scrotnig
11-06-2005, 11:44
This quick quide really only affects those with a BT line, or a line that's with a third party reseller such as Talk Talk or One Tel. Cable lines are not really affected.
You may be aware that OFCOM has recently opened up the telecomms market for competition. The idea being that they want to break BT's monopoly on the fixed line telecomms market. Although cable companies offer some alternative choice, there's a hassle involved, plus they don't cover the whole country, and so BT has been forced to allow other providers to sell its line and calls facilities.
How this works is that BT now runs two operations: wholesale and retail. Although at present they remain the same company there are moves afoot to split them in two, this would be similar to the energy supply market where British Gas was split in two.
So at present, a customer who has not changed phone supplier buys his line and calls from BT Retail. BT Retail, in effect, buy the line and calls in bulk from BT Wholesale. That's a simplified way of putting it, but it sums up the basic premise. Competition in the market means that other companies can take the place of BT Retail, and you as a consumer can buy the line and calls from the new company instead. The new company then buys the line and calls in bulk from BT Wholesale. There is no change to the line and no interruption to service...it's a billing-only change, all that's different is that in most cases the costs come down - quite substantially in some cases. You can now choose to have both your line and calls with another supplier, meaning your relationship with BT ends and they no longer bill you at all. Or you can choose to keep your line with BT but take a different supplier for calls only.
All sounds brilliant doesn't it? Except, like the gas and electricity situation that preceded it, it's a mess. Some companies are operating unscrupulously (though not all), and many customers are finding their service switched without their permission. Some customers find themselves tied into long contracts they didn't want. Some companies call residential customers and trick them into taking a business tariff, which is considerably more expensive. Business tariffs are almost ALWAYS two year contracts so this can be damaging. This is all known as 'slamming' in the industry.
The following advice applies not only to telephone services but also to gas and electricity supply, as many firms do all three in one bill.
If you are phoned up by a salesman offering to save you money on your phone or energy bills, make sure you say the words 'I am not interested' and then hang up without waiting for the response. The calls form the verbal contract, they are recorded and they ARE legally binding, no matter what you might think. If you speak to the salesman he will use any number of tricks to get you to inadvertently agree to the sale, you will then be faced with trying to get out of the contract which can be a nightmare.
As humans we are inherently polite, and what many people do is sit there and listen to the patter, and end up agreeing to be sent information to look at. Do *not* do this! I cannot stress this too highly. If information is being sent to you, it will be because you have been signed up. The theory is that when you get the information you have ten days to cancel. Technically you do but this is fraught with problems and you will need to speak to another salesman who will talk you out of cancelling......once the transfer goes ahead your are locked into the contract.
NEVER NEVER NEVER agree to a sale like this from a cold call. Many of these companies DO provide a good service, however you must shop around at your leisure and select the one you like, and then YOU phone THEM and tell them you are interested.....they have teams of inbound salesmen who will be delighted to sign you up, and it's all ok because YOU have made the decision without any pressure...you are in effect just asking them to process your order, they are not really selling you anything as you have made your decision. When you do this however, do NOT be swayed into taking other products.....bundled gas and electricity or a more expensive call plan.....unless you have already decided to do so. The companies' websites will have details of such details, check them out and decide BEFORE you call so you are not swayed by a pushy salesman. If the company has no website, do not even think about using them! Also watch out for companies using 0870 numbers for customer services. These cost a fortune, you must use company that gives you an 0800 number. There are plenty about.
I will repeat.....if you get a cold call, state 'I AM NOT INTERESTED' politely but firmly, then HANG UP without waiting for the response. This will then be on the call recording and you are 100% protected in law. The salesman won't mind, in fact he'll be grateful you didn't waste his time and he can move onto the next call.
I myself use two of these companies.....18866.com and TalkTalk....they are both great...but the point is *I* chose them, and approached them directly, they did not approach me.
Given the problems some companies have, and the issues with the cable companies, many customers are starting to think 'I would rather pay the higher call costs and stick with BT, as I know where I stand'.
You may be aware that OFCOM has recently opened up the telecomms market for competition. The idea being that they want to break BT's monopoly on the fixed line telecomms market. Although cable companies offer some alternative choice, there's a hassle involved, plus they don't cover the whole country, and so BT has been forced to allow other providers to sell its line and calls facilities.
How this works is that BT now runs two operations: wholesale and retail. Although at present they remain the same company there are moves afoot to split them in two, this would be similar to the energy supply market where British Gas was split in two.
So at present, a customer who has not changed phone supplier buys his line and calls from BT Retail. BT Retail, in effect, buy the line and calls in bulk from BT Wholesale. That's a simplified way of putting it, but it sums up the basic premise. Competition in the market means that other companies can take the place of BT Retail, and you as a consumer can buy the line and calls from the new company instead. The new company then buys the line and calls in bulk from BT Wholesale. There is no change to the line and no interruption to service...it's a billing-only change, all that's different is that in most cases the costs come down - quite substantially in some cases. You can now choose to have both your line and calls with another supplier, meaning your relationship with BT ends and they no longer bill you at all. Or you can choose to keep your line with BT but take a different supplier for calls only.
All sounds brilliant doesn't it? Except, like the gas and electricity situation that preceded it, it's a mess. Some companies are operating unscrupulously (though not all), and many customers are finding their service switched without their permission. Some customers find themselves tied into long contracts they didn't want. Some companies call residential customers and trick them into taking a business tariff, which is considerably more expensive. Business tariffs are almost ALWAYS two year contracts so this can be damaging. This is all known as 'slamming' in the industry.
The following advice applies not only to telephone services but also to gas and electricity supply, as many firms do all three in one bill.
If you are phoned up by a salesman offering to save you money on your phone or energy bills, make sure you say the words 'I am not interested' and then hang up without waiting for the response. The calls form the verbal contract, they are recorded and they ARE legally binding, no matter what you might think. If you speak to the salesman he will use any number of tricks to get you to inadvertently agree to the sale, you will then be faced with trying to get out of the contract which can be a nightmare.
As humans we are inherently polite, and what many people do is sit there and listen to the patter, and end up agreeing to be sent information to look at. Do *not* do this! I cannot stress this too highly. If information is being sent to you, it will be because you have been signed up. The theory is that when you get the information you have ten days to cancel. Technically you do but this is fraught with problems and you will need to speak to another salesman who will talk you out of cancelling......once the transfer goes ahead your are locked into the contract.
NEVER NEVER NEVER agree to a sale like this from a cold call. Many of these companies DO provide a good service, however you must shop around at your leisure and select the one you like, and then YOU phone THEM and tell them you are interested.....they have teams of inbound salesmen who will be delighted to sign you up, and it's all ok because YOU have made the decision without any pressure...you are in effect just asking them to process your order, they are not really selling you anything as you have made your decision. When you do this however, do NOT be swayed into taking other products.....bundled gas and electricity or a more expensive call plan.....unless you have already decided to do so. The companies' websites will have details of such details, check them out and decide BEFORE you call so you are not swayed by a pushy salesman. If the company has no website, do not even think about using them! Also watch out for companies using 0870 numbers for customer services. These cost a fortune, you must use company that gives you an 0800 number. There are plenty about.
I will repeat.....if you get a cold call, state 'I AM NOT INTERESTED' politely but firmly, then HANG UP without waiting for the response. This will then be on the call recording and you are 100% protected in law. The salesman won't mind, in fact he'll be grateful you didn't waste his time and he can move onto the next call.
I myself use two of these companies.....18866.com and TalkTalk....they are both great...but the point is *I* chose them, and approached them directly, they did not approach me.
Given the problems some companies have, and the issues with the cable companies, many customers are starting to think 'I would rather pay the higher call costs and stick with BT, as I know where I stand'.