This topic

Halo

keithplympton — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:25:20 GMT

Dear BT Community,

For some time now I have been trying to have my broadband package downgraded from Halo 3+, the latest time I contacted BT about this was earlier this afternoon; but to no avail as my contract runs to 7th June 2024 and basically I have been told I am stuck with it.

After this latest call to BT I mentioned the situation to a neighbour, who is also with BT, who told me that they had tried to get Halo but were told it isn’t available in our area, he suggested I check if I actually have it.

I do have it, or rather I am being charged for it, but apparently as shown below I should never have been able to go on the Halo package at all.

I visited bt.com/exp/halo and clicked on the ‘see your BT halo deals’ button near the bottom of the page.

This took me to bt.com/broadbamd/halo and I clicked the ‘check availability’ button. I entered my postcode - PL7 1UL - and selected my address from the list.

This took me to https://www.bt.com/broadband/halo#!#result

Where I was told:

Halo isn't available where you live right now

So I clicked on ‘see available deals’ which took me to https://www.bt.com/products/broadband/deals where I entered my post code and selected my address.

There are just two fibre broadband deals available to me at my address and no mention of Halo at all.

I first went onto Halo 1 on 22nd February 2020 under BT ref: VOL013-************ when I was moved onto Superfast Fibre Halo 1 at £49.99 a month on a new 24 month contract; on 7th June 2021 under BT ref: VOL013-*********** this was upgraded to Halo 3 at £52.99 a month on another new 24 month contract.

My current monthly charge is £61.76.

I regularly run the speed test through the BT app and my figures are normally 49 Mbs for download and 17 Mbs for upload.

To me this confirms that although I am paying Halo prices my speeds reflect the figures indicated in the Fibre 1 range of 47-50 Mbs download.

I have got nowhere speaking to BT representatives on the phone.

Can anyone please advise, suggest or help me in getting this situation resolved. I may be wrong but as I am in a non-Halo area I should never have been moved from Fibre 1 back in February 2020, and I feel I should see a hefty refund for the three and a half years BT have charged me for having me on the Halo package.

Any help would be very gratefully received, thank you!

Re: Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:19:50 GMT

@keithplympton

Please edit out your order numbers as they are personal and private.

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:40:53 GMT

Thank you for pointing out about the order numbers, and for amending my post accordingly.

I take it the post, with the order numbers removed, is still up for others to see?

Many thanks.

Re: Halo

NeilO — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:44:49 GMT

Hi @keithplympton welcome to the community and thanks for posting. I've removed the order references as this is a public community visible to everyone on the internet.

I'm really sorry you have reason to complain, I think there is some confusion as to what Halo 3+ actually is so I'll include this link as it explains the features of this option. I believe you and your neighbour may be mistaking it for full fibre optic broadband as Halo 3+ can be included as part of the majority of our broadband plans, it provides you with complete wifi discs and a hybrid connect modem which will activate and provide you with a 4g broadband connection should the line ever go faulty, all the benefits are listed on the above link.

Is your complaint rather that you are currently on Fibre 2 rather than Fibre 1 due to the speeds you're getting?

Thanks

Neil

Re: Halo

wkirkman — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:05:21 GMT

I had a similar experience actually. I was on Halo 3+ for a couple of years but it cost a fortune, and was offered a deal to lower my package to Fibre 2 for about half the cost. I did this. Then, a week later I’m offered a deal saying I can upgrade to Halo 3+ again for just £2 a month more than the new price I was paying! Great! Except then it told me I can’t have it.

Checked my post code and it said Halo 3+ isn’t available, despite the fact I had had it for two years up until the previous month.

Dug a little further. My postcode stretches for only 19 houses. I tested every one of the house numbers as I’m at number 4. Lo and behold, from 16-19, they can get Halo 3+!

I put in a complaint explaining everything and they immediately rang me up and put me back on Halo 3+, sent me a new Hybrid Connect as I had sent the other back, and all for that £2 extra a month.

I can only assume they re-surveyed areas and restricted availability based on signal? Because yes, the Hybrid Connect 4G IS USELESS… downstairs. And upstairs. But is PERFECT in the loft. But not everyone can be guaranteed to be able to house it in their loft so perhaps that’s why in my case?

Either way I have it now and all is well. That FTTC by the way not FTTP as previous post suggested.

So my suggestion: complain until they do something, but complain to a person, because the computer says no, doesn’t mean the people will.

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:57:29 GMT

Hello Neil,

Thank you for your reply and the link, which I actually visited earlier today.

My speeds, which I check randomly but also regularly, have never gone above 49Mbs for download and its has always been 17 for upload.

So, yes, as my speeds are always around the 49 mark I do believe i am on, and have been on, the wrong package for all this time. Sadly, I have never been able to get this across when I have phoned BT.

It is also a concern that the website clearly states that Halo is not available in my street and offers the two fibre options which are Fibre Essential at £26.99 a month and Fibre 1 at £28.99 a month.

Therefore, I believe I am on, and should only be paying for, Fibre 1 at £28.99, especially as Halo is not available to me.

I am happy with BT internet, but hope it is understandable that no one wishes to be paying for something they are not getting.

I appreciate anything you can do for me please.

Thank you,

Keith

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:59:22 GMT

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate you taking the time.

I have also heard from a moderator who has taken an interest on my behalf, so I am hopefully he will be able to sort this for me.

I'll post when I hear from him.

Thanks again,

Keith

Re: Halo

VeteranISPUser — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 19:57:10 GMT

Hi @keithplympton

I am not sure that I understand you. Halo is purely an add on benefit and has nothing to do with your broadband speed.

https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/learn-about-broadband/bt-halo/what-is-bt-halo-and-how-can-i-get-it-

Re: Halo

imjolly — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:51:05 GMT

@keithplympton

If you have an up speed of 17mb even although your line can only support 49mb down speed you appear to be on fibre 2 package not fibre 1

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:05:01 GMT

Thank you for your message.

I am baffled though that, in my case, the "add on" makes up £32.77 of my current £61.76 broadband bill.

When you consider Fibre 1 is currently shown as £28.99 I can't see Halo as being an "add on".

I am hoping Neil will be able to help me on this.

Cheers,

Keith

Re: Halo

imjolly — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:11:48 GMT

halo is definitely an add-on to any package

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:07:48 GMT

Thank you, to all who have kindly commented on my post yesterday regarding Halo.

And whilst I still hope to hear some positive news from NeilO, I would like to reiterate my problem with Halo, as I feel some replies - I think - are, like BT call centre staff, missing my point. So, to summarise:

1.Since February 2020, and therefore for three and a half years, I have been charged for Halo.

2.BT website https://www.bt.com/broadband/halo#!#result clearly states that:

Halo isn't available where you live right now

3.My download and upload speeds correspond with Fibre 1 figures

4.BT website https://www.bt.com/products/broadband/deals shows that in my postcode area only Fibre Essential [£26.99] and Fibre 1 [£28.99] are available

So, in my opinion:

5.As Halo is not available in my area I should never have been moved onto it

6.I should not have been charged for it for three and a half years

7.It appears to me that instead I should have been left on Fibre 1 at the current price of £28.99

8.My current broadband bill is £61.76 a month

9.Therefore I should be able to change from Halo to Fibre 1 free of penalties, and

10.A refund for the overcharging should be credited to me

As I say above, I still hope for some positive news from NeilO, and thanks again to those who have taken the time to post. Many thanks.

Keith

Re: Halo

garybs29 — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:05:18 GMT

If halo wasn't available nobody would be able to offer you it, I think it's more likely a mistake on the website particulalry since choosing a random address from your postcode in the OP gives the following

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:02:11 GMT

Thanks for your reply.

My postcode covers houses from number 1 to number 50. But there are only 45 homes in the postcode, due to a building quirk when the homes were built back in the 1970s.

9 properties: Numbers 2, 3, 10, 25, 34, 35, 36, 38 and 42 can get Essential, Fibre 1 and Fibre 2.

35 properties: Numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21A, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 37, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49 and 50 can only get Essential and Fibre 1.

All the above taken from the BT website. But you are correct in what you say, but only for House Number 1!

All the above I have screen grabbed if you would like to see the results, taken in the last half hour, 31st August 2023.

I think the above actually supports my original post?

Re: Halo

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:07:59 GMT

There are two potential but entirely separate issues here.

Broadband package is currently billed for Fibre 2 & the fact that you receive an upload of 17Mb confirms that's what you're on. Fibre 1 is capped at 10Mb. So you need to establish if you can get a faster download. Check what the availability checker shows for you. Many BT customers were moved from Fibre 1 to Fibre 2 at no cost historically. I was despite not being able (at the time) to get more that 40Mb. Fibre 2 also gave you BT Cloud storage. Only you know your history with BT & what extras you may have signed up to or been given as a free upgrade.

Halo is a "bolt on" range of options that have changed name over the years. Current offerings are Halo 3 & Halo 3 with Complete WiFi. Not sure if the latter is the same as Halo+ or if the names have changed again since you were put on it. The only element of Halo that you possibly "can't get" is the Stay Connected 4G Hub, if you have poor EE signal at home. Again that's something that could have changed since you took the package.

Hopefully the Mods can get to the bottom of the Halo issue but you can make a start on checking what download is available to you.

Re: Halo

iniltous — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:31:47 GMT

What Halo version do you have ( or had ) ?

The current version Halo 3+ has replaced all the previous versions ( the others no longer available for sale but obviously many legacy users will still be on those versions ) , just because Halo 3+ isn’t available in a particular location ( which could be because the recorded mobile reception is poor and hence the ‘unbreakable’ hybrid connection on Halo 3+ would be of no use ) wouldn’t be a concern with the earlier versions of Halo , so ( for example ) someone on an earlier version, upto and including Halo 3 , because they don’t have the hybrid connection as part of their Halo product , cannot use the lack of Halo3+ as proof that they shouldn’t have ever been offered any Halo in that location previously , the name may be similar but in several respects they are not alike.

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:52:09 GMT

Thanks for your reply.

I am being billed for Fibre Halo 3+.

I too hope the Mods can help me, and get this sorted.

Thank you.

Re: Halo

keithplympton — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:00:34 GMT

I checked the availabilty checker link you sent, thank you.

Not a clue what the result meant, but here is the bottom of the page. I took screen grabs of the whole page, but they are apparently too large to include here.

FTTP is not available.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is not restricted at the exchange

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

Mildenhall exchange:Only single order products are available and ADSL and ADSL2+ products are not shown as available.However for premises that can only be served by SOADSL, BT will continue to accept ADSL and ADSL2+ orders until SOADSL is available.

Re: Halo

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:58:30 GMT

The top line in the table should tell you what FTTC speeds are available. Here's mine:

If you post yours, edit out your phone number.

Re: Halo

imjolly — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 17:20:29 GMT

@keithplympton

Use the camera icon to upload your screen shot