Bill

I asked this here ages ago and didn't really get a straight answer. I've
also read through the recent thread about BT and DD. The first bill with
this offensive 4.50 plus vat demand for doing nothing has now arrived.

I don't do direct debits. I need, therefore, to move to another billing
company for my telephone service. I am cancelling one line, leaving only
the domestic + broadband service, plus the 2 pay as you go mobile
numbers. It will be a real pain, but it's the only way.

I don't want to move from BT as a provider of the service. Is there
really no parasitic "telephone company" that will still accept cheques
or cash without charging me to pay them?

I'm at the stage where I can't really afford a telephone service any
longer. I don't want arguments about direct debits. Once burnt never
forgotten.

Is there any organised protest about this that I can sign up to?
--
Bill

Jono

Bill brought next idea :
> I asked this here ages ago and didn't really get a straight answer. I've also
> read through the recent thread about BT and DD. The first bill with this
> offensive 4.50 plus vat demand for doing nothing has now arrived.
>
> I don't do direct debits. I need, therefore, to move to another billing
> company for my telephone service. I am cancelling one line, leaving only the
> domestic + broadband service, plus the 2 pay as you go mobile numbers. It
> will be a real pain, but it's the only way.
>
> I don't want to move from BT as a provider of the service. Is there really no
> parasitic "telephone company" that will still accept cheques or cash without
> charging me to pay them?
>
> I'm at the stage where I can't really afford a telephone service any longer.
> I don't want arguments about direct debits. Once burnt never forgotten.
>
> Is there any organised protest about this that I can sign up to?

I can offer you standard line rental, with no penalties for cash/cheque
payment. However, if you pay by DD, I can reduce said service charges
by £4.50 per quarter + VAT.

Bob Eager

On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:06:50 UTC, Bill <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> I asked this here ages ago and didn't really get a straight answer. I've
> also read through the recent thread about BT and DD. The first bill with
> this offensive 4.50 plus vat demand for doing nothing has now arrived.

Are you sure that you are being charged VAT on that fee? Because the fee
does not attarct VAT (see the BT Price List).
--
Bob Eager
begin 123 a new life...take up Extreme Ironing!

Roger Mills

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Bill <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> I asked this here ages ago and didn't really get a straight answer.
> I've also read through the recent thread about BT and DD. The first
> bill with this offensive 4.50 plus vat demand for doing nothing has
> now arrived.
> I don't do direct debits. I need, therefore, to move to another
> billing company for my telephone service. I am cancelling one line,
> leaving only the domestic + broadband service, plus the 2 pay as you
> go mobile numbers. It will be a real pain, but it's the only way.
>
> I don't want to move from BT as a provider of the service. Is there
> really no parasitic "telephone company" that will still accept cheques
> or cash without charging me to pay them?
>
> I'm at the stage where I can't really afford a telephone service any
> longer. I don't want arguments about direct debits. Once burnt never
> forgotten.
>
> Is there any organised protest about this that I can sign up to?


If it's any consolation, I think it's £4.50 *including* VAT, not +VAT.

Does "I don't do direct debits" mean that you are *unable* to - or simply
*unwilling* to?

Without wishing to re-fuel the DD debate, many utility companies offer
discounts[1] to those who pay by DD, so - in most cases - you have a choice.

[1] I know that BT now impose a penalty on those who *don't* use DD, but
it's the same thing really - a rose by any other name, etc.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Bob Eager

On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:58:49 UTC, "Roger Mills"
<watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote:

> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Bill <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
> > I asked this here ages ago and didn't really get a straight answer.
> > I've also read through the recent thread about BT and DD. The first
> > bill with this offensive 4.50 plus vat demand for doing nothing has
> > now arrived.
> > I don't do direct debits. I need, therefore, to move to another
> > billing company for my telephone service. I am cancelling one line,
> > leaving only the domestic + broadband service, plus the 2 pay as you
> > go mobile numbers. It will be a real pain, but it's the only way.
> >
> > I don't want to move from BT as a provider of the service. Is there
> > really no parasitic "telephone company" that will still accept cheques
> > or cash without charging me to pay them?
> >
> > I'm at the stage where I can't really afford a telephone service any
> > longer. I don't want arguments about direct debits. Once burnt never
> > forgotten.
> >
> > Is there any organised protest about this that I can sign up to?
>
>
> If it's any consolation, I think it's £4.50 *including* VAT, not +VAT.

In fact, there *is* no VAT on it.

--
Bob Eager
begin 123 a new life...take up Extreme Ironing!

Bill

In message <176uZD2KcidF-pn2-bhxWy8rkRq5t@rikki.tavi.co.uk>, Bob Eager
<rde42@spamcop.net> writes
>On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:58:49 UTC, "Roger Mills"
><watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> If it's any consolation, I think it's £4.50 *including* VAT, not +VAT.
>
>In fact, there *is* no VAT on it.
>
Ah yes, that's correct. I must have missed this when peering through the
red mist at the bill.

So what you are saying is that this scam is actually a way of BT
avoiding a bit of VAT on an increased service charge?

--
Bill

Bob Eager

On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:31:07 UTC, Bill <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> In message <176uZD2KcidF-pn2-bhxWy8rkRq5t@rikki.tavi.co.uk>, Bob Eager
> <rde42@spamcop.net> writes
> >On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:58:49 UTC, "Roger Mills"
> ><watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> If it's any consolation, I think it's ú4.50 *including* VAT, not +VAT.
> >
> >In fact, there *is* no VAT on it.
> >
> Ah yes, that's correct. I must have missed this when peering through the
> red mist at the bill.
>
> So what you are saying is that this scam is actually a way of BT
> avoiding a bit of VAT on an increased service charge?

No, I'm just quoting the price list!

--
Bob Eager
begin 123 a new life...take up Extreme Ironing!

Goalie of the Century

In message <KJokw0NLrUfGFw6S@privacy.net>, Bill <me@privacy.net> writes
>In message <176uZD2KcidF-pn2-bhxWy8rkRq5t@rikki.tavi.co.uk>, Bob Eager
><rde42@spamcop.net> writes
>>On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:58:49 UTC, "Roger Mills"
>><watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> If it's any consolation, I think it's £4.50 *including* VAT, not +VAT.
>>
>>In fact, there *is* no VAT on it.
>>
>Ah yes, that's correct. I must have missed this when peering through
>the red mist at the bill.
>
>So what you are saying is that this scam is actually a way of BT
>avoiding a bit of VAT on an increased service charge?
>
BT will just collect any VAT and pass it on to that nice Mr Brown. So
it's a way of BT saving their-customers-who-can't-reclaim-VAT some VAT.
--
Goalie of the Century

Bill

In message <p3qEewACMVfGFwNy@ntlworld.com>, Goalie of the Century
<goalie@ntlworld.com> writes
>BT will just collect any VAT and pass it on to that nice Mr Brown. So
>it's a way of BT saving their-customers-who-can't-reclaim-VAT some VAT.

But it is still a ludicrous imposition. If they get away with charging
me to pay them, won't everyone else start to do the same. The butcher,
the baker, Tesco, the no-marks who have screwed the water industry and
so on.
It's like road pricing. Once some crook finds a way to take the money I
haven't got, it will spread. No wonder the jails are full.

I repeat the questions.

Is the no way of getting a landline without paying BT or someone to set
up yet another parasitic company to employ yet more useless office
workers?

Is there no body of outrage anywhere?
--
Bill

Paul Cupis

Bill wrote:
> Is the no way of getting a landline without paying BT or someone to set
> up yet another parasitic company to employ yet more useless office workers?

Your question is so loaded and confused that I'm not sure it is worth
answering.

There are other companies who can contract with Openreach and/or
BTwholesale to provide you with a telephony services over the Openreach
infrastructure. You may be able to get a cable service from VirginMedia
depending on whether you are in their service area.

Are the "useless office workers" you mention the ones who have to be
employed to allow BT to process cash and cheque payments such as you
prefer, or the ones who would not be needed if payments were more
automated, say, by using Direct Debit?