DS Forums

 
 

BT Small Print - Watch out if you don't make chargeable calls...


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 04-02-2008, 22:21
Colin_London
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858

Just noticed the small print on the letter setting out the changes in force from 1/4/08.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.co..._popupid=23771

Look at Note 2 on the second page:

2. <The Unlimited Weekend Plan>: Available to eligible residential BT Together Option 1 (‘Unlimited Weekend Plan’ from 1st April) customers who make at least
one chargeable call a month with BT. BT reserves the right to move customers from the BT Together Option 1 (‘Unlimited Weekend Plan’ from 1st April 2008) to the Line Rental Plan if they make less than one chargeable call a month.

No mention that I can find of what this mysterious 'Line Rental Plan' is, but you can probably bet that it is not good news for those that only use their line for broadband access.....

Colin_London is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 05-02-2008, 09:54
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
'The Line Rental Plan' appears to be the new 'Unlimited Weekend Plan' but without the free calls (which, of course, is bizarre)!

See these posts on MSE.
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2008, 10:34
itsalltelly
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dover and Bluebell Hill
Posts: 1,454
'The Line Rental Plan' appears to be the new 'Unlimited Weekend Plan' but without the free calls (which, of course, is bizarre)!

See these posts on MSE.
OK I have got to the bottom of this

Basically you cannot use the 'Unlimited weekend Plan' just for the free calls, if you dont make at least one chargeable call per month you will not be entitled to the 'free' calls and will be moved to the 'Line Rental Plan' where ALL calls are chargeable. This is not the 'Light user scheme' so you will be able to have Broadband as well

So those who use BT just for the line will pay £10.50 month paperless and DD

I get the feeling BT dont want people to route calls over their line anymore I mean 6p set up fee, whats that about? Operators sitting in front of a patch panel connecting calls ended 40 years ago
itsalltelly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2008, 15:26
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
I get the feeling BT dont want people to route calls over their line anymore I mean 6p set up fee, whats that about?
Presumably, Virgin Media take the same view - their connection charge is 7p now!
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 00:26
Colin_London
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
I get the feeling BT dont want people to route calls over their line anymore I mean 6p set up fee, whats that about? Operators sitting in front of a patch panel connecting calls ended 40 years ago
Of course a 'call set up fee' has no relation to a technical function that is any more expensive than keeping the call open for a duration.

It is purely a mechanism for assigning a minimum cost to a call, and a lot more profitable than a 'per minute' charge as it racks up income for all those wrong numbers and calls that are terminated as soon as an answering machine kicks in
Colin_London is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2008, 11:44
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
Of course a 'call set up fee' has no relation to a technical function that is any more expensive than keeping the call open for a duration.

It is purely a mechanism for assigning a minimum cost to a call, and a lot more profitable than a 'per minute' charge as it racks up income for all those wrong numbers and calls that are terminated as soon as an answering machine kicks in
And BT's own 1571 service is a prime culprit ('answering' immediately - and costing the caller 6p + 3¼p* for the first minute peak - if the person being called is engaged on a call).

Dump 1571!

* 4p from 1st April 2008 for those on the Unlimited Weekend Plan or the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan and using BT to make their calls.
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 16:29
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
I just got this mail from BT. I'm currently on option 1, paperless and DD so should drop to 10.50 come April. It's the added bit about adding the FREE evenings too (as long as I sign the 12 month contract) that Im pondering.

Anything other than the above posts I should be weary of ???
I need a BT line anyway for my Internet access via Be* and cant see me moving to Cable anytime soon.

Just, if I read right I can have FREE evenings and weekend calls for £10.50/month and note I might have to make one small daytime call just to keep it active a month (need to remember) ?????
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 17:01
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
Just, if I read right I can have FREE evenings and weekend calls for £10.50/month and note I might have to make one small daytime call just to keep it active a month (need to remember) ?????
Welcome to the DS forums mudslide.

Yes, you can. With BT's offer (agreeing to change to 'the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan'), you'll get free evening and weekend UK 01/02/03 calls of up to an hour - provided you agree to a 'rolling 12-month contract' with them.

OTOH, you can get fee evening and weekend UK 01/02/03 calls of up to 90 minutes if you just CPS your calls with Primus - with no 12 month contract requirement.

Please click HERE.
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 17:05
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
Thanks....I thought my phone bill used to be simple, now I feel like there is evil behind BT's plans.
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 17:16
Rog
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Stockport
Posts: 1,660
Just to be clear, are these BT free weekend calls subject to a conenction charge or are they really free?
Rog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 17:41
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
Just to be clear, are these BT free weekend calls subject to a conenction charge or are they really free?
Really free - subject to you making at least one chargeable call via BT each month though.
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 17:47
Rog
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Stockport
Posts: 1,660
Really free - subject to you making at least one chargeable call via BT each month though.
In that case I might sign up for the free evening calls as well
Rog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 18:58
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
I know this is a pain these questions but can a chargeable call simply say be a 10 second day time call or is there a set amount of time you need to be on ???
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 19:21
Colin_London
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
I know this is a pain these questions but can a chargeable call simply say be a 10 second day time call or is there a set amount of time you need to be on ???
Yes - any single call that attracts a charge in a particular month will ensure you keep the free weekend calls, even if that charge is only a single 6p connection charge.

The trouble is a lot of people make all their chargeable weekday calls via a CPS or a VoIP service, and making that one call per month via BT could easily be forgotten. If they forget it seems they are in danger of losing their free weekend calls.

So, if you want the free BT weekend calls, the minimum you can pay per month is £10.56 including VAT.

I wonder how soon after April 1st BT will start turfing CPS customers off the free weekend call plan?
Colin_London is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-02-2008, 22:10
lily48
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 27
Just wonder if it does have to be one call per month as I pay quarterly, could it be three calls in any month per quarter. Also will this chargeable call be counted towards free caller display & 1571? I think, I might just dump them both and only use 18185 for all my calls. Any idea how do I cancel both? Thanks
lily48 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2008, 21:54
poppasmurf
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Arley, Worcs
Posts: 1,334
Thanks....I thought my phone bill used to be simple, now I feel like there is evil behind BT's plans.
Many of us on this forum have thought that for years!

By the way, I've found the best way of remembering to make your calls via BT (I do 2 each month for free Caller Display) is to do them on the first of each month and it soon gets to be a habit.

DLTBGYD (Don't let the Ba**ards Grind You Down)
poppasmurf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2008, 23:24
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
I didnt realise that caller display wasnt totally FREE. I guess I must have been lucky and made one or two calls (I rarely do)
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2008, 08:26
ney
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Scotland, Dunfermline Area
Posts: 10,698
I have been up untill now using the BT Broadband talk some weekends to get a free call. We are not heavy phone callers but we do use phone at lest once a week and make a chargable call every now and again but at times we were using broadband talk to get the free calls. BT seem to give you something that sounds good then theres always a catch to it. My last BT bill the service charges was nearly £18 more than the cost of the calls. I pay £5 a week towards my BT bill with the BT payment card.

Darren
ney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2008, 15:12
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
Not happy and now contacted BT.

As my posts above I was option 1 and got the letter of FREE weekends but if I wanted FREE weekends too I could go to the website specified and get that too.

Yesterday pre doing this my calling plan on BT website showed £10.50 but is now showing option 2 at £13.95 or thereabouts.
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2008, 15:20
Heinz
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NE Essex,6½m SSW of Sudbury TX
Posts: 7,107
Not happy and now contacted BT.

As my posts above I was option 1 and got the letter of FREE weekends but if I wanted FREE weekends too I could go to the website specified and get that too.

Yesterday pre doing this my calling plan on BT website showed £10.50 but is now showing option 2 at £13.95 or thereabouts.
I've just e-mailed BT asking why there is no online option to upgrade to BT Together Option 2 / the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan and agree to a rolling 12 month contract at the £10.50/month price (the only one there is doesn't mention the 'rolling contract' option and raises the cost to £13.95).
Heinz is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2008, 15:50
gillyallan
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,102
Right this was bugging me so I phoned them. Inidan call centre I guess.

Anyway, they are saying I will be charged my usual 11.95 (11 something anyway, couldnt make them out) and not the 13.95 it says on the website.

I asked "is it just your own BT website is outdated then?" and he said "yes"

I will be monitoring my bills from now on that's for sure.


Way to go though....launch a product and letter everyone but forget to update the website where the bulk of folk would probably sign up.
gillyallan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-02-2008, 22:07
TeeGee
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dark Satanic Mills
Posts: 4,809
I'm as confused as the next man however I am planning to keep the BT line (although could change the whole lot over to Plusnet) and pay £5 a month for Sky Talk Anytime.

My only real query is does Sky Talk include CLI or is that included in my BT line rental........??

I also have voipcheap for "free" daytime calls but SHMBO would prefer it all via the one phone!
TeeGee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-02-2008, 02:33
TheFirstCut
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Proud European!
Posts: 7,120
I'm as confused as the next man however I am planning to keep the BT line (although could change the whole lot over to Plusnet) and pay £5 a month for Sky Talk Anytime.

My only real query is does Sky Talk include CLI or is that included in my BT line rental........??

I also have voipcheap for "free" daytime calls but SHMBO would prefer it all via the one phone!
If you line rental remains with BT and only your calls are CPS'd to Sky (The wise choice - never move line rental away from BT) then any options on the line like Caller Display and 1571 are via BT.

If you have free caller display and 1571 then you need to make those few calls over BT - 1280 otherwise BT will charge you for them.

You can also use Call 18185 for cheaper calls to mobiles and other numbers.
TheFirstCut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-02-2008, 16:45
TeeGee
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dark Satanic Mills
Posts: 4,809
TVM Firstcut. My instinct tells me to keep the line with BT however much I would prefer not to!
TeeGee is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:04.