19/03/2017
PLEASE SHARE - SMALL BUSINESSES SHOULD AVOID SIGNING UP WITH BT - If you have a BT contract, or are considering using BT please read this first.
I have had the most dreadful 2 weeks with BT. I signed up with them because I thought they would be the best company to support mine. How very wrong I was.
On Monday 6th March I went back into my office after a month of being off sick to find a letter on my doormat to say they were cancelling my service. I was perturbed, why would they do that? On ringing their billing department they tell me that I have an account back dated to November that had not been paid which was why they have restricted my service.
I said that I paid my November bill and that all I was owing was January and February, which would be paid in full by 20th March 2017.
As they looked into this they found that they had "misallocated" my payment to the wrong invoice (an invoice I have to say that could not have been received by me at the time my November bill had been paid). They apologised and said that my broadband would be on in 24 hours!
Tuesday 7th March - No broadband. I call again to be told that they could see no restriction but that they would request it again and that they would request that this would be switched on within the hour!
Wednesday 8th March - No broadband.
Thursday 9th March - No broadband. I called again to be told that there was no restriction but that they would look into it as they are not the department that puts back on the service, it is a subcontractor. She confirmed that she would monitor this and ensure that my service was back on within 24 hours.
Friday 10th March - No broadband. I called by Business contact who told me that this was not unacceptable and that he has emailed his service manager to see what is going on.
Friday 10th March - called again - to be informed that it must be a fault on the line because billing have assured them that there is no restriction. I was advised to call faults.
Friday 10th March - called faults to be informed that there was a problem with my billing and who then sent me back through to billing who then told me it was to do with a November account that was still outstanding!
Weekend of 11th/12th March - wrote letter to business department under their instruction as this was now totally out of order and that it should be seen as a serious complaint. Explained the above. No response.
Monday 13th March - No broadband
Tuesday 14th March - No broadband
Wednesday 15th March - no broadband
Thursday 16th March - paid outstanding account so zero balance - no broadband
Friday 17th March - called Retention department to tell them I would like to cancel my service and would like a settlement agreement (as they have me in a 4 year contract!!!). Explained to guy on phone the above who then went through to billing to be told that they have only just put the restriction on for 14 days as I had not paid my November bill. However, they will remove the restriction within 1 hour and only put it back on again if I have not paid the outstanding balance for January and February by 20th March. Explaining that I have already on 16th, he informs me yes it takes a while to come through but rest assured my broadband will be back on in the hour.
Sunday 19th March - No broadband.
BT have brought my business to a standstill. I have now had to cancel my call handling support which gave me over £100 per month income as I have had to divert my phones to my mobile, which is impossible to work with.
I have had to work from a laptop in my house, although at the office I need to work with 3 desktops because of the type of work I do.
I have had to turn away about 5 new clients this week - and been unable to allow a client to work at my office (at £100 per month) a I have no internet for him to work from, this could potentially lose me a client.
I am currently paying £416.66 per month on an office that i have not been able to use for most of March, so I will be forwarding these details to my landlord to explain why March's bill will be delayed.
I do believe that BT are now in breach of their contract to provide a service to me. My bills are up to date and I still have no broadband.
I will be forwarding this information to my legal adviser.
If you have a BT contract, or are considering using BT please read this first.
I would appreciate my friends sharing this so that everyone can know exactly what support they will get from big corporations. I have never been so disappointed in my entire life - fat cats against the small cats trying to put food on their table. Fat cats, taking away a livelihood from a single mother who is trying to work herself stupid to provide food and a roof over her head. Shame on you! Shame on you all!
