Oh dear, oh dear. My first BT phone bill has arrived. Back to the bad old days! I recently transferred back to BT after World Online changed to Tiscali (I believe) and stopped providing a phone service. I had been with them since they were Screaming net and although there were many teething problems at first I never encountered any of then. I never had a problem with their service. Therefore, around 7 weeks ago I reluctantly rang BT to sign back up for their ‘services’. At the time I gave them a number of ‘friend and family’ numbers along with a highest usage number and one mobile number. All these were apparently entitled to a discount.

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However, I received my first bill today for over *SIXTY POUNDS* for 7 weeks usage. (Which when I saw it, I had to be scraped up from the floor, as I am what you would consider a light user, although not by BT's standards - less than £29 in actual calls.) On closer inspection I saw that only one of the 'discounted' numbers was included on the bill. However, as it was my highest usage number I did get a discount of just over two quid. So it meant picking up the phone and daring to navigate the dreaded automated menu system to get the other numbers added ofr next quarter's so-called discount.

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Now I don’t know if anyone has ever tried to get through to a *person* ... yes an actual living breathing person, at BT customer services, but it took me 25 minutes! I tried all three numbers included on the bill, to no avail. Everytime I was put thhrough to menus. In the end, in desperation, I rang the operator on 100 and detailed my plight. Thankfully she was kind and sympathetic enough to put me straight through to a customer service advisor. By this time I had steam coming out of my ears.

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The reason it took me so long was that BT has one of these menu *upon* menu systems. Press this number for this, press that number for that.
When you press, you are taken to *another* menu and you follow the same sequence until you find yourself at the end of the line - an automated billing / complaints / advice system .... and no *person* at the other end! Therefore, this is when you scream, ring back and chose *another* set of menu options to get to the same no man’s land. Anyway, to cut to the chase, I was well naffed off by this time, I can tell you.

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The operator connected me, as I said, and after being put through to a surly youth who I could hardly hear and who sounded well fed up having to work for BT customer services, took my name and number and I outlined my problem. Guess what? Wrong department! I waited to be put through ... and waited. Eventually a bright young lady answered and I told recounted the tale again. No problem, she said, let’s have a look at this. I gave her the numbers which should have had discount and she totted up my savings on these calls for the duration of this particular bill period. “I’m very sorry about the mistake” she said, “I’ve worked out that the calls you have made to these numbers would have saved you 88 pence this time.” EIGHTY-EIGHT PENCE! I’d just spent half an hour of my *time* for which, BT, I charge £20 an hour, trying to get through to you ... to be told I would have saved 88 pence. Gawd, what’s the use?

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Anyway, I was assured that the 88 pee would be credited on my next bill. I’m not happy though. I only spent £28 on calls, but their ‘service charge’ was a whopping £25.50 (payable in advance) which, when totalled together and with VAT added brought the bill to over £60. I DREAD to think what the next bill is going to be - the next one will be for a full quarter of course, not just 7 weeks! Think I’ll have to go sell my body at this rate. No hang on, I probably couldn’t give it away. So, what do I do? My computer is my
lifeline. I don’t have a lot of living family, so I don’t make many calls, so I *need* a phone line for my Internet connections.

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I stayed with Tiscali for one of my service providers and I pay £14.99 for 24/7 free connection, but I have a FreeUK account too for other things. I don’t know whether cable would be a better or cheaper option than BT, neither do I know whether my area has been cabled anyway. I think probably not.
What I *do* know is that this has acutely illustrated how expensive BT is. I had got used to a fair costing service and after 7 weeks of being with them I am already panicking. If anyone could offer me any suggestions, I would be eternally grateful
:-))

PS For anyone trying to get through that stuffing menu system, the girl told me to *not* press *any* buttons when you are baing asked to chose options. *Eventually* apparently, you will get through to a living, breathing person at the other end.