This topic

Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:16:29 GMT

Hi,

Please be gentle. I'm not tech savvy and have joined to ask for help.

My Dad has been a BT customer for more than 10 years. Last July he was signed up to a new contract. I believe it is called fibre 100 with Halo 3. He pays £70 per month for this. Now. The issue here is that the property he lives in only has adsl copper wire to the property. The house is a cottage in the middle of fields. The nearest junction box is in the village a mile away.

I believe he has been sold a doozy here. I think someone has mis-sold him the package that he is now tied into til July 24.

How can I help him get off this package and onto the basic ads line and to stop him be charges £70 per month for something that he clearly cannot get!

Thank you for any help!

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

jac_95 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:18:31 GMT

@Messyhead1

What does it say for the property when entering the address here: https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

Post results back but exclude address

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:34:08 GMT

Hello jac,

I have followed the link and entered the address. I have screen shot the info but I can't attach it to this post. I will ask my hubby for help.

On the info it says underneath that "FTTP is not available" and "The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme"

I will try and attach the screen shot.

Thanks

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

imjolly — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:48:20 GMT

Use the camera icon to post the dslchecker results

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:57:45 GMT

Thank you imjolly,

I think my file size is too big. I will try to figure out how to compress it a little.

Messy

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 21:13:04 GMT

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

pippincp — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 21:15:14 GMT

Use a free online optimise such as this. https://jpeg-optimizer.com/

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 21:23:30 GMT

I think it's readable if you zoom in. I apologise. It's the best I can do on my ancient Samsung.

I hope you can all see the figures.

Messy

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

iniltous — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:11:04 GMT

Fibre , in the form of FTTC ( fibre to the cabinet ) is shown as available, presumably you used the address checker rather than the phone number otherwise there would also be a ‘observed speed’ figure displayed.

Chances are it’s Fibre 1 with Halo not Fibre 100 as that isn’t available with FTTC

The current price for Fibre 1 with a phone service ( presumably your father has what is now the optional phone service included ) is around £35, the price of Halo ( AFAIK) doesn’t double the price , is your relative outside any minimum term ?, or have they added something you are unaware of like BTTV with an add on like Sport ?

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:06:25 GMT

Hello,

Yes, FTTC is probably available. But the cabinet is two miles from their property, across a main road, a river and many fields. There is no Fibre available in the village where they live.

This is why I still believe they have been mis-sold the pacakage. I believe they are within their rights to request a downgrade to a lesser package?

Thank you,

Messy

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

iniltous — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:31:46 GMT

FTTC is ‘Fibre’ broadband , the distance to the cabinet dictates the speed achievable, in you fathers case the estimate is somewhere between 32 to 49 Mb ( anything over 24 or 30Mb depending on which organisation definition is used is Superfast speed )
I can’t see how you can argue ‘fibre’ has been mis sold, if ( apparently ) your dad has ‘fibre’ , if he was on ADSL , exchange based broadband, the speed would be ( according to the checker image you posted ) somewhere around 1-3Mb , so FTTC is a huge improvement on what ADSL would provide , TBH there isn’t much ( if any ) saving in price between ADSL and FTTC , plus ADSL often isn’t even offered as it’s a legacy product

TBH , you probably need to check the account documentation to see exactly what is being provided, if the contract was struck 9 months ago , the ‘price’ for Fibre 1 was similar to todays price , even with the annual price increase £70 seems too high for an in contract price for Fibre 1 with Halo , however Halo does add some costs , but to double the price seems unlikely , in a way , regrading to ADSL , if possible would probably make Internet access a frustrating experience, and not save much , downgrading to Fibre Essential ( 40 Mb ) could provide a small saving ( £5 ?) , dropping Halo benefits would save something but around £35 ?, as indicated perhaps you could post an image of the ‘offer’ taken , obscuring any personal info

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:36:16 GMT

The cabinet has FTTC. The cabinet is 2 miles away. Over a main road. Over a river and fields. The entire village where they live has no FTTP at all. The property and the 3 others in the vicinity do not have FTTP. They all have ADSL. Openreach have been out to repair the copper wiring a few times due to its age and the depth at which it was buried. So there is definitely no Fibre cable at all. None. Zilch.

The product he is paying for is full fibre 100 with Halo 3. It is £70 per month on his bill. He is 9 months into this 24 month contract. There are no add ons - Bt sport or TV- only a landline.

They have never in the 16 years they have lived there had FTTP. The cabling does not exist.

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

iniltous — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:06:33 GMT

I haven’t mentioned FTTP ( fibre to the premises ) , your last post is the only one where you state ‘full fibre’ .

FTTC is also referred to as ‘fibre’ and is available at the location , some speeds are possible on FTTC and FTTP , those over FTTP tend to be called ‘Full Fibre’ to differentiate , if your father has been sold FTTP and it isn’t available, that’s an error , but would also raise the question , how is the broadband even working , the OR engineer cannot simply receive and order for FTTP , realise it isn’t available, and install FTTC instead , it simply doesn’t work like that .

The speeds you have indicated as available ( as shown on the checker image ) at your father’s location are Superfast speeds , no indication of FTTP , so FTTP products are not available to order by ISP’s , basically the ISP cannot order OR products that OR state are not available.

AFAIK , any FTTC speed ( Essential, F1 or F2 ) taken recently and still within the minimum term haven’t had a price anywhere near £70 , I don’t know what Halo benefits cost , but I doubt it’s anywhere near £35 , as said , perhaps you could supply an image if either the original ‘offer’ , presumably sent as an email , or an image of the bill , are you sure it’s Full Fibre 100 , and definitely monthly billing and not quarterly ?

If it is the case that somehow , some undefined ( or understandable ) error has allowed BT to provide FTTC , but raise a bill that shows Full Fibre 100 , that obviously is an error , and it’s not a downgrade that’s required but the correct bill to be raised for the actual product being provided, but I would struggle to see how this can even happen .

A final thought , AFAIR , there was a promotion where FTTC was sold with a ‘free’ upgrade to F100 ( which is actually a 150Mb product and being FTTP that’s the speed provided ) when FTTP becomes available is this possibility the product purchased ?

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

Messyhead1 — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:04:51 GMT

I can't obtain my Dad's paperwork. And for GDPR I wouldn't post it on here.

On the BT website it shows that Halo 3 is not available for his postcode. But that is definitely what he is paying for.

I don't want to know about speeds and whether the location points to them receiving superfast speeds etc. I did mention at the start that I am not tech savvy.

I just want some advice on how I can help him. He is clearly paying for something that should not have been offered, seeing that the location of the property cannot be served by product he is paying for.

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

iniltous — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:20:48 GMT

As said , if the bill shows Full Fibre , and FTTP isn’t available ( and your father doesn’t have FTTP installed, which would be obvious as FTTP has a mains powered ONT that is fitted within the property ) then that’s obviously an error ( but difficult to explain how it could even happen ) and you would need to contact BT , or rather your father would unless you had his authority to speak on his behalf.

Posting an image of the bill , with any personal info obscured ( like name , phone number , account number etc ) poses no threat and isn’t breaking any GDPR rules , but obviously if you don’t feel comfortable doing so that’s understandable, but it does mean there is no way to examine what the actual bill and what £70 is being spent on.

As far as advice, it’s possible a BT Mod may offer to review your dads account and explain ( to you directly ) what the charges relate to , otherwise you would have to contact BT and have a conversation with BT Customer Services.

FYI , referring to FTTC as ADSL causes confusion , FTTC is VDSL ( not ADSL ) and is referred to as ‘Fibre’ , to differentiate FTTP from FTTC , that is referred to as Full Fibre.

Re: Mis-sold Broadband Package.

imjolly — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:21:37 GMT

are you able to check your father's MYBT and see what package he actually has and what if any add on he has?

as @iniltous there us no fibre 100 available to your father but it is offered as a free upgrade when it does become available