For once, the lack of updates in this blog has been due to circumstances outside my control. I've been mugged by the UK's largest telecommunications company. BT took my phone line and forced me into a twelve month contract with them.
New neighbours moved into the house next door and asked for a telephone line to be installed. BT looked at their database and, instead of simply switching the previous tenant's account over to the new tenant, accidentally switched my telephone line over to my neighbour instead.
Now, I wasn't with BT. I paid my bills to another phone company who rented that line from BT (if you want to know why I wasn't with BT, just try phoning their customer support -- the number is 0800 800 880 -- and see how you get on).
So BT switched the line over in error, cutting me off without my consent. My old telephone provider said they couldn't reconnect me -- they needed that BT line back.
I called BT customer services on my mobile. They promised that their complaints department would contact me within 48 hours.
Of course they didn't.
I called them back: a three and a half hour phone call, during which time they kept me on hold for three hours. If I'd known it would take that long, I would have watched a couple of films, back to back.
BT informed me that they would reconnect the line within two working days. The cost to me? A mere £50 deposit. They refused to reconnect the line without this payment up front. If I wanted a phone I had no option but to cough up.
*Sounds of spitting fury from this end of the conversation*
And there was worse to come. Because BT disconnected my phone in error, and the only way I could get my phone line back was through BT, BT insisted that I sign up for a 12 month contract with them -- at a much higher cost than what I was paying my old provider.
"Is that legal?" I asked, incredulous. "It sounds like extortion."
They remained sympathetic, but insistent. Twelve month contract or no phone.
"I've had no phone or internet for a week a now," I explained, "and I need those reconnected so that I can work. I have a deadline. The final US proofs for my second book will be emailed to me any day now, and I need to be in contact with my editor -- I need to send documents and queries back and forth to the USA. If I can't do that, the book will be delayed and all the money Bantam spent on advertising will be wasted."
Again they remained sympathetic, but insistent. Twelve month contract or nothing.
And it really seemed that I didn't have a choice. I called every other phone company I could think of. They all told me the same thing: "We need a working BT line."
Obviously, this works out well for BT. By disconnecting the phone line of a customer with a rival company and by being the only provider willing to reconnect that line, BT can steal that customer away from the rival company and then strong-arm them into a new contract with themselves, all without that customer's consent. Good for the shareholders. Bad for customer relations, but then who cares about the customers, right? Three hours waiting on hold really nails that point home.
I'm told this is called "slamming" in the telecommunications industry. It feels like I've been mugged.
I needed a phone, so I had to pay, and I had to sign up for the 12 month contract. They didn't reconnect me in two days, as promised. The whole process took 17 days, during which time I remained cut off.
That's BT for you. If you're thinking of going with them for your phone, you can call them on 0800 800 880. If you decide to go with another company instead, you might end up with BT anyway.
New neighbours moved into the house next door and asked for a telephone line to be installed. BT looked at their database and, instead of simply switching the previous tenant's account over to the new tenant, accidentally switched my telephone line over to my neighbour instead.
Now, I wasn't with BT. I paid my bills to another phone company who rented that line from BT (if you want to know why I wasn't with BT, just try phoning their customer support -- the number is 0800 800 880 -- and see how you get on).
So BT switched the line over in error, cutting me off without my consent. My old telephone provider said they couldn't reconnect me -- they needed that BT line back.
I called BT customer services on my mobile. They promised that their complaints department would contact me within 48 hours.
Of course they didn't.
I called them back: a three and a half hour phone call, during which time they kept me on hold for three hours. If I'd known it would take that long, I would have watched a couple of films, back to back.
BT informed me that they would reconnect the line within two working days. The cost to me? A mere £50 deposit. They refused to reconnect the line without this payment up front. If I wanted a phone I had no option but to cough up.
*Sounds of spitting fury from this end of the conversation*
And there was worse to come. Because BT disconnected my phone in error, and the only way I could get my phone line back was through BT, BT insisted that I sign up for a 12 month contract with them -- at a much higher cost than what I was paying my old provider.
"Is that legal?" I asked, incredulous. "It sounds like extortion."
They remained sympathetic, but insistent. Twelve month contract or no phone.
"I've had no phone or internet for a week a now," I explained, "and I need those reconnected so that I can work. I have a deadline. The final US proofs for my second book will be emailed to me any day now, and I need to be in contact with my editor -- I need to send documents and queries back and forth to the USA. If I can't do that, the book will be delayed and all the money Bantam spent on advertising will be wasted."
Again they remained sympathetic, but insistent. Twelve month contract or nothing.
And it really seemed that I didn't have a choice. I called every other phone company I could think of. They all told me the same thing: "We need a working BT line."
Obviously, this works out well for BT. By disconnecting the phone line of a customer with a rival company and by being the only provider willing to reconnect that line, BT can steal that customer away from the rival company and then strong-arm them into a new contract with themselves, all without that customer's consent. Good for the shareholders. Bad for customer relations, but then who cares about the customers, right? Three hours waiting on hold really nails that point home.
I'm told this is called "slamming" in the telecommunications industry. It feels like I've been mugged.
I needed a phone, so I had to pay, and I had to sign up for the 12 month contract. They didn't reconnect me in two days, as promised. The whole process took 17 days, during which time I remained cut off.
That's BT for you. If you're thinking of going with them for your phone, you can call them on 0800 800 880. If you decide to go with another company instead, you might end up with BT anyway.
posted by Alan Campbell | 3:20 PM
6 Comments:
Al,
As much as I sympathise with your problems with BT, you can at least gain one crumb of comfort. Old Fishy works for BT, and is a BT shareholder so our daylight mugging of the UK's most up-and-coming fantasy author means that I'll be able to send my kids to private school earlier. The company shouldn't be lambasted for the odd mistake here and there, and if you saw the state of the staff at our call centres, you would understand why it takes them so long to answer the phone. Eating Pot Noodles & playing sudoku takes alot of energy.
Bastards!
They rather rely on people being too busy to kick up a fuss.
Go straight to Ofcom. They'll kick the face off BT so hard it'll probably travel back in time.
We had an issue with British Gas a few years ago, after moving out of one property and trying to get connected at another they said we had an outstanding bill of 400+ quid, even though we had paid by direct debit. The only way we could have spent so much money on Energy would be if we had a heated swimming pool.
They were useless, I spent hours on the phone and sent several letters. I contacted Energywatch, and they sorted the entire thing with one letter on headed notepaper.
Hi Alan
Things like this really get up by snozzle! I had a problem with T-Mobile a couple of years back. They sold me a mobile, then the next week, offered me another of the same for £10 cheaper. When I accepted the cheaper, they then wouldn't take the old one back, so two mobiles on contract, like it or not! Ha!
Or so they thought. I contacted Ofcom, the official office of communications, and made a complaint. It actually worked and both contracts were waived. Those Big Corps listen to their regulators, so you might want to consider dropping them a line? http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
Ironically, the Ofcom website is undergoing maintenance this weekend, but when it's up and running, fill out a complaint form and see if anyone can help you?
Best
JB
It seems the bigger the company the more they can get away with. I've got a story about a certain gas company and the running battles I've had with them over the last few months - It's all sorted now, but just thinking about it makes me go all pink in the face and shouty.
I woundn't mind if they just admitted they had made a mistake but it seems customer service has long since died in the pursuit of profits.
Yes. Go to Ofcom now. And while you're at it, copy and paste your blog entry into an email and send it to the Guardian's 'Money' section, which has a regular column dedicated to sorting such things out, preferably to the maximum embarrassment of the companies concerned. Most of them would be offering child slavery as a special service option if they thought they could legally gain a profit from it. They rely on people *not* shouting and yelling very publicly in order to get away with this shit. If you ever have to deal with this again on the phone, make it clear you're going to Ofcom or your mp and see if that gets them moving.
While you're at it, it appears the Guardian has already noticed BT's shambolic behaviour:
http://tinyurl.com/3ajomv
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