Renewing contract without DV

[Daedalus2000]

My broadband + phone-line contract + calling plan is coming up for renewal in January.

It appears that the renewal process will automatically switch me to Digital Voice.  As a vulnerable customer (once I've managed to register - that's a problem in itself!) I have various reasons not to switch to DV until it becomes really necessary.

How do I renew without getting put onto DV? there seems to be no option in the renewal process to do this.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Its no longer possible, as new contracts and renewals, are DV only.

The best option is not to renew, and stay on a a rolling monthly package. You would lose any discounts, but would not be disconnected or forced onto DV.

Also you would lose your calling plan if you renew, as the only option is PAYG or unlimited minutes, which would cost you more.

People that have renewed have been force over to EE, with lots of potential issues and increased costs.

[Daedalus2000]

Interesting, thanks for that info.

I was under the impression that, if I failed to renew when my contract ends, that in effect my line and broadband would simply cease and in effect I would be cut-off.  As we need the landline for medical reasons (hence trying to register as vulnerable) I dare not let that happen.

So do I need to do anything to get this 'rolling package' or will it just be automatic?

[licquorice]

There is no need to do anything, your contract automatically becomes a rolling monthly contract unless you explicitly cancel it.

[Daedalus2000]

So does the price alter or what?

[iniltous]

Most ‘contracts’ have discounts during the minimum term , so after the minimum term expires although there no longer is any continuing contractual obligation , short of the normal notice period, the discounts come to an end so for nearly everyone ( not just BT customers ) the price goes up after the minimum term expires to whatever the pre discount ( standard  ) price is .

FWIW , on its own , allowing a minimum term to expire and moving onto the month to month contract doesn’t stop a migration to Digital Voice , that migration doesn’t have any contractual ramifications , basically it’s no  different if the telephony is delivered by DV or PSTN , the arrangement is to supply telephone services not the method of delivery , so it makes no contractual difference to you  what type of telephone service it is .

If you get a notification of a change to DV you can request it to be delayed ( the notification includes the way to delay the move ) , that’s   if you have good reason ( like a ‘lifeline’ type alarm device on the line  ) although this delay can’t last forever, eventually you every BT customer that wants telephone services will move to DV or have no telephony  from BT .

[Daedalus2000]

So...are you saying that I could renew my contract in the normal way just before it expires, thereby keeping almost the same discounted price (the new broadband price is only aprrox £1 per month more), then at some stage BT will tell me that it will be moving me to DV and I can ask them to delay that?

[licquorice]

Unless you get frequent and prolonged power cuts, there is absolutely no reason not to move to DV.

[Daedalus2000]

>>>Unless you get frequent and prolonged power cuts, there is absolutely no reason not to move to DV.....

Well, in my case:

1. The main phone+answering machine is at the front of the house, downstairs in the hall. The router is upstairs at the back in the 'home office'. If I connect the hall phone with an 'adaptor' will that still work if the router is off?

2. There are several BT loud-sounding bells located in various parts of the house as my wife is very deaf. No-one at BT can tell me if they will work off an adapator.

3. For reasons of our limited mobility there are extension phones in almost every room, so there is a BT Line Booster to power the extra REN. Again, no-one at BT can tell me how to get the Line Booster to work with an adaptor.

The current set-up works and meets our needs. Why should we be forced to move to something that appears to be inferior and inflexible?

[licquorice]

All of which are obviated by using cordless phones or Digital Voice handsets.