I've just been helping book a new phone line plus the basic 10GB per month BT internet package for my brother in law. I must admit I'm slightly confused by the fact that the special offer for the internet access gives around 50% off for the first 12 months, so it looks like the cheap offer ends at the same time as the contract does.

I was cynically expecting a lock-in beyond the first year so BT would at least collect a few months at the higher rate and now I can't help wondering if I've missed something in the small print.

Don't think so..as far as I was aware all BT Broadband packages are 12 months.

It seems they are 12 months for new customers but if you want to re-contract at the end you can only get an 18 month contract.

Thanks for the replies. At least in 12 months it looks like he'll be free to find a better deal, assuming there actually is one.

That's not true, I've only renewed for 12 months at a time (although one time they mistakenly thought it was 18 months, which was fine with me since my discount lasted longer). I assume this is because they've tied it to the "free BT Sport" thing - renew for 12 months and get BT Sport for free/discounted for that year.

I wanted to keep BT sports for free and just renewed both BB and TV and was required to go for 18 months on each. I was also happy to do that as my existing deals were moved over too. Of course BT have seemingly been less than economical with the facts over the state of the BT Sport free deal so it is quite possible the deals on offer have varied for different customers.

Whenever I have renewed it has always been for 12 months, never had an 18 month contract with them for Phone or BB.....BTTV maybe 18 months though, but never had that so don't know.

I know what you mean I had a call from BT the guy said if I don't want to pay an extra £5 a month for BT Europe I should recontract for 18 months we get BT Tv as well, I told him I called in June to do that he said no it's not on my account???? So I called them back the lady said I had recontracted in June so no need to do anything, I don't think BT departments know what they are doing half the time & if you get India forget it they havn't a clue.

18 months must be for BTTV then, because on the email I got for BT Europe for £5 a month I could have it until my contract ended or renew for another 12 months..no mention of 18 months anywhere with just having BB.

Hi, yes it was for them both BT TV & Infinity 2 when you think about it it's all about chasing money

If my recontract email says 12 months and the person on the phone said its 18 months which is correct?

I'm sure if it's for BT Europe + BT Sport it's 18 months with BT TV then you get it for free instead of paying £5 a month, Talk about confusing I would call them back & ask them to look at your account as I did, The trouble with BT is there too many departments for this & that, The young sounding whizz kid who called me didn't seem to know I had called in June to renew for 18 months. Oh forgot to say I didn't even get an email confirming it has been renewed for 18 months.

Well I am another who recontracted in June... to get free BT Sport. The contract set out in their email was 18 months for both broadband *and* BT TV.

However, I have just recontracted the TV again, to get the new UHD box and guess what? The 18 month TV contract was replaced by... a 12 month one!

Sometimes, the ever present confusion up at BT CS can work to your advantage!