My contract renewed against my request for it to close -- broken customer service

[Kyle1]

My contract should have ended this month, and instead, it has renewed against my request for it to be closed upon the end of the contract.

I contacted BT a month ago and asked what I needed to do to close it. I was told that I did not need to do anything, it would end itself. I was then asked if I needed help with anything else, and before I had finished reading the message, the person said thank you and disconnected.

You will have a log of this conversation.

I have not consented to a new contract, and I have already requested that it be closed. You have that conversation stored.

Why has this contract renewed at full price and why am I not being informed?

To put this in context: I moved out of the contracted property in August, and it was my second BT broadband package, as I already have BT at my home address. I have contacted customer service about this twice, and the first time I was told I would have to pay an early closing fee. So I waited until 1 month before the end of the contract and contacted your customer service again; where I was told the contract would end in November and I not automatically renew.

Kyle

[Keith_Beddoe]

Welcome to this user to user  forum.

Unless you ask BT to cease your service, then at the end of your fixed term contract, you are moved onto a rolling monthly contract, and the cost will revert to the normal price.

You need to give BT 30 days notice if you want to cease your service.

See http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/36061/~/i-want-to-stop-my-bt-phone-line

[Kyle1]

Yes, I contacted them 30 days before to verify that I was leaving.

As mentioned, I was told it would close by their staff member. It was BT online chat service, and the transcript will be stored.

[Kyle1]

I will add that I anticipated an issue, and I have a screenshot with their staff member.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Did you ring up and cancel, as you cannot cancel using Live Chat, you have to ring up. That is for security reasons.

Do not post any transcripts here, as this is a public forum.

[Kyle1]

You can. I've done it before.

[Keith_Beddoe]

I have asked a moderator to provide assistance, they will post an invite on this thread.
They are the only BT employees on this forum, and are based in the UK.

[Kyle1]

Okay, thanks for helping out,

[pottyperson]

I know I'm wasting my time because I've said all this before and the message does not get across, but it might help you understand why this situation has come about.

Your contract did not end. What ended was a minimum period within your contract during which, in return for favourable prices, you agreed to penalty charges if you ended the contract. That minimum period is routinely referred as "being in contract" and is highly misleading. When the minimum period ends your contract carries on subject only to a required period of notice; prices will go up but you have the option to get them reduced again in return for agreeing a further minimum period which, again misleadingly, is routinely described as recontracting when in fact it's simply an amendment to an ongoing contract.

The transcript you posted (which will be removed by the moderators as it's not allowed on the forum) indicates that the agent didn't understand this, which got you here. That's not surprising and will similarly confuse others as long as all and sundry describe the minimum period as a contract. I think you have a good case for the contract to be cancelled without penalty, particularly as the agent said that your service would end on the 15th.

[Kyle1]

Hi Potty,

I understand you fully. I believe there are exceptions for when you leave a property too. Keep in mind I contacted BT to seek clarification for my situation of 1) not living in the property, and 2) what I need to do to close it.

I am now on a forum getting better assistance from a member of the general public than I received from their employed staff. As is my title, it is a broken customer service. There was no point in me talking to a sales team when cancelling, as I already have BT service at my home address, which I told their staff.

In the screenshot, you can see that it is stated by their staff that the service ends on 15/11/2018. That is not ambiguous and is quite specific in referring to my contract closing.

They have the transcripts themselves.