Mis Sold New Broadband package.

[Carlusha]

@DIWIL  During this period of misunderstanding, did you really switch to digital 'phone?

[Simmo136]

I read this post with interest, as I believe that I was also missold a broadband package. As a widowed pensioner living alone, and given current financial constraints, I am trying to save money wherever possible. I currently pay over £80 pm for broadband Halo 3. The contract runs until June 2025. Looking at prices for new customers I worked out that I am currently paying more than £50 pm more than new customers. The website states that existing customers will not be charged more than new customers. I called yesterday to query this; the call handler was sympathetic but could not assist as I am still in contract. Although she said that I could call again four months before the contract expires, I will not renew my contract as I have lost confidence in BT as my broadband supplier. I asked her to note my file to confirm this.

I did not need Halo 3, by the way, as I don’t need it, and the additional unit gets in my way. I complained about this at the time but got nowhere

It’s bye bye BT for me next year

[Peter_W]

Hey there @Simmo136.

Thanks for reaching out to us here on the BT Community forums!

We'd certainly hate for you to feel that you're not getting the best value for money from your current contract, and I'm disappointed to hear that you didn't get the outcome you were looking for when reaching out to our team for help. 

If you're feeling like this was mis-sold, have you had a chance to try raising this with our dedicated complaints team?

They'll be able to take ownership and make sure this is logged on your account, ensuring we've looked at every option we can to support you.

Peter

[chrisjp]

It's good the moderators are acting to sort out this mis-selling. However, these are not isolated incidents, and BT's business model appears to be to upsell all customers whenever there is a chance to do so. Their telephone agents are incentivised to do this via their commissions.
Once you have accepted a Halo deal (whether you needed it or not) BT seem to do everything it can to prevent you from downgading to the cheaper deals offered to new customers.
I'm not clear how much influence the moderators have over BT's selling policies but it would be good if they expressed their reservations about it to their management chain

[Simmo136]

Thank you for replying, Peter

I had little faith in raising a complaint, because I thought I had already tried that, but I followed your link

This gave me a number of options regarding how to deal with faults. Not what I really needed. for complaints, it says, call 150 - the same process as I had tried before, with exactly the same options (none of which included ‘make a complaint’. 

It seems to me that BT has a complaints system which leads customers down wormholes but which don’t lead to anyone properly looking at what has happened, or trying to resolve it

In the meantime, I have had yet another bill of £93 for a service worth less than half of that.

There is another post on this topic which sets out the contention that BT staff selling these contracts are on commission and therefore have a financial incentive to maintain the most expensive contracts,  which of course increase exponentially with inflation

[Linzi_H]

Hi @Simmo136 

I'm sorry to hear you're having a spot of bother raising a complaint, and we certainly don't want you getting lost down any wormholes!  

Following on from @Peter_W's advice, the fastest way to resolve an issue is to get in touch directly. If you speak to the team they can raise a complaint on your behalf.

If you'd prefer to email or write to us, the details can be found within Our Complaints Code of Practice.

I hope this helps,

Linzi 

[Simmo136]

I followed the suggestion that I should make a formal complaint about this issue, which I did, on 23/9/24. I spoke to someone for at least an hour; he kept offering slightly different packages, none of which would have saved me money and I said that I wanted to make a formal complaint. The complaint was registered and I received a notification to that effect on the same day.

Since then - nothing. No reply.

Today I tried to raise a complaint with the Ombudsman, but it seems that I have to raise the subject beforehand with BT, which I tried to do, but there is (contrary to the advice in your previous communication) no way of doing this except by phone or post. I do not intend to waste another hour speaking to a call handler who has no authority to deal with the complaint. I have no confidence that a letter would reach anything more than a mountainous intray of complaints.

Quite clearly the complaints procedure, such as it is, is designed to frustrate those making complaints into giving up

I have just had my THIRD monthly bill since making the complaint. I can only assume that BT intends to draw out this process until my contract expires, when I will certainly leave BT.

[rbz5416]

You have raised the issue with BT & as more than 8 weeks have elapsed since, you should be able to progress it with the ombudsman:

https://www.commsombudsman.org/

[Simmo136]

Thank you
I will do that

[Christopher_G]

Hi @Simmo136 

I've sent you a private message to try and get you some help with this. Could you take a look and get back to me please?

Thanks

Chris