BT charging for a service I no longer have access to

[MattTame]

I found a better deal for a fibre package on Mon 15th and then this was installed on Thu 18th. I have just phoned BT to cancel my service and they have told me that I have a bill coming out on the 22nd (last months usage) and then a bill coming out next month due to the 30 days notice I have to give.

I understand that the 30 days charge  is a standard process, but unbeknownst to myself, when my new provider installed their own line they disconnected BTs. This now means that I am expected to pay a month for a service I have no access to.

When I spoke to the gentleman at BT and tried to explain this to him, he informed me that there was nothing they could do and I would be expected to pay. I told him that I appreciate that it wasn’t them that disconnected the line, but in order to receive payment for the service, they should at  least provide me with it and if they expected payment then they should reinstate the line.

Whether it was wrong or right of me, you can imagine how that went down. I am very disappointed in the customer service and the condescending tone of the person I spoke to.  I have been out of contract with BT for nearly 12 months so was already paying a premium on a rolling contract. 

[iniltous]

This makes no sense , perhaps you can clarify, there are at least two possibilities,

 
First one , if your new provider is also using Openreach and you and they used the correct GPL ( gaining provider led ) process, it’s the new provider serves notice on your behalf to BT , and the dates are aligned, you pay BT for the last day you were with them and the new provider bill starts the day after ( so no double billing for the same day ) , but obviously that doesn’t negate early termination charges if they are due , as you have called BT yourself then presumably you didn’t use the appropriate migration process…you don’t say who your new provider is ( so who is it ? ) and why didn’t they serve notice on your behalf ?

Second one , you are no longer using Openreach , as  your new provider is using an Alternative Network and they disconnected your Openreach service whist they were providing your new Alt Net service , that’s something they shouldn’t have done , and if your complaint is that you should still have the BT service, do  you want Openreach to come out and restore the service that the Alt Net disconnected, would  you be happy for OR to disconnect the Alt Net whilst restoring their own network, or charge you for reconnecting as it was your someone working on your behalf that disconnected the BT /OR line .

Perhaps you can provide a bit more detail, but if you are now in your 30 day notice period, and can’t use the service you are paying for , it’s necessary to know who and why that service isn’t available for you to use and obviously if you want the other line disconnected for the remainder of these 30 days notice.

[MattTame]

The new provider is YouFibre. I work away from home so had little to do with the engineers  who came to do the installation, my wife let them in to the property but was at work when the  process was being undertaken. 

YouFibre informed me prior to installation that they use their own line. However I was not told that they would be disconnecting the BT one and due to the speed of the process I had yet to inform BT of my choice to cancel.

When I spoke to BT about cancelling my products, I was told that as it was not a BT line being used for my new package the 30 day notice would not take effect and I could cancel there and then, although a different cancellation procedure had to be used. I was put on hold and when the person returned I was told that what they had told me was incorrect and that the notice period stood.

My issue is not that I no longer have BT fibre, my issue is that BT aim to charge me for a service that is no longer accessible regardless of what reason that may be. I was out of contract so there was no reason for my new provider to contact BT with regards to my account and there were no early termination charges, but I am none the wiser to whether they should have contacted them to inform them they were removing the line.

I do not want to have the BT line reinstated, it was just a matter of principle. If the service was there and I didn’t use it then I expect to be charged, but not if I am unable to use it. It could well be that my new provider is at fault, but firstly it should have been handled in a more professional manner and secondly, the buck should not stop with me.

[tonysmini018]

Take it up with YouFibre, they shouldn’t have disconnected your BT service (what if you still wanted/needed it for work purposes?)

I’m sure they had an advert out about paying off your old contracts so you could push for this.

[imjolly]

From what you posted you were no longer in a fixed term contract with BT but as per T&C  you then move to a rolling monthly contract which enabled you to leave without penalty but giving 30 notice hence why you are being charged

You need to take the disconnection up with youfibre who should not have disconnected the BT openreach connection

[iniltous]

IMHO , you  are  upset at the wrong organisation, when you signed to YF , they presumably didn’t tell you that as an Alt Net your order with them doesn’t involve BT or Openreach so you would need to serve notice yourself, hence you paying for two services longer than necessary, they could also have arranged their own installation to coincide with the end of your notice period ( once you served notice and knew the last day of BT service ) to minimise the costs , but presumably they did neither .

Its pushing it to expect that BT to compensate you , after  YF ‘illegally’ interfering with Openreach property , rendering your Openreach based service  BT inaccessible for some or all of the 30 day notice period , you could argue that if you reported a fault to BT , the OR  should be restored for however long is left of the notice period, ( that’s true ) but the repair potentially is ‘chargeable’ , because it’s definitely not fair wear and tear that caused  it to stop working in the first place ….TBH , if anything it should be YF you are complaining to .