BT say they got a call from us...

[beanzontoast]

I've put this in electric cafe as it's about phone service. Maybe the word 'service' is not the best choice...

According to BT's explanation of an email they sent me today, we rang them yesterday (we didn't) and placed an order to pay our line rental 12 months in advance, paying over the phone by card (we didn't).

Over an hour on the phone to them tonight trying to clear it up (no, BT - it is not 'good to talk') but they say they need 24 hours (24 hours!!) to listen to the phone call from yesterday before they can do anything more.

Have had to ring the bank and credit card company to alert them. They know nothing about it. Evening meal ruined.

So now I'm wondering how this can have happened. Could it be that some unsuspecting BT customer out there (but not us) thinks they've ordered and paid for 12 months advance line rental, and BT has attributed it to us?

 

[Coco]

You should have kept quiet about it




Possible causes are technological glitch or the calling customer made a mistake with the details.

 

[Chutzpah]

Ah, BT Retail, always a laugh a minute.

You'll be fine, it'll just take (as you probably suspect already) a stupid amount of your time to resolve. If they take anything from your accounts just mark it as an unknown transaction.

As for "could it be from another customer and BT's attributed it to us", possibly. With BT Retail, take the most ridiculous scenario possible, times it by fifty and that's what they've probably done. Along with British Gas, they're a whole special level of incompetence.

All in my humble opinion of course

 

[beanzontoast]

Has made my mind up anyway - we are still with Sky for our phone calls and after this experience and a wasted 2 hours (so far), we'll likely be saying bye bye to BT for line rental.

I'm fed up with them ringing us what seems like every week trying to get us to go back to them for our phone calls too.

E-nough!

 

[Bird Brain]

Sure no-one has signed you up for this?

Mysteriously a few years back I changed electricity or gas supplier or something...Reckon there was some dodgy dealings going on.I knew nothing about it.

Recently I was sent a sorry you are leaving letter as it happened again.I rang up the energy company to tell them I hadn't instigated it.(More than once)

Apparently the second time was to do with a new neighbour upstairs signing onto British Gas but that sounds like bull to me.

 

[Chutzpah]

Well known trick in energy circles. Companies (or the cold callers who are on commission) just 'chance it' in case you don't spot it or can't be bothered to stop the switch.

In America they call the practice 'slamming', and I've started hearing it used more and more here now too.

 

[beanzontoast]

I've read about 'slamming'. My feeling at the moment is it's more likely to be a computer error of some kind, mixing up our account details with some other unfortunate customer. Should find out today what's happening about it.

I hope BT is taking it seriously - the bank and credit card company are!

 

[RedBike]

British gas seem to have a mind of their own!

I got a cold call from British Gas last month offering to save me money by switching my electric tarrif. I was told that if I switched tariffs I would be paying less per kW and therefore within the next few months my estimated monthly bill should drop from £12.50pm to about £8.50pm. It seemed like I had nothing to loose so I switched.

The next week British gas kindly closed my account and set me up as a new customer on this new tarrif.

As a new customer I now have to pay their standard £30pm new customer rate for the next 6-12months until i've re-accumilated an energy useage history!!!
So much for saving me money, I'm now paying OVER DOUBLE what I was before!

 

[ian turner]

You should have transferred to npower, they lie about savings too and have been fined for it multiple times

 

[beanzontoast]

What I find unacceptable is the way they managed to make us feel like we'd done something wrong, when it's they who sent out the incorrect email that started it all and they who are insisting we phoned and paid when we did no such thing. I can't abide that sort of attitude at the best of times.

 

[beanzontoast]

Well, things just got worse... they rang back and say someone definitely gave my name, my account details and paid by card.

Except of course we did no such thing.

They will not accept my bank / credit card company confirming that no payment was taken. I've warned them that my next step is the anti-fraud departments again. They say they've not calling me a liar, but they will not accept that I'm telling the truth.

They even asked if I had O2 broadband... (What???????? I've never had O2 broadband!!!!!!!!!!!).

Any suggestions for what I might do next?

 

[ian turner]

Transfer your line rental to another company ?
O2 perhaps since they suggested them
Did you ask them to verify your account number since I've had problems with online accounts where they mangled the database entry and I was unable to select the caller ID option until they created a new account for me so quite possible that they managed to cross link a couple of accounts.

 

[Coco]

If they have paid by card and according to your bank it is not your card, then what's the problem? Some other sucker is paying your bill. I suspect whoever is paying will be having similar conversations with BT about the lack of service.



Just keep an eye on your bills/direct debits and make sure they don't try to charge you. Also fire in a complaint to the Chairman's office.

 

[Coco]

I've just had another thought. If you are paying line rental via direct debit, check your bills. If they are still claiming the rental via your DD then they can't have received the call from you...

 

[RedBike]

Ask for a copy of your recent account history / personnel details. (They are obliged to provide this under the data protection act.)
including all contacts, payments and account modifications.

This information will probably be pretty useless but at least it should show you who's paid for what. .