This topic

Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:25:44 GMT

Can anyone tell me why I can't set up a Direct Debit for my Mum?
She is of an age where she likes to pay in full each quarter and currently has quarterly paper billing.
Her mobility is not what it was and the local Post Office is now becoming a bit of a trial to visit when payment is due.
So I said, let me move you onto Direct Debit, it will be easy!
How wrong can a person be when dealing with BT!

As directed by the paper bill, I went to the www.bt.com/payments page and setup an account ( I have my Mum's BT details).
The username is now recognised but whenever I attempt to login it says the account isn't activated or password hasn't been set.
The account is activated as I pressed the confirmation link on the confirm email and it said all was good.
The password is set as I've tried changing it 3 times now and each time the password change system confirms the change and says the account can now be accessed (which indirectly, presumably means the account is active).

The only thing I can think is that my Mum is on the BT Basic contract so maybe BT don't allow this to be paid by DD?, although as I haven't even attempted the DD part yet, perhaps the account is genuinely "stuck in electronic limbo" somehow.

If it can't be solved then she will continue paying the old fashioned way, but she was quite looking forward to not having to venture out during bad weather, especially with being increasingly infirm.

If anyone can give me a clue how to solve this it would be appreciated.
I've already tried Google / Edge / In private browsing / clearing cache and cookies.

Thanks.

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

imjolly — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:07:34 GMT

Try contacting billing using message now and they should be able to help. You may find if paying by DD it needs to be monthly not quarterly

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/account-and-billing/broadband

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

gg30340 — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:16:01 GMT

You can not pay by Direct Debit for quarterly billing.

It is only available for either Whole Bill payment or Monthly payment.

See link

https://www.bt.com/help/account-and-billing/payments--bills-and-charges/how-do-i-pay-my-bill-/how-do-i-set-up-a-direct-debit-

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:40:51 GMT

OK, but that doesn't explain why I can't actually get the account to let me in.
Will billing be able to help with that or does it need another department?

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:42:14 GMT

Thanks for this.
If I ever get the account to actually let me in so I can look at setting up a DD, I'll bear it in mind.

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

imjolly — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:51:38 GMT

if you contact BT then you need to be set up as the account manager or have POA to be able to discuss the account

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

allanraymond — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:56:58 GMT

@Pete65

Perhaps the easiest way is to telephone 0800 44 33 11 as in How do I set up a Direct Debit? | BT Help ?

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:40:14 GMT

Yes I understand that.
But what I'm trying to do is simply get my Mum setup with direct debit.
I don't want to manage the account or have POA, I simply want to get the account setup for my Mum to use to allow her to change to DD which is supposed to be easier for both the customer and the Company being paid (its also cheaper for the Company so she's trying to do BT a favour by reducing paper billing ).
The BT site itself says "just sign up" which is what we have tried to do and seem to be in an electronic limbo where the account exists but at the same time doesn't (effectively a Schrödinger's account).
This shouldn't be possible if BT systems were written correctly.
I've had no problem setting up DD's for my Mum with any other organisation, it seems BT is the only one that wants to continue to be paid the old fashioned way by my Mum.

I'll ask my Mum if she wants to continue chasing it and if so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and attempt to ring BT and hope I get someone who can help her.

Sadly, on this occasion , BT has let us down which is pretty poor for a customer of BT / PO of over 50 years.

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:44:56 GMT

Having had card details used maliciously after paying something else by phone, I'd prefer not to have go that route, especially as it should all be possible via secure website on the Web.
Also there are past media stories of BT having card details used maliciously which doesn't give me confidence in BT's ability to securely take my Mums card details over the phone.

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

allanraymond — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

@Pete65

Please telephone the number I gave you.

I have gone through the same process some years go on behalf of my mother for all utilities.

The only thing I had to do was to telephone each utility provider and at the same time be located with my mother so that she could confirm to the advisor at the other end of the phone that I was acting on her behalf to set up the direct debit.

If nothing else it is worth trying the number I gave you,

Re: Unable to setup a Direct Debit

Pete65 — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:20:35 GMT

Just thought I'd come back and update this story.

I rang BT with my Mum present and despite their best efforts no one was able to activate the account, and I wasn't prepared to proceed with direct debit without having some way of tracking it with BT apart from having to ring up.

So I left it until today and tried again setting up a new account as the original request had expired presumably as it didn't complete successfully.

And lo and behold, all went through fine this time and my Mum is now setup for DD paying quarterly for BT Basic landline only service according to confirmation screen (which I have printed, just in case!)

It would appear then, that the problem all along was BT's system threw a wobbly on first attempt and just needed time to "forget" the first attempt. In other words, we "turned it off and on again" which as we all know, seems to fix many computer issues.