I have a friend that had a large phone-bill, but she was due to leave home for a few weeks to have a Baby at a distant hospital. She phoned BT, paid 'X' amount and asked if she could pay the rest after she had the Baby.

BT said that was fine.

When she got back 5 weeks later, her phone had been cut off. She still had to wait another couple of weeks before she could pay. She phoned BT from a Pay As You Go [Vodafone] Mobile, it cost her £20.00 and she never got to speak to anyone because her credit rand out.

Later, somehow she got to speak to BT. They let her pay her bill, but could not give her old number back. They gave her a new number and charged her £50.00 deposit for the new number.

Does that sound right? I told her to leave BT and go to Sky like me.
After I left BT, they sent me two phone bills. I phoned them as said that it was impossible as I am not a BT customer... 'Eventually...' they sorted it out for me.

If her old number is 'spare' BT can reallocate it to her at no charge although it will take a few days.

I know that they can give it back, but as far as I knew, they must hold on to that number for a long period of time before passing it on, therefore, in my opinion, it was wrong of them to make her take another number, at an extra cost too. Not only will it cost yet more money to inform people of the new number, but people that still have the old number might phone her in the future and get through to the wrong person, much to everyones annoyance.

What charge was raised? No charges are raised for changing a phone number.

It was not just a new phone-number, it was a new account. £50.00 deposit. It's not clear when/if you get that back.

Ok, the way I read your previous post was that BT had charged her for changing the number.

The £50 deposit will be refunded in 6 months as long as the bills are paid on time.

I don't think it is BTs fault that your friend's mobile phone provider charges for calls that from a landline are free.

The issue there is that they were so slow to answer. The main issue though is that they were cut-off in the first place
after a an agreement, albeit, verbal. Also, being forced to change numbers is unfair. You don't usually hear of that happening after a short 'cut off' period.

Hi Andy2009, If you wish send me a PM and I can a look into this for you.

As per the PM, thank you for fixing the problem.