyone else and as I’m with by business I need the internet to make a living. So I stupidly let them reassure me they would fix me previous bills and set up a new line, I have been here nearly 2 months waiting for a bill to be generated (I know sometimes it takes longer, and I have been in regular contact with them over my other bills and it hasn’t been mentioned. But now I have a bill that’s £298 instead of £24.22, in this are 2 late payment charges, for either the bills they still haven’t fixed and I have an ongoing complaint about, or the bill that hadn’t been generated yet, which? I’m not sure
I spoke to a case manager after finally getting to escalate my complaint who was apparently removing those charges but again that has not been done.

The above case manager was referring me back to another manager who was ‘definitely’ going to be in touch Monday the 29th or Tuesday the 30th to help resolve all of this as they didn’t have the authorisation to sort the owed amounts. It’s now Thursday the 2nd and I have heard anything again. Further proof of their lack of communication.

My new business internet was also cut off stopping me from working for a day and a half, due to unpaid bills at the previous address that I was still in touch with them for disputing, I was told the day it was cut off it shouldn’t have happened and they would have it up and running in the next 24 hours, after 26 hours I had to get back in touch and cask them again, it took a further hour and a half. This cost me around £350 on my freelancing day fees and hourly costs during the time I was cut off. Not too mention the time I have sent on the phone and in live chats trying to sort this instead of working, the hours wasted bring this total up to £545.47
Finally I have been charged for not sending back equipment but even though I have requested envelopes to be sent so i can return them I have not received it but with all the billing issue stress I haven’t been able to request they actually send one out to me and ensure it gets done this time.

[Pro]

Hi there, 

That is a lot to digest. Have you been given an IMP reference? If not they are in breach of ofcom regulations right there.

The BT system logs every notification they send you (they call it a KCI, keep customer informed), so they will have a record of how they informed you when your direct debit failed long before it got to the point of no return. If BT has contacted you on the details you gave them and you failed to notice or read it then BT can't really be held accountable for the cease. However, the fact that you set up a new account, and are paying the bills, means they should, in all fairness, waive the cancellation fee for the other line.

BT aren't out of pocket, it's a made up system, it literally cost them nothing to cancel you and nothing to set you up again, in fact the salesperson who placed the order no doubt got commission! I would understand if you went to another provider but you have remained loyal and that has to count for something.

I suggest you go through their process to raise a freedom of information request (call them for the process) and get all the information they hold to see exactly how and when they have contacted you.

What they can be held accountable for is the lack of customer service in light of all these issues. Failed contacts, broken promises, being fobbed off and lied to are completely unnacceptable.

The key is getting  your issues resolved is getting 1 person to handle all your issues, you're almost there with the manager calling you, but they also failed, but this could work in your favour. Call the desk and ask the agent you speak to, to find out who this managers manager is and get them to call you, tell them it is unnaceptable that a member of their team has broken promises. It could be enough to get them to take ownership.

One thing I can tell you about BT is that they cannot refuse escalation, it is a golden rule, they might try and put you off but if they do then call them out on it!

They should also refund you the early termination charges, I would not let that lie.

Good luck.

[AdamC]

Hi,

I am sorry for the issues. If you still need assistance with this please privately message me and I can assist.

Thank you,

Adam

[FeralArtCommiss]

Thank you, for your help. I've contacted Adam below, hopefully I can get somewhere! I do have an IMP, though I had to get it reopened as after requesting it stayed open. They closed it on top of the other nonsense 😱. Looking forward to it being done with.

[FeralArtCommiss]

Unfortunately this forum is not able to help resolve my matter, if you receive a deadlock letter from the higher ups onbudsman is the next step.

If not I guess it's seeking legal advice.

Thanks for your help anyway

All the best