Line rental saver questions.

[Donsky]

Hope someone can explain this, I have carried on paying my "line rental saver" (paid the full year from last October), what I don't understand on my latest bill is this:

PRefund: Line RentalW17 Sep-16 Jan 13 - £ 58.40
This is a refund of the price of your Line rental which you paid in advance
up to 16 Jan 2013
PCredit: Line Rental Saver W 21 Nov-4 Jan 13 - £ 21.60
PCredit: Line Rental Saver W 5 Jan-16 Jan 13 - £ 5.98
Line Rental SaverW21 Nov 12 £ 129.00
This is the cost of your reduced line rental for one year starting 21 Nov
2012. You have already paid this. You will see this reflected in the
Payments section of the bill
Line RentalW17 Sep-4 Jan 13 £ 52.75
This is the cost of your Line rental up to 4 Jan 2013 at £14.60 a month
Line RentalW5 Jan-16 Jan 13 £ 5.98
This is the cost of your Line rental up to 16 Jan 2013 at £15.45 a month
Line RentalW17 Jan-16 Feb 13 £ 0.00



Surely if I've paid a year upfront, that's it, why are they taking off amounts then adding amounts back on again, the only things I should be paying for are broadband and phone package. Showed this to a couple of neighbours and they couldn't work it out either.

Regards.  

[Ectophile]

Does the amount they are adding equal the amount they are subtracting again?  If so, then there isn't really a problem.  Things may be a bit more complicated for january, because that's when the line rental increased.

BT's billing system seems to be programmed to charge you the full published price for everything.  If you get a discounted deal, they do this by charging you the full price, then giving you a refund.

I think this may be a technicality - BT has an official published price list.  So everybody gets charged what the price list says.  But there's nothing to stop BT giving arbitrary refunds, depending on whatever deal you've negotiated.

[geo1986]

Its confusing! But its how mine looks too and it is correct, they charge you for line rental then give you the credit immediately, so your not paying again for line rental.

If its any consolation these bills are extremely confusing when switching between quartely to monthly with line rental saver.  Your next bill will be much clearer

[conrad]

My December bill had a load of costs and refunds for the first time but the important figure is the total line rental and basic charges figure which should reflect the fact that the line rental to be paid is zero.

Have always been on monthly billing and as Ectophile has noted this is to do with the January changes. It will be interesting to see how this is displayed on future bills as  the new rental won't equate to what people paid in advance so would hazard a guess that there will be an additional credit adjustment but the net effect will to be always reduce the payment to zero.

[Donsky]

Thanks for your answers but what I' m having trouble undertanding is:

I've paid line rental for a year = £129.00

Broadband and Calls package 17th Jan - 15th Feb = £20.50

Total line rental and other basic charges = £122.68 (?)

Phone usage £44.54

I don't understand where the £122.68 is coming from.

Regards.

[Donsky]

Should have added that my total bill is £ 146.96.

[geo1986]

Without seeing the rest of your bill I can't help on your package costs

But your line rental was paid for 3 months in advance on September 16th (£58) until Jan 16th.

On November 21st you paid for Line rental saver.  Therefore you were due back around 7 weeks of line rental in credit, this is the £21.60 and £5.98 credit on your bill.

You have been charged £0 for line rental between Jan16th - Feb 16th. 

The line rental part of your bill is definetly right

[Donsky]

The rest of the bill:

APackage
Broadband and CallsW5 Jan-16 Jan 13 £ 0.43
Our prices have changed. We've refunded what you paid in advance and
recharged you at the new price
PRefund: Broadband and Calls - £ 7.51 W5 Jan-16 Jan 13
This is a refund of the price of your Package which you paid in advance up
to 16 Jan 2013
PBroadband and Calls £ 7.94 W5 Jan-16 Jan 13
This is the cost of your Package up to 16 Jan 2013 at £20.50 a month

Line rental and other basic charges continued
Broadband and CallsW17 Jan-16 Feb 13 £ 20.50
This is the cost of your Package at £20.50 a month, charged in advance from
17 Jan 2013 to 16 Feb 2013. This gives you:
Calling Plan Unlimited Evening and Weekend Plan
Broadband BT Total Broadband Option 2
Add BT Vision to your package for great digital TV - www.bt.com/vision
Total line rental and other basic charges = £ 122.68
What you used
KPhone usage WSee page 4 £ 44.540
You made 61 call(s) - number of free call(s) 18
Internet phone usage See page 6 £ 0.000 CAll your calls were free or included in your plan
= £ 44.54
TOTAL including VAT = £ 146.96

[geo1986]

Can you copy and paste the entire thing as it shows in the order it shows it?

[Donsky]

That is a direct "copy & paste" from the PDF bill, it's in order just squashed up a bit.