Whos fault is it then? (btinternet.com)

Member Name: jennystevenson

Product:	btinternet.com
Date:	17/02/01 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Range of packages depending on how frequently you want to use the internet.

Disadvantages: Bad customer services, lack of communication with BT.

Back in December a second line was installed by BT to my house for use of the internet. As I was searching for an ISP, I decided BT Internet offered a good package, with free access to the internet at evenings and weekends. £9.99 a month is the charge, which I thought was reasonable for hours of free surfing.

Connecting to the internet through BT is reliable and fairly quick with few connection failures. Content on the BT internet home page is not the most exciting, but that's OK when you can surf for hours elsewhere. The subscription fee is added on to your BT phone bill which is convenient. If an evenings and weekends package doesn't suit you, there are other packages to choose from such as unlimited access (£14.99 a month) or for light users, pay-and go (no subscription, just pay for the minutes you spend on-line).

Back to my experiences, two months later the phone bill arrived (this is where it gets confusing). As I mentioned, the internet was used ONLY on the second phone line (the original line was used ONLY for telephone calls). To my horror, BT internet had charged the subscription for internet access on the first telephone line. The second phone line (the one used to access the internet) was not charged for the ISP subscription but for every minute spent on-line, adding up to a £150 phone bill!

BT internet were contacted (as well as BT) and there seems to be a lack of communication between BT and BT Internet even though they're the same company! BT said to contact BT internet, then BT internet said to contact BT! Finally, BT admitted it was their fault and have promised to resolve the situation.

One week and one big headache later, I'm STILL waiting for the new phone bill, unsure of what the cost will be. I've decided to play it safe and switch to another ISP (which doesn't go through BT).

If you're thinking of subscribing to BT internet, I'd advise paying by credit/
debit card to avoid the problems that I've experienced. Also, bear in mind that technical support can incur charges around 50p a minute.

Summary: