Public BT Wi-Fi opt out - mod please assist

[titatony]

Hi, I like to have the public BT Wifi on my Smart Hub 2 opted out. 

On the Smart Hub 2 status webpage, at the bottom where it says Public BT Wifi, it says Active and I can see an open SSID when I scan for networks on my mobile devices.

MyBT webpage options don't do anything. I would appreciate it if a mod could opt me back out of this please.

I recently had issues with our main router broadcasting and losing internet connection - might not be related, but I suspect the public wifi is interfering, have to use two routers as using digital voice - SH2 left on with all settings disabled, with asus router acting as main for mesh in home. Unrelated note, why is bridge mode only an option on the bt business routers? cheers .

[sherwoac]

Hi. 

did you ever get any response from BT about this? In trying to disable this public wifi service (appears EE WiFi + EE WiFi-X), I have:

- had all wifi disabled by a BT 'helper' 1

- been given incorrect instructions by BT helper 2

- raised a complaint and received a phone call from a rude complaints operative who:

-- told me this can't be done for me by BT (even though they can disable your entire wifi, see above!)

-- insisted we had agreed to this service in the terms and conditions (I can't see it anywhere)

-- told me we can't complain to the ombudsman until the BT complaints procedure has been fully followed, then closed the complaint

-- provided instructions which don't work, I get a 501 error when I click on "Learn  More" from the provided instructions:

```

- Sign in to your BT ID
- On the home page click the Your Products subheading
- Scroll down to Included in your product
- Click on learn more under BT Wi-fi
- Scroll down to Opt out
- Click on the Opt out button and wait for the request to complete
- You can opt back in by returning to the BT Wi-fi page and agreeing to our terms and conditions.

```

Why would BT want to make this so difficult? Can you think of any motive?

Any advice welcome.

Thanks.

Adam

[titatony]

Nope haven't heard anything back.

It is very suspect that BT have forced people to be part of their public WiFi service at the cost of our electricity bills and adding signal interference.

[gg30340]

Regarding whether or not you were "forced" into or "agreed" to BTWifi, it is in your Terms and Conditions that you are automatically opted in to the service if you took out your BT Broadband after March 2009 or re-contracted after December 2009.

See following link. Scroll down to BTWifi Service Terms.

Value Added Service Terms and Conditions (bt.com)

"Things you need to know (BT Broadband customers only)

        8. If you ordered BT Broadband after March 2009 or re-contracted to a BT Broadband service after December 2009 you will have been automatically opted into the free BT Wi-Fi service.
        9. If you ordered BT Broadband before these dates you can still get the free service if you opt in via bt.com/btwifi.
        10. You may opt out of the free BT Wi-Fi service at any time, but if you do this you will lose your unlimited free wi-fi access.
        11. Opting out of the free BT Wi-Fi service means that other BT Wi-Fi users will no longer be able to share the spare bandwidth of your wireless hub".

In any event I have notified the moderators of the forum about you wishing to Opt out. Once they have read this they may be able to help. They will advise you by posting on this thread.

[titatony]

Thank you for finally getting back to me.

Yes legally it's a grey line because you didn't force it in just didn't let the customer signing up to your service know and included it in the fine print of multi page agreements that I'm sure all us BT lawyers are reading through.

Regardless the main issue is that the process to opt out is nonfunctional. And am I correct in understanding that even if you opt out, after a router reset will the public WiFi option be re enabled again?

At the very least the option to disable it should be included in the router settings not in my BT with a after 30 days it might work, maybe it won't roulette process.

I think this process needs some working on, or at the very least a complaint should be submitted if that will get this practice at BT reconsidered.

[JohnC2]

Hi @sherwoac & @titatony, sorry you are not able to opt out of the BT Wifi. Have you tried on the web rather than use the mobile app?
If you can't opt out on the web I've sent you both a PM so you can get in touch with the Mod team and we'll raise this to the wifi team for you.

Cheers

John

[titatony]

I have private messaged details, can you check if I have opted out or otherwise help with it.

[gg30340]

---

@titatony wrote:

Thank you for finally getting back to me.

Yes legally it's a grey line because you didn't force it in just didn't let the customer signing up to your service know and included it in the fine print of multi page agreements that I'm sure all us BT lawyers are reading through.

Regardless the main issue is that the process to opt out is nonfunctional. And am I correct in understanding that even if you opt out, after a router reset will the public WiFi option be re enabled again?

At the very least the option to disable it should be included in the router settings not in my BT with a after 30 days it might work, maybe it won't roulette process.

I think this process needs some working on, or at the very least a complaint should be submitted if that will get this practice at BT reconsidered.

---

Just so that you are aware, I am not a BT employee. I am just a BT customer like all the other posters on this Customer to Customer help forum with the exception of the forum Moderators who are BT employees.

[titatony]

Thank you for clarifying. Regardless rant was not aimed at you or any individual, just do think practice should be reconsidered. Public WiFi for all BT customers sounds nice on paper but as a service needs better awareness/implementation.

[titatony]

Thank you for helping to bring the mods attention to post!