This topic

Left BT but came back

Mattiesmomma — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:17:03 GMT

Hi all

Has anyone left BT because their charges are too high and have gone elsewhere but found the new provider so bad in service and customer service?

Re: Left BT but came back

Kimberlin — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:37:55 GMT

I've left BT twice and returned twice but only after being with PN in between both times because I flip flop between the two. I've never had a problem with either BT or PN as far as service is concerned, both have been absolutely excellent. The reason I switch ISP and return after each two year contract, is because I cannot stand Retentions departments and the haggling and BS over whether or not they decide or can be bothered to give me 'new customer' pricing. It's just easier to switch and that way I get that new customer deal without any effort. If BT just renewed me at their lowest new customer pricing package at the end of the contract, I'd happily stay, but still they continue to hike the price every year in the hope existing customers will pay it so they can subsidise new customer business. Rant over!

Re: Left BT but came back

imjolly — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:45:09 GMT

Is your contract term complete or are you thinking of moving when still in contract and will have ETC to pay?

Re: Left BT but came back

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 21:23:17 GMT

I've left BT numerous times due to their unwillingness to provide a competitive renewal price. I've never found a competitors network significantly better or worse, it's all Openreach after all.

As for customer service, BT's call centre's have been consistently the worst of all the ISPs I've ever used. Ironically BT/EE pricing is now on a par with that premier ISP, but with a CS that simply isn't worthy of the name. One has been outstanding, at a price that reflected that. The rest have been mediocre, which is to be expected when shopping at the bottom end of the market.

Since they decided to sack the previous forum Moderators, who were excellent at swimming against the tide of lies & incompetence, it seems to have got immeasurably worse. I can't see myself ever returning, but then I don't need to make a decision for another 21 months, so there's time for them to see the error of their ways. But you know what they say about leopards & spots...

Re: Left BT but came back

TimCurtis — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:18:40 GMT

@Anonymous

Totally agree with you that the previous mods were excellent but now things are not the same now and what with the so called "guides" being deceitful one is fearful of contacting CS about anything these days.

That's part of the reason I've left after being with BT for 50 years.

Re: Left BT but came back

iniltous — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:38:23 GMT

No criticism, but there are plenty of ex BT customers on this BT customer forum continuing to contribute after they are no longer BT Customers , seems for some BT are like the Hotel California , you can checkout anytime you like but you can never leave .

Re: Left BT but came back

Kimberlin — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:12:40 GMT

To be fair, if there weren't any ex BT customers on this forum, it would be a pretty dreary place. It's good to have a mix of views even if others who frequent here don't appreciate the input from others. I'm no BT hater, quite the contrary, but I do find it odd when folks come onto the forum, complain about a product, email as the main example, who then find themselves ridiculed being told that there's actually not much wrong with it. Though it would seem by the numerous threads concerning that very product, that all of that spam isn't really an issue, it's the customer who needs to sort the problem out. One wonders why BT actually bother to provide an email service, indeed I wonder why any ISP offers an email service.

Re: Left BT but came back

gg30340 — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 20:44:44 GMT

@Kimberlin wrote:

One wonders why BT actually bother to provide an email service, indeed I wonder why any ISP offers an email service.

Given that most ISPs do not provide an email service any more and that BT stopped providing an email service to new customers since 2022 it is very probable that BT will stop their email service at some point in the future.

Re: Left BT but came back

Kimberlin — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 21:15:05 GMT

Well perhaps BT should just get on with it then and pull the email service altogether. This forum is hardly a great advert for the BT email service judging by what everyone can read for themselves and then frequently comment on.

But anyway, I digress and although I am no longer a BT customer, chances are I will return again one day because I've never had any issue with the actual service. It's just a shame that the only time the retentions department were apparently interested in me, was the moment I initiated OTS. They had weeks before my contract expired to offer me a deal worth staying for. But of course that's not the game is it? The game is to hope that the customer is lazy enough to forget that their contract has expired and they will hopefully continue to pay the annual barmy price increase, or that they (the customer) are too worried to switch ISP just in case they don't get the same level of service.

As I touched on contract expiry, it's about time ISP's print the contract expiry date in full plain view on the header of every bill issued. I don't recall ever seeing such a reminder on my bills, or perhaps I'm optically challenged.

Re: Left BT but came back

gg30340 — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 21:47:25 GMT

@Kimberlin wrote:

Well perhaps BT should just get on with it then and pull the email service altogether. This forum is hardly a great advert for the BT email service judging by what everyone can read for themselves and then frequently comment on. BT have in excess of 8 million broadband customers. There will no doubt be some that do not have a BTMail email address and there will no doubt be many ex BT Broadband customers who still use their BTMail address from when they were a customer so I suspect there will be in excess of 8 million BTMail email accounts in use. If that figure is any where near correct there is a very small number who post on this forum reporting problems. It is normal that users only post on forums such as this when they have a problem or want to have a moan about the service they have received.

As I touched on contract expiry, it's about time ISP's print the contract expiry date in full plain view on the header of every bill issued. I don't recall ever seeing such a reminder on my bills, or perhaps I'm optically challenged. You can view your contract expiry date via your MyBT > Your Products > Broadband > See Your Contract Length. When you find that, take a note of it and keep it in a safe place and you can then view it when ever you want.

Re: Left BT but came back

iniltous — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:44:23 GMT

It’s an Ofcom requirement that ISP’s have to write to their customers close to the expiration of any minimum term to alert them to that fact that a ‘perfect’ opportunity is coming to switch provider (Ofcom is obsessed with switching ) obviously it’s also a marketing opportunity for the ISP to make a retention offer to re-contract but the fact is no one should inadvertently move onto an uncompetitive ‘ out of contract’ price without being aware of it , that out of contract flexibility may suit some .

There was AFAIR a really big brand ISP that was ‘fined’ by Ofcom for not doing this notification (it wasn’t BT BTW ) , which as well as showing this notification requirement is policed, also shows the misinformation around it , there are those that will swear blind that they don’t get told this information or that it’s made impossible to find , when in reality they probably deleted the email or have thrown the communication in the bin without reading it , knowing when your minimum term is expiring is only really useful as that date gets close , and BT , same as everyone, let you know when that date is approaching.

Re: Left BT but came back

swana2k — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:49:36 GMT

I've left BT twice and returned twice but only after being with PN in between both times because I flip flop between the two. I've never had a problem with either BT or PN as far as service is concerned, both have been absolutely excellent. The reason I switch ISP and return after each two year contract, is because I cannot stand Retentions departments and the haggling and BS over whether or not they decide or can be bothered to give me 'new customer' pricing. It's just easier to switch and that way I get that new customer deal without any effort. If BT just renewed me at their lowest new customer pricing package at the end of the contract, I'd happily stay, but still they continue to hike the price every year in the hope existing customers will pay it so they can subsidise new customer business. Rant over!

@Kimberlin I'm considering this process (for the same reasons) when my BT renewal is next due. I too have never had an issue with the BT service but despise the constant price increases and 'temporary discounts' offered when renew.

Out of curiousity, as we have 3 of the wifi discs, presumably these all have to be handed back or can they be kept/used with PN?

Re: Left BT but came back

gg30340 — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:23:28 GMT

@swana2k

Plusnet is a separate company from BT. They just both happen to be part of the BT Group.

You will need to hand back all the BT equipment if you leave BT or you will be charged for each item.

If you want to pay for any of the items them obviously you would then be able to keep them.

Re: Left BT but came back

Kodikid — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:29:00 GMT

They can be used no problem with the plusnet router as it's the same router just different colour.

And no you can't keep them as BT will want all the equipment back.

Blessing in disguise as they work perfectly without a subscription and are easily available on e bay.

Re: Left BT but came back

Kimberlin — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:27:53 GMT

@swana2k I will reiterate, I'm not anti-BT but I find their retention practices somewhat irksome. In short, they get my back up. I should probably just be a better person and ignore it, but when they tirelessly call without leaving messages, it gets on my wick and I have zero desire to engage with someone begging on a commission (probably).

As for the equipment, I don't use ISP supplied gear. Yes, it's supposed to be idiot proof, plug and play and for the most part works, but from experience, ISP routers are poor compared to a decent 3rd party offering. Every time I switch, they send out a new router when I specifically ask them not to, or the customer isn't offered a choice to reject a router on switching, they just send one out and it goes up in the loft and forgotten until it has to be sent back. Time and effort on my part going to a Post Office when I've got better things to be doing.

As for customer service, I'll take PN C/S over BT any day of the week.