BT cut me off...after 50 years

D.E. writes: After being a BT customer for 50 years, I received an email to say another customer wanted my line and number, and asking if this was acceptable. I said no, and BT told me it was all a mistake. But a week later I received a letter asking me again. I said no again, and BT said it was a mistake. But a few days later my phone was cut off, along with my broadband, BT Sport and Eurosport. I rang BT on my mobile and they said it would take more than a fortnight to reconnect me, and then they demanded £142, saying I had broken my contract. AFTER I contacted BT, it said it would reconnect your phone urgently. It gave you a different phone number, but no broadband or other services. And you received a confusing flurry of messages promising service or calls on different dates, not all of which happened. Worst of all, quite unbelievably, one letter from BT told you that someone else was moving into your home and wanted your phone.

Behind all this mess was not BT itself, but the John Lewis Partnership (JLP). It told BT one of its customers was moving to your address and wanted the phone. You managed to stop the first two applications but when JLP applied again, it sneaked through. BT cut off your phone and because you were under contract, it billed you for £142.

JLP told me: ‘Due to human error, BT were incorrectly notified of a line transfer at Mr E’s address.’ BT has scrapped the £142 bill, restored all your services, and awarded you £200 to make up for this catalogue of very stressful errors.