Why it’s the end of the line for BT at my salon
Probing a world of scams
IT IS staggering to think that BT can simply give away a phone number. Even more bewildering is that it can charge for a replacement. It took me weeks just to get BT to agree to investigate and comment.
When BT did comment, it blamed a ‘technical error’ and said it had diverted incoming calls so they
reached you – and it had credited back the money it charged for your new line. You had complained to Ombudsman Services but BT told it you had been warned in advance of the disconnection and had not objected.
I asked BT for a copy of the warning letter and after a few more weeks of delay I was given it. This shows the name of your brother – not you – but no address.
You have told me that in the past your brother did speak to BT on your behalf to sort out a problem, but it is not his phone line and every bill has always been in your name and sent to your business address. Your brother says he knows nothing about any such letter.
The letter is absurd. It says your
brother has asked BT to cancel the broadband connection. It adds: ‘ We’re sorry you’ve decided to leave us.’
But at the same time it says: ‘Another customer has asked to take over the telephone line at your address.’
The address, of course, is nowhere on the letter so heaven knows where it was sent, if it was sent at all. So, back to BT to ask repeatedly what the technical error was that sparked all this off? BT finally told me: ‘The error came about when another customer requested a new phone line. Instead of generating a new number the system sought to take over Ms P’s line which led to
the generation of the incorrect order and jumbled letter.’
In the early days of this disaster, BT offered you a dongle to replace your landline-based broadband, but it was of little or no use because of the weak signal in your area.
BT has now managed to reconnect your phone number and it has increased its offer of £277 compensation by saying it will also pay for whatever system you installed so that you could continue taking card payments when your broadband was down.
Frankly, I think this is too little, too late. You could not be blamed for dumping BT and switching to another phone company.
thisismoney.co.uk/hetherington
Ms R.P. writes: I own a beauty salon and rely on my phone for appointments, card transactions, and the day-to-day running of the business. In November, BT disconnected my phone line without my consent. I have had the same number for nine years and it is a busy line. I was left with no phone for three weeks and no broadband for four weeks at my busiest time of the year. BT admitted liability but has already given my number to another customer. It offered me a derisory two months of free broadband, since increased to six, but at the same time charged me hundreds of pounds for a new line.