BT cancelled my e-mail account for not paying the bill.

[RedHerring2]

I can't believe what's just happened.
I've had a Talk21 e-mail account for as long as I can remember, probably ever since e-mails were first invented.

The account has been suspended by BT for non-payment of a bill.

I'm gobsmacked. I've never, ever paid for this e-mail account. I've never, ever recieved a bill or invoice. I've never been advised that I should be paying for this e-mail account.

According to BT I owe them £16 for the e-mail account. (I've had that account for maybe 20 years!) However if I had BT broadband I wouldn't have to pay for it. (yeah, that's the way to win customers! )

You can imagine my response. I haven't had any service from BT for as long as I can remember, I think it was way back when they wanted to charge me for keeping the same phone number and changing service provider.
The only reason why it was BT is because they took over the Talk21.com accounts, years ago. Seems like they've sneaked in a charge on e-mail accounts!

Well, there's one less for them to worry about now.

Just as well I've got gmail and orange e-mail, which I don't pay for either.

 

[Nige F]

Send BT an eMail and tell them what you think of them

 

[merlin50]

if you use BT what do you expect

 

[RedHerring2]

Excellent idea Nige. In fact I'm thinking of going a step further and complaining to my MP.

Imagine if the Post Office introduced a charge for having a postal address (I know, not very likely, I hope) and then didn't tell anyone about it. When you're a few quid in arrears with a bill that you never knew about, they "disconnected" your postal address so that no post was ever delivered. It just dissapeared into the ether. Because that is, in effect, what has happened.
Now in this digital age, e-mail is, by & large, replacing snail mail. So how come companies can just suspend your address?

 

[merlin50]

if you upset them the bill will get bigger just pay up and go with someone else, they have more power than god

 

[RedHerring2]

if you upset them the bill will get bigger just pay up and go with someone else, they have more power than god

No way, José. I've already gone with someone else, but no way am I paying up for something I didn't ask for, wasn't advised about, didn't even know it existed.
That's probably why they act so heavily after a few quid, 'cos most would probably think, "well it's only a few quid and it's sorted."
There's plenty more service providers for free.

Copy of letter to MP:
FOR THE ATTENTION OF:

XXXXXXXXX MP


Monday 20 June 2011
My address
e-mail etc
Dear,
I would like to draw your attention to BT's lack of customer care. I have complained to BT but the issue could have far more repercussions than at first sight.

I have had a Talk21.com e-mail address for something like 20 years or so. I've never paid for the service and have never received an invoice for the service, just like most other e-mail accounts.
Today I was advised by BT that they have suspended my e-mail account for non-payment. I repeat; I have never paid for the service or been requested to pay, or been advised that I should be paying. I was not advised about any suspension of the account, just found out about it by trying to reset my password.

Now the potentially far-reaching repercusions are that I used this e-mail account for receiving bank statements, vehicle and house insurance renewal reminders, fuel bills, repeat prescription reminders and notifications. In fact all the 'official and important mail' that is now available via e-mail. I wonder what my 'defence' would be for non-compliance of paying fuel bills, or overdrawn at the bank, or even perhaps lack of repeat prescription medicine? I do not think that I could rely on the fact that I did not receive the e-mails as a credible defence.

Because I was not notified or warned about the suspension of the account I have to contact all necessary organisations to advise them that my e-mail account has changed, just as though I was changing my postal address. But if this was a case of changing a postal address, I would have been aware of it for some time and have been able to do it in good time.

There may now be some that cannot be contacted in time to allow reminders to be sent to the new account and there is no availability of forwarding e-mail due to the suspension of the account, unlike the Post Office who have a forwarding facility.
There may be some who I will not be aware of, such as vehicle licence, TV licence, etc.
In this age when e-mail is, by and large, replacing snail-mail, overtly encouraged by governmental agencies, how can companies get away with, effectively deleting your address and preventing the receipt of mail?

Moreover, I found out about the suspension, almost by accident, just a day after the account was suspended. I could have been in serious jeopardy if I had not found out for weeks.


Yours sincerely,

 

[JohnD]

BT is a private company, not a government-owned one.

What does it have to do with your MP?

Try OFCOM or someone.

 

[RedHerring2]

BT is a private company, not a government-owned one.

What does it have to do with your MP?

Try OFCOM or someone.

Because of the potential repercussions, i.e. withholding of mail.

 

[LastMagicBean]

no way am I paying up for something I didn't ask for, wasn't advised about, didn't even know it existed.

Couldn't agree more.
These people should wear masks and stripey jumpers.
Absolute robbers. It's not about the money, it's the principle.

I had a similar problem with BT, I phoned them, 'politely' explained my digust at the fact I had never, ever, been informed of such a charge. The bill was cancelled.

The key to it is highlighting the fact you were never told.

 

[LooPrEvil]

Sorry RH, but why do you expect BT to provide an email address if you do not use theire services? !!

 

[RedHerring2]

In filing the letter of complaint and MP letter (by e-mail I might add) I found the records of the last dispute I had with BT.
In 2006, when I was switching service provider, they tried to charge me an extra £2.50 line rental for the previous three monthns. I told them that I paid line rental in advance so they couldn't charge me for it for the last three months as that bill had already been paid and the services received.
While the dispute was going on they tried to charge me a late payment fee of £5.
Eventually this went to a private debt chasing company who added on £30.
I explained several times by letter about the debt and asked several times for them to explain the charges. They eventually gave up without any explanantion.

I'll have to think what BT stands for!

 

[RedHerring2]

Sorry RH, but why do you expect BT to provide an email address if you do not use theire services? !!

RTFP (as in read the post)

I've had a Talk21 e-mail account for as long as I can remember, probably ever since e-mails were first invented.

The account has been suspended by BT for non-payment of a bill.

I'm gobsmacked. I've never, ever paid for this e-mail account. I've never, ever recieved a bill or invoice. I've never been advised that I should be paying for this e-mail account.

According to BT I owe them £16 for the e-mail account. (I've had that account for maybe 20 years!) However if I had BT broadband I wouldn't have to pay for it. (yeah, that's the way to win customers! )

Oops, you changed your post before I posted a reply. I use google as a search engine and for directions/maps etc, but I don't pay for that.
I did use Yahoo for lots of other stuff but that's gone also now.
I guess I'll have to use another service provider for those other services.

 

[LooPrEvil]

Sorry RH, I did change the post, as I realised that you had explained about the imaginary bill.

I use BT for phone and internet, but I do not use the email address they gave me - I have stayed with one that I have had with another provider for years, and surprisingly they do not charge me for just having an email account with them - hopefully the same thing that has happened to you does not happen to me as well!!

 

[Diyisfun]

I can not understand why people want bt / virgin or whoever accounts.
Get gmail/hotmail,yahoo

 

[RedHerring2]

Yahoo is BT now. Perhaps they'll apply the same charge to yahoo e-mail one day?

IIRC, Yahoo took over Talk21, and then BT took over Yahoo.