I entered into a contract with 3 mobile via the mobiles4free company; which stated that my existing contract was running out within 6 months, and offering me a deal. I am not normally the sort of person to accept a deal that sounds too good; now its clear why! They offered me the next 6 months of my billing free after having paid the first months bill; this was at the beginning of 2009.

Since this time i have written 4 letters (receiving no reply), with copies of my bills paid as advised by the customer services department. Since this time the phoneline seems to have been shut down, and looking at the long list of complaints on this website im not too suprised!

To rub salt in the wounds, my phone at the time was not running out within 6 months; so how they got my number is still subject to debate. These guys really are having a laugh. I intend to contact watchdog independently about it, although that may well be just as fruitless as im sure many have already done
so!

British Telecom Complaints & Compensation

A BT engineer called out on 11th July and replaced an external box so that my line would be free from disconnections and crackle. However I was told to contact BT in order to get the box moved from the barge board of my bay window roof area. The engineer said there was likely to be a charge for this. However my building contractor advised me that since the BT line is pulling on my near-rotten barge board and therefore potentially causing structural damage. In addition, since the barge board and roof are in a poor state of repair the line connection is actually a hazard and should be moved at no cost to myself.

I tried to phone BT to get the matter rectified but was dealt with quite poorly by the BT helpline. I was told my line was to be tested but after 30 minutes nothing had happened.

I sent an e-mail asking BT to “Please clarify whether or not the line is to be moved and at whose expense.”

Emmett Burns, from eContact Customer Service replied with:

“Thank you for your e-mail concerning your telephone line. Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying to you and for any inconvenience this may have caused.

In response to your enquiry I can confirm that to have an internal line moved within your premises costs £165.33 including VAT. This comprises £49.00 for shift of line and £116.33 for the engineer call-out. This is a standard charge which applies to all customers wishing to carry out this request.

If you would like to place an order you can do so either by calling our Customer Services on 0800800150 or by replying to this email including a convenient time for someone to get in touch with you to arrange an appointment.

Thank you for contacting BT.”

On 18 Jul 2007, at 12:55, I sent a reply:

“I do not wish to have an internal line moved.
I wish to have to external line, which is currently precariously connected to a fascia board on my roof, moved to a safer, more secure location.
I fail to see why the BT engineer connected it to a wooden structure in the first place.
According to my building contractor, since the connection is causing the fascia board to pull from the roof, it should be removed at no coast to myself. This is what I thought had been agreed in the telephone conversion that took place on Saturday 14th July. Some consistency from BT would be much appreciated.

If you insist on charging me to move the line I shall be forced to obtain advice on where BT stands in relation to causing property damage through the initial thoughtless connection - which was done before I bought the property ten years ago.”

I received no reply. Instead, On 23 Jul 2007, a BT engineer called and moved the line from the fascia board on to the brickwork. I sent another e-mail stating: “I received no response from you regarding my e-mail. Please confirm what the situation is regarding a charge for this work.”

I received no reply. Instead I found, via my internet banking, that BT had charged me, through DIRECT DEBIT £282.70 on 09 AUG 2007 without ever once notifying me.

RSM723
Date Description Cost (£)
23 Jul Repaired/replacement equipment 13.70
23 Jul TimeScale Charge Apparatus Provision 269.00

Total £282.70

The £165.33 charge would have been bad enough. I thoroughly disgusted with BT and I am prepared to fight this all the way!

The evil trickery of BT knows no ends!

On 13 Aug 2007, at 21:01, Melissa Maguire, eContact Customer Service, Telephony Faults wrote:

"Thank you for your e-mail regarding engineer charges.

I would like to apologise for the delay in replying to you. I can confirm that the engineer charges excluding VAT are as follows:

Mon ? Sat, 8am ? 6pm: £99.00 call out charge + £85.00 per hour or part hour.

Other times except Sundays and Bank Holidays: £119.00 call out charge + £140.00 per hour or part hour.

Sundays and Bank Holidays: £139.00 call out charge + £220.00 per hour or part hour."

COMPLETELY IGNORING MY MSGS POST 18TH JULY.

I replied: "Why are you replying to my msg from 18th July when you know that on 9th of August you removed over £220 from by bank account after initially only mentioning a cost of £165, and knowing full well that I was disputing the need to pay any cost at all!

About a year and a half ago I received a call from bt asking if we would like to take on bt vision (the land line is in my husbands name ) The offer sounded good, we would pay nothing for the first six months and five pounds a month for a year. I thought this would be much cheaper than sky so I agreed to take it on. The box arrived but as we are both self employed and very busy, plus we are not technically minded, it was some time after it arrived that I tried to set it up. After following the instructions I had to admit defeat and phoned the help line, after some time they told me that as the mast we receive the signal from is not ready for digital, Bt vision would not work on our TV . At this point I told them I wanted to cancel the contract but they said it was too late as it was passed the cooling off period.
I pointed out that they were not providing us with their part of the contract but they wouldn't budge. As it was only £5 a month I thought I would just pay it rather than make a fuss.
In October this year I had to phone BT about another matter and asked at this point when I could cancel Bt vision. The girl I spoke to told me that I could cancel in Dec, she then asked me was I still with BT with my broadband and I told her I wasn't (I had gone over to sky with the tv, phone and broadband a few months before after phoning BT to find out when my contract with them for broadband was up and to receive a migration number) She then informed me that because of this it changed things and I was now due to pay over a hundred pounds. I wasn't really sure why. I then asked if I could send BT vision box back but she said no that they would not accept it back. A couple of weeks later I received a letter which enclosed a plastic bag asking me to return the BT vision box.
At this stage I thought they had decided this would be an end to the matter but a few days later they sent me a bill for £114. When I phoned them to say I had returned the box they said the bill was for failing to connect BT vision within the contracted time. I pointed out that I couldn't connect it and that as the line was in my husbands name they shouldn't have made a contract with me anyway but they said he must have given permission at some time for me to deal with BT.
They have now got debt collectors involved and the sum has now risen to £143.36. I don't know what to do we are so worried, can you give us advice? We have until the 3rd Dec. then the debt collctors have threatened court or a door step collector visiting our home to collect the balance personally.

In January 2009 I was back with BT. I was given false promises. I was suppose to be on a low monthly rental for telephone calls only. My first bill at the end of March was about £55 for the quarter. That bill was due to an incorrect amount added and noticed by me in time which was well over £100 which I queried . Call charges and special service were added for which I was not responsible for ringing. One advisor saw the error and corrected it for me. The next quarter bill was worse. And I know that I did not use the amount of call charges amount that they claimed I used.

I tried to get the problem resolved but to no avail.

In 2007 when I justed moved into this address, BT transferred my name onto the previous tennant new address (I have proof of this) and sent me their bill, simply because I would not disclose the person's whereabouts, especially when I did not know the person in question. This was resolved in my favour when I contacted my MP about this stupid error and via their chairman.

In 2007, before leaving my old address A BT advisor wrongfully withdrew an amount from my debit card without my authorisation. When I contacted my MP about this, BT had to back down and they gave me compensation.

I feel this new problem is a vendentta against me for things going against them. I do not think they like to be found wanting even though they were in the wrong. I spent many years as a BT customer, but I have left them I think for someone better. Starting from November 11th 2009 and going back 3 weeks BT heartlessily disconnected my phone, preventing me from ringing out or receiving calls.

I am a regular out-patient at Salford Hope hospital. I take regular medication and if I was in serious problems I would not be able to ring the hospital or my doctor for those 3 weeks. Even my friends say they were unable to reach me. This was a wicked thing to do and I may have suffered a heart-stroke or any major problems which would require emergency attention. I actually carry a steroid card with me as proof. I am thinking of putting this complaint to the hospital for which I am sure the doctors would not be pleased about.

BT is very heartless and very greedy and only care about their profits. I am with a new telephone company and I hope this company live up to my expectation and good riddance to BT and their harse treatment.

My account number with them is: GB 0581 5051

Have rung Talk Talk several times as I have lost my Internet connection they keep telling me that the engineers have not got back to them with a report of the fault I am not allowed to speak to a supervisor and no one has rung me back despite saying they would I have done all the things they asked me to but still cannot get reconnected I am at my wits end to know what to do now can anyone help me?

I made a request for my daughters contract to be finalised (contract was in my name) and if she could keep her number. We were told that she could not keep the number and the cancelation was accepted but I still had to pay another month. I paid and got another bill, which I thought was a mistake. Now I have received another bill. So I have now phoned to see why and I am now being told that they sent a puk number which has to be activated before I can cancel the contract. I did not receive any letter. BUT they are saying it was sent and thats all they need to do. Iwas also told that I could not make a complaint via post. They only take complaints via phone. The main reason that we were not sattisfied with orange was, when my daughter went to Egypt, we were given instructions to phone and let the company know and then they would change her tarriff to an international deal. They gave us the prices of calls and text but unfortunately, we did not get that in writing. BUT when we got the bill, it was over £100 and she had hardley used her phone. I enquired about that too and was told totally different things to what the shop assistants at Meadowhall told me. But now I am trying to make sure that the contract is done and I am still having to pay for at least another month. My daughter has been using O2 now for over three months and doesnt even use the orange service BUT Im still getting charged. Please can any help?
Thank you

In March 2009 i was visited by a sales rep from BT named Roy Savage. We discussed advertising for my business (painter and decorator). I told him i was unhappy with the results from yellow pages and yell.com. He gave me a good price for an half page coloured advert in the phone directory and i accepted. Then came the online advertising pitch. He told me BT web clicks would guarantee x amount "genuine leads" every month for a fixed price. He led me to believe these would be physical contacts ie phone calls and emails. He enquired how many enquiries i would like each month and when i said i was unsure he recommended that i go for 80 per month. Now i thought that was overkill as my conversion rate is roughly 30% or higher. However, i trusted his judgement and thought i had got not only online exposure for my website on google but guaranteed 80 genuine leads per month or. and this is the best bit, my money back. I couldn't lose. It sounded too good to be true.

The campaign went live in july. Yes it took them 3 months to arrange. The cost of each lead was £1 so i was paying £80 per month and around the same for the phone directory. Because i was taking both i received a huge discount according to Roy. Now these "leads" come in the form of web clicks. When someone clicks on my website that is considered a lead or contact and costs £1. To date i have received 283 web clicks at a cost of £283.00. How many conversions to sales have i had? None. How many emails and phone calls have i had? None. When i contacted BT to express my concern i was told, "but your getting the clicks".
There is something fishy going on here. If 283 people have visited my website and remember i am a painter and decorator so there are no items to buy, then why have i not received any enquiries for free estimates for painting and decorating work?

I have cancelled my direct debit to BT and informed them i no longer require their services. They told me they would pursue me for the money owed. What else can i do?
Can you help?

Regards
Paul D. Shapero