BT Halo Charges

[GarryJ]

Hi all, I am currently on Fibre with Halo 3+, costing me £61.00 a month, with the landline phone we are on PAYG as we never really use it apart from receiving calls, also got extras (TNT Sport, Now Entertainment and HD/Now Boost) which for the first time, with the recent price increases, has pushed our total bill ever so slightly over the £100 mark. Broadband contract does not end until September 2024, so are pretty stuck unless EE offer us anything better priced (looking at posts on this forum seems very doubtful), just a case of waiting and see what develops, think we are all thinking of saving money in the current climate.

[jb1441]

Many thanks to all those who replied to my query over the Halo charges.  Apparently I am being charged £25 per month out of an £59 for its use.  Which incidentally I do not need. The hub is for difficult or awkward premises that have poor router connections. When I asked if I could cancel my contract and go some where else, or even rejoin I was told yes,

HOWEVER the charge to cancel my contract would be over £500!  I have to wait until 2025 for it to be renegotiated.

Hope this may help some one else....Regards.

[Jane2018]

Puma937 - this will partly be my fault as I never have time to think of switching things (the house insurance got up to £1800 a year at one point because of lack of time although I did switch with that and it is a fraction of that now......
Both my packages are out of contract I think and both are as stated on the bills " Fibre with Halo 1" and both have a landline on them and broadband (and one has a second line on the account through which the broadband comes).
Speed on the downstairs broadband I use is about 35MB download (I just checked) . I think my sons who use the upstairs one (same house) is similar. We are not able to get FTTP yet here in this bit of outer London.

On one line I don't ever call out although my son calls me on that line so I have few call charges on that one (just 1.50 last month) and that invoice says broadband £79 a month and line rental £26 a month so total about £100. The other bill says broadband and calls £77, voicemail 4.03 and then the call charges last month were all UK calls and came to £19 so total bill 105.
Both lines have "unlimited weekend calls" which I never use although loads of people call me on my second landline for work, family etc every day so that landline is extensively used for incoming calls. I use the phone much less at weekend so weekend calls free is irrelevant to me.

It sounds like existing customers can get unlimited calls for £10 where as most months I pay at least £25. It is always very complicated to change things so I tend to leave it all alone and if my sons did not live at home I would definitely rationalise it down just to my one landline with broadband on it downstairs. Instead not only do the boys live at home but since covid can work at least 2 days a week at home for their employers - indeed most weeks there is usually only one day when they are both out. So they use the broadband even more than ever and need it for work Teams calls.

[Puma937]

@Jane2018 - No offence, but BT must love having you as a customer and be rubbing their hands with glee each month.

From the information you have provided you are being vastly overcharged for TWO inferior (slow) broadband contracts and landlines that are PAYG or never used.

Firstly log into My BT on the both accounts and check your Upgrade Offers for broadband. Also check at Openreach to see what speeds are available at your address:- Openreach Full Fibre 

I think that is the starting point, before calling BT or posting a 'complaint' on the Community boards to get a Moderator to assist you. Feedback the speeds and prices here and we will try to advise.

BT do like to complicate the process, but don't overpay for peace of mind or convenience. It could well be that one fast BB line with Halo 3+ (Hybrid Connect & Multiple Discs) would be more stable than 2 slow lines. Also......it's probably time to get your sons on the case as well.

[Dippu]

As promised here is my feedback after chatting to BT:

I have successfully downgraded my Broadband to Full Fibre 100 without Halo and renewed my contract with BT and I found the Options Team Advisor was very helpful and wasn't pushy. 

Was paying £74 for Full Fibre 900 with Halo3 and it was going to go up to £87.99 with Telephone Unlimited Minutes.

Downgraded to Full Fibre 100 no Halo with Unlimited Minutes £51.99

There was a difference of £10/ month with Halo. 

The whole process was painless and didn't have any problems, the Advisor was most helpful.

[jb1441]

Will try that out, only the last time I spoke to BT they said they could do nothing until my contact runs out in 2025! You must have a silver tongue!

[Dippu]

@jb1441 Note that I was out of contact, so you might get different responses, worth a try though.

[Puma937]

@Dippu - Just to understand the breakdown, are you paying £41.99 for FF100 and £10 for Unlimited Calls?

 I pay £9.12 for 700mins, but the 700mins option has been scrapped and although unlimited is now £18, the Options Team told me that as an existing customer, it would be £10 for Unlimited.

If you are paying £10 for calls, the £41.99 seems a little expensive for FF100. The current Black Friday offer (an inflated price) is £39.99 for new customers with 3 months for £5.

[Dippu]

@Puma937 The 24 month package I've agreed is:

Full Fibre 100 with Landline £42.99 (No Halo)

Unlimited Calls £14

Discount £5/ month

Total = £51.99

I am happy because I'm saving £36/ month had I stayed on Full Fibre 900 with Halo 3 and Unlimited Minutes.