RETENTIONS - the SCAM of BT overcharging existing customers !!

[Puma937]

Firstly, to those that read this and say 'LEAVE THEN' - that's exactly what I will have to do. BUT, it should not excuse the practice of price manipulation by BT, when you are renewing or out of contract. It's a money printing scheme that a lot of people just accept or don't check as they are happy with the service. Don't let BT get away with it !!!

Currently out of contract - no offers at all under My BT, despite various prompts to 'upgrade' for free.

Paying £77.49 for a basic broadband speed, but here's the kicker - it included Halo 3+. So I phone up Retentions, say I am leaving but would be interested in a quote, without Halo. The merry-go-round starts, summarised below:-

1. You need to move to EE for the best deals - I don't have to and don't want to. 
2. Halo is brilliant, I can give you an offer than saves you £2 a month with an upgrade to FF500 - no thanks, Halo is a SCAM and I want to ditch it. If it's so great, why don't BT sell it anymore? In fact, can you check the current Halo price for a new customer, as I'm covered by the Price Promise. Sorry, I am unable to give you a price. Why is that? It's not available on my system. What a joke - how Halo has never been investigated is beyond me.
3. Can you please give me a price for FF500 and FF900 without Halo. OK....let me check, I will get you the best price (10mins pass in silence). Sorry, the deals without Halo are more expensive - it would be £96.99 for FF900 and £71.99 for FF500. Are you having a laugh, so....£59 more a month than a new customer for FF900 and £37 for FF500. How much with Halo then? Well, FF500 isn't available, but I can give you FF900 for £1 more than you are currently paying £78.99. No thanks.
4. I agree the prices are not very competitive, let me check EE (10min wait again) - sorry, there are no deals with EE. Can I speak to a manager please? Sorry she is not here today, but I will discuss your account with her and call you back tomorrow, as I believe there is an issue with your account. No call back ever received.
5. Called Retentions again 3 days later and relayed the previous conversation. Advisor tells me he is fed up with staff promising to call customers back, but not doing it. This makes me so angry, as it's all logged in the notes. After about 15mins of chat, pushing EE and Halo he offers me the following - I can give you FF900 (FF500 is not available to you) for £57.99 - that's £20 a month more than a new customer. Is that really the best you can do? Yes.....where are you getting £37.99 from?  The BT website. Oh really.....let me check with my manager. (Another 10mins pass). No sorry that's the best price we have for an existing customer. If I was you I would log a formal complaint, or leave BT.
6. Are there any offers at EE for me to reluctantly move? No.....sorry, it's the same price for both FF900 and FF500. I thought you said FF500 was not available to me. That's just with BT, it would be £51.99 with EE - so £16 more than a new customer. That's crazy.....BT/EE must think I am stupid.
7. Please log a compliant as you are definitely being overcharged. END OF CONVERSATION.

Whilst I understand that BT operates a kind of 'dynamic' pricing for their products, in what other industry does a company charge extortinately higher prices for exactly the same product? Is there any justifiable comparison? Insurance is bespoke.....in fact pretty much every service. Goods are not comparable, as prices change constantly. 

Is the same broadband product somehow better if I pay £20 more than my neighbour?  In fact, out of contract it's nearly £50 more, with a few extras that would cost £17.55 separately. It's daylight robbery. 

I feel so sorry for the elderly and vulnerable  who are being fleeced by BT for profit.  Make sure you check with your parents/relatives this weekend how much they are paying for their broadband and try to end this SCAM of overcharging.

[Andrew600]

I’m in pretty much the same situation and paying roughly what you are. A “free” upgrade to Halo3+ has proved to be a very expensive mistake.

Contract ends at the end of the year and having read your post along with others in the same vein, I intend to save myself the stress and anger that calling retentions entails and just switch. If BT wants to keep me they have to make the first move with something unbeatable..

I’ve a few months to decide. It won’t be EE so it’s either the other, budget, member of the BT group or the one named after something above us all I expect.

Thanks for posting and all the best with your next ISP.

[gg30340]

@Andrew600 

You are allowed to say Plusnet and Sky. Just don't post links to their pricing pages.

[Kodikid]

I can understand your frustration but to be fair most companies share this ethos. 

Obviously if you don't shop around your misplaced loyalty will cost you. 

Me personally I alternate between BT and Plusnet biannually (bizarrely using a EE router) to grab the obligatory cash voucher on offer and get the best new customer prices. 

So my advice is don't get mad get even 

[northshields]

It is interesting that none of the Mods ever jumps in to defend or justify BT's actions in this regard. To be fair, it would be pretty difficult.

[garybs29]

Oh jesus wept not this again. "No thanks" tbat's all people need to say not  "why am i being offered this" then a moan about what they agreed too, not as if anyone had no choice!

[Sat27]

I feel your pain.

It's somehow a comfort to know it's not just me.

What is the latest?

[shakey1981]

never sign a rentions deal always wait untill you contract is fineshed and look around

[Puma937]

@Sat27 - formal complaint compiled and will be submitted on Tuesday, if I do not here back from BT by close of play tomorrow.

Latest from BT - called Retentions on Wednesday evening (one last time) and spoke to a really nice guy called Terry. He explained that I have no offers available to me via My BT, as I'm out of contract. He gave me a quote of £42.99 for FF150 with EE, or the same with BT for £44.99 (new customers is £28.99 with both).

FF500 would be £57.99 with both BT & EE, which Terry stated was ridiculous when a new customer is £32.99, FF900 was apparently not available to me. Again Terry was amazed as he said that he had just renewed an existing customer on FF900 for £31.99.

Terry then stated that he would send me his direct email contact details and take this matter further with his manager on Thursday. He said he was disgusted that loyal customers are being overcharged and that he would do all he could to address the problem. He said that possibly the only way to reduce the price was to create a new customer account for us. He agreed to call me back on Thursday morning, after speaking to his manager.

Needless to say that no one has come back to me and Terry has not responded to a polite email chase. Everything seemed so promising, only for BT Customer Support to go AWOL again.

[Kodikid]

I,m thinking that nice Terry was on the dole by 5pm Thursday.  Could just imagine this idealist telling his manager where they are going wrong.