Locked into a HALO equivalent even if I move to EE. WHY?

[Puma937]

Different issue to previous post. Basically I have now been told that as a BT Halo 3+ customer I can only be offered a Halo equivalent contract with EE. This is a total joke.

I am currently out of contract paying £72.83pm for Fibre 2 (73Mb) Halo 3+. I have called Retentions (0800 7831401) on about 4 occasions now and each time the information given is inconsistent. I thought I would try one last time after wasting hours and spoke to a nice chap called Damian, who proceeded to call me ‘mate’ for the entire 35min call – not a great start.

My first question was to ask how I could see the current new customer prices for Halo 3+. I have tried everywhere on the BT website, but can find no information. This is to ascertain if the Halo price promise is correct – never pay more than a new customer. Not sure how anyone would ever know though, as the prices are not made public.

Damian was unable to help, but was keen to sign me up to a new 2 year contract with the ‘best price available’. I advised him that I wanted to stay with BT, but remove Halo 3+ which should allow me to reduce the cost and still get an increase in speed.

Damian then said that he would give me prices with EE. I stated again that I wanted to stay with BT, but this was ignored. When I insisted, I was told that I could NOT take out a new contract with BT.

I was then asked to provide a different email address as my BT contact details were known to the EE system. I declined and asked why I needed to provide a different email address, just to get a quote. The advisor then magically was able to access the prices.

I was quoted £41.99 for FF150 (which is currently £33.99 for a new customer with 3 months free), £50.99 for FF500 (£39.99 for newbies with 3 months free) and £59.99 for FF900 (£47.99).

When I queried the inflated prices in relation to a new customer I was told that these were 'All Rounder' prices, whereas the deals on the EE website were Essential. I asked what the All Rounder included and after a long wait, I was advised that it includes Smart WiFi Plus (Complete WiFi).

I told Damian that I only wanted the Essentials package, but he informed that as I was a BT Halo 3+ customer, I was NOT eligible for Essentials and that I had to stay on a Halo 3+ equivalent with EE. I stated that the All Rounder was not an equivalent as it did not include Hybrid Connect, to which I was told that would be a Full Works option, which ‘is more expensive than you are currently paying’.

I queried why the Hybrid Connect could be removed from my package, but not Complete WiFi. Damian went to check with a manager and stated that it was because I was an existing Halo customer and there was nothing that the EE sales team could do.

‘EE sales Team, I thought you were Retentions’ I said. ‘Oh…….yes we are same thing’. Damian apologised numerous times and said there was nothing he could do.

Summary questions:-

• No Halo 3+ prices available online. Does anyone know how I can find these?
• Unable to remove Halo equivalent after switching to EE. Surely this can’t be correct?
• Told that I cannot take out a new contract with BT. No consistency from Retentions, or should I say the EE sales team. Why?

[edbostan]

This is so worrying. Another consumer in another post managed to get the agent to move him from Halo 3 to the new customer price for Fibre 150 of £33. It seems that there is inconsistency with whom you talk to. The best policy it seems is to terminate the call if you experience opposition and try another agent. I agree that prices are not easily accessible to users.

[naylor2006]

I am beginning to feel like you are enjoying the fight, after dipping in and out of your last post and now this...

You are out of contract and are free to move to any other Openreach ISP, it seems no amount of time on the phone is going to give you what you want...why are you still trying?

I get that sometimes we dont want to give in and feel like we must not accept this type of treatment as a loyal customer but I cant think of any company I have been with that of the top of my head that rewards customers for being with them for a long time.

Have a look at the Openreach ISP list.....

REMOVED......

[iniltous]

It’s against the forum rules to post competitors deals , I suspect unless you remove it , the Mod will do that for you

[naylor2006]

@iniltous I already got a warning for something else recently so thanks for pointing that out.

[Crimliar]

The inability to downgrade or drop parts of a bundled service almost certainly breaches OFCOM rules on consumer protection and probably needs raising by an individual is is personally affected.

[Puma937]

@naylor2006 - Thanks for info, it was much appreciated...despite having to be removed.

I certainly don't enjoy the fight. To be honest, it's not a fight on my behalf, just a disbelief that BT can act like Jonny Ball - think of a number and throw it out there. 

Moving would be extremely inconvenient, as we have BT/EE tv with numerous recordings, a landline and a mobile contract with BT. Therefore for an easy life, it would be far easier to stay with BT and keep everything in one place.

The main annoyance is the inconsistency from the sales team (masked as Retentions). How can they not provide the current Halo 3+ prices? In addition, force me to move and now say that I have to keep a Halo equivalent contract with EE?

[Puma937]

@iniltous - Could someone post the Halo 3+ prices for new customers or provide a link........or is that also not allowed?

[naylor2006]

I agree sometimes its far easier to maintain one bill but the extra work of having separate providers can be far better economically, whilst everything is bundled in with one supplier they hold all the cards and pricing.

If you have a decent aerial connection you could get your own Freeview Box that records, if you are using the EETV box in internet mode only because you dont have a decent aerial connection then thats a challenge. Moving Mobile provider is super easy and you can get SIM only deals for under £10 that will give you everything you could need. You can get VOIP services these days to replace your home phone and you can certainly get your own WIFI setup if thats one of the things you utilise HALO for, the WIFI promise they make....

I do understand if you want everything in one place, but given the posts you are making I cannot see a way out of it, if it were me i'd go with that company I posted earlier to get the cheapest BB then figure the rest out myself, I'd certainly benefit from not calling BT anymore 😕

@Puma937 

I have been with BT900 FTTP since feb, this is my HALO3+ offer.....

But I am also presented with this:

It says my existing package cant be renewed, but then, not sure it would as I am only a few months in....

I picked up the BT900 FTTP when it was on offer so my pricing may be lower even to start with.

I dont think you can sign up for HALO during the normal ordering process, you dont see any of this as a completely new customer going through the normal enter postcode and order stuff....

Also I risked my life checking these deals out, knowing how hard it is to remove the addon it was risky just having a look my friend.

[Puma937]

@naylor2006 - Hi buddy, appreciate the time and effort you put into the response - especially the risk of an unwanted upgrade. Apologies for the slow reply, unfortunately life can get a little busy sometimes and BT comes a long way down the list.

The fact that you can get FF 900 Halo 3+ as an existing customer upgrade for £54.99, after taking out a contract in February is very interesting. I can't even see FF900 available for a new customer anymore - it's strangely disappeared. 

My offers are crazy:

I wonder if a MOD could post the new customer prices for Halo 3+, so that I can check if the price promise is correct?