Hi
Please can BT help. My husband died suddenly just after Christmas (28 Dec) and the family has been trying to deal with that shock with great difficultly.
The BT account was in my husband's name and included mobile service on 4 numbers (husband, me and 2 children plus our emails, landline, BB and TV package). After trying to sort out everything following my husband's death, and getting mostly good service from bereavement services of car insurance companies, utilities etc, BT seem to have really let us down as I cannot now make (or presumably receive) mobile calls or send texts despite our having spoken to BT on multiple occasions to try to sort the service out.
After a series of phone calls in the last few weeks and not getting anywhere with the BT bereavement service, my sister in law (executor) seems last Thursday to have had the account transferred to her (without asking) and this morning I can't make mobile calls. My very vulnerable son, who is autistic and has just lost his father in tragic circumstances, is 6 hours away and I can't get hold of him. Please, please can someone help sort this out?
All we wanted to do was to transfer the account to me and reduce some of the service. This is part of the email my sister-in-law sent me on Friday last week after speaking to BT again:
"So, I found out today that the rule for the account of someone who has died is to close it or transfer everything listed in the account to the surviving next of kin who then has 14 days to decide which bits of the account to transfer to new contract and which to cancel. The subsequent bill is adjusted to reflect the changes. (If someone in the first 3 calls had told me all this, I'm sure it would have been sorted long before now).
Yesterday, Simon (presumably) transferred the account to me, including the landline number, included your mobile number, the TV package, and changing phone number to ex directory. This despite no instructions to do this and confirming he would call me today after 1pm. I just do not understand why or how he could have thought this is what we intended. All 3 of my conversations with BT Bereavement support have identified me as executor inquiring about what options you, as next of kin, have in relation to the BT account/package.
The current situation is a right muddle. Leo, who I spoke to today, tried to transfer the account to you, but apparently not possible for some technical reason. He had to speak to the 'early life team' who also didn't know how to sort it out - they thought everything done so far should be cancelled and then they could start again. At one point, he said that the only way was to record you as deceased - really? Talk about unacceptable. Leo then told me the 'order' failed ie not all parts of [husband's] contract got transferred to me yesterday - but he didn't know why. (I suspect that is what Simon was trying to work out yesterday). I've told him that at a minimum you will wish to retain your, and the children's mobiles and your email addresses. He suggested you check that the mobiles and emails are currently still working - I'm crossing my fingers that they haven't messed that up too. So, arrangement is that he will call me on Tuesday after 11am with, hopefully, everything sorted. "
I am already not coping well with our circumstances. We seem to have lost mobile service as I can no longer make calls or send texts. I'm really worried I'll lose my email which is connected to everything. My kids are entirely reliant on their phones to communicate with loved ones and support services too.
Please, please help. We've been loyal BT customers for years and this situation is just awful.
Thank you.
