Forwarding with BT Basic email

[BobM888]

After 25+ years I plan to leave BT for a less expensive provider, however I need to maintain 2 of my *@btinternet.com addresses.  I know I can buy BT's exorbitantly priced Premium Mail but I'd rather use BT's Basic email providing I can forward my *@btinternet.com mails to other addresses.

There's a lot of conflicting guidance on this forum regarding what is possible with Basic email so I want to obtain published BT documents which specify exactly what you can and cannot do with BT Basic email.  Has anyone seen anything ?

I have looked here (BT Email products | Types of BT Emails | BT Help) but it’s not detailed enough.

[licquorice]

It may not be detailed enough for you but it is the only official documentation you will find.

Basic email does not support forwarding, however, you may find that it works. There is no guarantee that it will and if it does, will continue to do so.

[BobM888]

Thanks.  I just managed to get through to BT Mail Tech Support and they confirmed that there is no forwarding with Basic mail, regardless of whether you set up forwarding before migrating from Standard Mail to Basic.

This policy of not offering free (or even low cost) auto-forwarding is a deliberate attempt by BT to undermine a competitive telecoms market and I am now going to write to OFCOM about it.

[licquorice]

Good luck with that. Why would you expect a company to provide a service at cost to them if you are not a customer? Think yourself lucky they offer a service to non customers at all.

Would you expect the AA to turn out to rescue you if you were no longer a customer?

[gg30340]

BT Basic email does not allow you to forward emails.

You may find that you can still forward them initially when downgraded to a BT Basic email account but the facility can be withdrawn at any time.

If you find that forwarding does work you must log onto the account directly during a rolling 90 day period to keep the account active.

You may or may not be aware that BT are one of the very few ISP who allow you to keep your email account for free all be it in a "Basic" form.

Most providers just stop your email account when you leave.

BT now no longer offer any email service to new broadband customers.

The email service that BT provide is a "Value Added"  service and as such it is not regulated by Ofcom so good luck in complaining to them. Please keep us posted how you get on with that.

[BobM888]

Hmmm interesting responses from you and the other "sage"!  I assume you are both paid by BT?

Notwithstanding, your point about the AA is irrelevant as there is no administrative legacy with the AA.

I on the other hand have been using BT for more than 25 years and have dozens, possibly hundreds of user accounts which use my *@btinternet.com addresses.  I therefore believe that BT’s commercial practice in this matter is a disincentive to switching and impedes the effective working of a competitive telecoms services market. 

Since OFCOM's mandate is to promote a healthy, competitive market and not protect overpriced, entrenched, legacy operators I think they might be interested.  I have no doubt that my letter alone will make any difference but when added to the many others who will have complained of this issue, then maybe things will change (as evidenced by the number of unsatisfied posts on the forum).

Now... a reasonable solution from BT would be to offer Basic email with auto-forwarding for free or perhaps at a nominal charge; much much less than £7.50  month.

[licquorice]

No, I am not paid by BT.

The idea that a company should provide you with a service when you are no longer a customer is preposterous, regardless of how long you have been a customer.

As I said previously, think yourself lucky your email address is not deleted when leaving BT

I have no idea why folk think that email is any different to any other service offered by companies for their customers alone.

PS No idea what you mean by 'administrative legacy'

[gg30340]

So because we state facts we must be paid by BT.

For your information I do not and have never worked for BT. I am a customer just like you.

As you obviously have a very closed mind on this matter there is little point in continuing but please do post back with how you get on with Ofcom.