BT INFINITY BEING MISSOLD

Question

BT PROBLEMS COMPLAINT NO VOL012-***********
I am in the throes of a number of problems concerning my ‘contracts’ with BT I shall try to be brief and to the point but there are numerous problems, all of BTs making.
On Saturday August 19 at approx. 9am I tried to access BT sport in order to see the first game of the season which involved Liverpool. I could not access channels. Rang for assistance and spoke to Jodie who informed me channels had to activated, I was not aware of this, I did not like her phone manner, she continually spoke over me, spoke to her supervisor Rachel, she informed me that in order to have any chance of seeing the game on TV that kicked off at 11.45 I needed to take out a new 12 month BT Sport contract. This was an ‘immediate’ contract that therefore could not be cancelled in a cooling off period. I agreed to the contract under duress as it was stated there was a good chance it would be activated in time for the game. The immediate contract stated activated within 15mins to 24 hours. I still don’t fully understand why I had to take out any new contract for a service that was advertised as FREE.
Needless to say the channel was not activated in time for the game, indeed as I will present evidence of later no attempt was made by BT to honour their ‘immediate’ contract. I received both telephone and email confirmation on Monday August 21 at 10.59 that the channel had only just been activated and that it would take 15 mins to 24 hours to access.
THIS IS IN BREACH OF CONTRACT TO THE ‘IMMEDIATE’ CONTRACT THAT I TOOK OUT ON THE BASIS THAT IT WAS 15MINS TO 24 HOURS FROM APPROX 9am SATURDAY.
Rachel further informed me that my best chance of seeing the game would be on my computer, but that in order to watch it on my laptop my wireless signal would not be sufficient and that I should purchase a 30 foot Ethernet cable to connect my hub to my laptop. This is the first time anyone at BT has told me that BT Infinity broadband is no good at delivering a wireless signal, and that I need to trail a 30 foot cable through my house! It is ridiculous to expect people to have a 30 foot cable to their laptop, I don’t even need it plugged into the mains, it is why I choose to have a laptop.. Indeed in a workplace this would not be allowed under Health and Safety regulations yet you expect two people nearly 70 years old to have such a cable trailing through their property.
I purchased the cable at a cost of £11 and at kick off given that the TV was inaccessible decided to try my laptop, connected first through wireless and the picture was rubbish, like watching a Charlie Chaplin film, connected with cable and got exactly the same result.
Rang Drew in Tech Support, asked me to run Speedtest, speed with wireless was 6, with cable 21, but no improvement in picture, he agreed the figure of 6 was poor and put it down to ‘teething troubles’ with Bt sport, I later lost the picture altogether.
BT INFINITY WAS UNWATCHABLE ON LAPTOP WHETHER CONNECTED WIRELESS OR VIA ETHERNET CABLE FROM HUB TO LAPTOP. AND I’M £11 OUT OF POCKET!
Tried to contact BT on Sunday but telephone quoted 30-40 mins for reply and 10 days for email reply.
On Monday when I tried to access TV all I could see was BBC1, no other channel.
Contacted Tech Support and spoke to Amin based in India, who seemed helpful. After over an hour he managed to restore the channels to my TV. My TV was giving a constant error message that the signal was too low and continues to do so.
After restoring the channels Amin asked me to run speedtest that again came back as 6, he again told me that was unacceptable said it could be the powerline transmitters, he said he would dispatch new transmitters and a new remote, ordered them as we spoke and told me they would be delivered on Wednesday, asked me to fit them and he would call back between 3pm and 5pm Wednesday, if they did not improve the service he was then going to order a FREE engineer visit.
THE PARTS DID NOT ARRIVE, AMIN DID NOT RETURN CALL, NO MESSAGES WERE LEFT. I STAYED IN ALL DAY WEDNESDAY AND AM SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR MY TIME AND THE APPALLING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LACK OF MANNERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE PARTS WERE ACTUALLY DISPATCHED!! I AM FINDING IT INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE BT STAFF.
After reading my emails once computer restored on Monday rang and spoke to a lady called Lindsay about the fact that BT Sport only actioned Monday and not Saturday, demanded an explanation and said I wanted to cancel without any penalties due to breach of contract. Speaking to Lindsay was a waste of time, all I got was a ‘not my job’ attitude and a refusal comment, I continually find BT staff unable to ‘own’ the problem. I asked to speak to her supervisor and she told me that ‘Kevin’ would call me back between 1pm and 4pm, and keep trying if he failed to contact to.
STAYED IN ALL DAY MONDAY, NO CONTACT FROM ‘KEVIN’ NO MESSAGE. IT IS NOW AUG 28 STILL NOT CONTACT. I AM SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR MY TIME AND THE APPALLING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LACK OF MANNERS.
THAT IS TWO DAYS IN ONE WEEK WHEN YOUR STAFF CHOSE NOT TO RESPOND TO ME AND CAUSED ME TO AWAIT THEIR CALLS.
I would request that whoever eventually contacts me that they read this message and have specific answers to the numerous complaints. As a 69 year old with a heart condition and breathing difficulties I find it difficult and tiring repeating the same story over and over again to different people. WHY CAN’T SOMEONE ‘OWN’ THE PROBLEM.
With regard to your supply of BT Infinity this has been a problem from day one. My original complaint was with the misselling of the product in the very first instance. I was continually rang by the same sales person telling me how wonderful and fast the service was, and how cheap it was. NO MENTION WAS EVER MADE OF A 30 FOOT CABLE IN THE PROPERTY, I WOULD HAVE REJECTED THIS OUT OF HAND. I made it clear I was not a heavy broadband user and that my device was a laptop. Indeed he quoted me an untrue figure. When I got my first bill and complained if you check your records you will find that a supervisor agreed that in fact I could cancel the contract if I wanted as I had been misled regarding the price. (Oh how I wish I had). Eventually we agreed to a compensation figure and the contract ran.
I have never been impressed by your Infinity service, and have complained about the performance. I cannot say I have ever noticed any difference in the performance from ‘ordinary’ broadband, indeed at a speed of 6 it is not surprising.
BT Infinity was installed at my property by a BT Engineer. The installation was completed as a wireless installation. No mention was ever made of a 30 foot cable from my hub to any device by the engineer, and no cable was supplied or even hinted that I should purchase one, again at this juncture I would have complained about being missold  BT Infinity if it required this 30 foot cable. It is a ridiculous solution in 2013, having spoken to other providers, including TalkTalk my previous provider, they all state their fibre optic broadband claims are made to operate wirelessly, not via a cable, although everyone agrees you get a better connection with a cable fibre optic should work via wireless. TalkTalk tell me they will guarantee it in writing if I return to them!
GIVEN THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION OF BT INFINITY COULD SOMEONE AT BT EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I AM PAYING £45 FOR FIBRE OPTIC BROADBAND AND ONLY GETTING A SPEED OF 6. SURELY I COULD GET THIS WITHOUT FIBRE OPTIC.
On this basis I am looking to cancel the BT Infinity contract without any penalty.
It was missold and is not fit for purpose, i.e. high speed broadband. It is not unlike the banking PPI fiasco where customers were deliberately sold a product they did not need and did not work.
I AM THEREFORE SEEKING
CANCELLATION OF BT INFINITY CONTACT WITH OUT PENALTY DUE TO MISSELLING
REIMBURSEMENT OF ALL EXTRA PAYMENTS PAID FOR BT INFINITY
COMPENSATION FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE INCLUDING TWO DAYS SPENT AWAITING CALLS FROM BT STAFF
REIMBURSEMENT OF £11 FOR ETHERNET CABLE.
This current tale of wore commenced on August 19.
It is now August 28 and still no response from anyone at BT willing to ‘own’ the problem.
I have found my whole experience at BT to be unpleasant and distasteful!
Come back TalkTalk all is forgiven (I only left them because at the time they had no TV box)
HAS ANYBODY OUT THERE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS - I WOULD WELCOME ANY COMMENTS FROM ANYWHERE AS I CANNOT GET ANY COMMENT FROM BT

Answer 1

Hi lheath010,
I would like to look into your complaint. Please could you send me in your details using the link found in the "About Me" section of my profile?
Thanks
PaddyB
BTCare Community Mod
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