BT ‘doorstopper’ is high price to pay

DEAR Editor I was surprised, when I went to pick my post from the front door, that there was a white envelope that was in excess of 2cm (that’s more than ¾ of an inch) thick.

I couldn’t recall having ordered anything and was surprised to see the BT logo printed on the envelope.

I’ve not seen or used a telephone directory for at least 15 years, so I assumed maybe BT were now sending printed telephone directories out to remind us how good things were 20 years ago!

The contents turned out to be a booklet, running to 320 pages about my BT shareholding, weighing 1.27 kg (over 2¾ pounds).

So how much has this cost the company? The postage for a “small parcel” of this weight is £2.95 (although I suppose BT would get a better rate than this), and how many of these 320-page booklets have been printed and distributed? Well I may be able to answer this because there are 763,492 BT shareholders.

How many of these 763,492 shareholders are going to find time to plough through a dry financial booklet with as many pages as an average Danielle Steele novel?

I’m sure it may be riveting for a few, but what a consummate waste of money for a company that has seen its share price tumble from £15 to £2 over the last 18 years and is constantly being vilified in the press for its pathetic financial performance.

Mr Jan du Plessis, whose smiling image appears on the second page of this weighty tomb should be hanging his head in shame and sacking people for this profligate waste of shareholders’ money.

Get a grip BT, you have shot yourself in the foot with this ridiculous episode. David Humphries,

Solihull