BT adds surcharge for cash customers

February 07, 2007

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BT is pushing up charges by é4.50 per quarter for customers who pay by cash or cheque.

The increase covers the extra cost of processing payments from people who do not pay by direct debit, the telecoms giant said.

It will offset the rise by dropping line rental by é3 per quarter for non-direct debit customers.

The firm is also putting up its late payment charge from é5 to é7.50.

More than five million BT customers will be affected by the increases when the changes come into force on May 1, a spokesman for the firm said.

Non-direct debit customers who use both BT landline and broadband services will have their rental charge cut by 50p per month.

A BT spokesman said: "Charges for customers not paying by direct debit are standard across the telecoms industry. BT's charges are quite modest compared to other companies."

Karen Darby, founder of price comparison and switching website SimplySwitch.com, said the new charges could rake in up to é99 million per year for BT.

"Instead of rewarding customers who switch to direct debit, BT has decided to penalise those that don't," she said.

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Showing comments 1 to 7 and replies | View All

Sid Armfield, Manchester (07/02/2007 at 14:32)

Yet another example of Rip off Britain.

peter, salford (07/02/2007 at 20:50)

Total con

Gregory Happy, Manchester (08/02/2007 at 09:11)

I used to pay cash for my BT phone bill. Now i kjust use a mobile. Much cheaper

Wise Owl, Dukinfield (08/02/2007 at 10:14)

BT line rental is a joke, its such a rip off.
We had no telephone or internet for weeks when they removed a telephone pole on our street I hope they are taking two weeks line rental off too. Thankfully we have mobiles but it made me realize how many annoying pestering phone calls we normally got when the phone was working.As it was amazingly quiet.

Ace Riley, manchester (08/02/2007 at 13:16)

Get yourself a mobile and get rid of BT this will then send a message out to bt and other companys that they cannot keep jacking their prices up everytime their share go down?or their shareholders want more money.

PW, Manchester (08/02/2007 at 16:20)

On the other side of the coin, I have better things to do than trek round paying my phone bill here, and my gas bill there. I've never had a problem with a direct debit yet, and I check my bank statements each month. All I have to do is ensure the money is there, and if you're actually paid into the bank, then that's not difficult. There are many banks offering free simple banking with standing orders and direct debits. It would completely do my head in having those extra jobs of special trips just to pay bills. But if you want to keep your money in a biscuit tin in this day and age......

Clarets User, Rossendale (13/03/2007 at 12:23)

Another example of blatant profiteering rip-off against the old, the disadvantaged, the bankrupt and any who can't get a proper bank account due to their circumstances.

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