Getting Deposit back from BT

dubmick

I will be with BT six months soon so I will be looking to get my €125 deposit back. Anybody actually got their deposit back yet?

I not looking forward to this battle!

Idleater

dubmick wrote:

I not looking forward to this battle!

What deposit???

dubmick

I had to pay a deposit of €125
some people did, some didn't. Ridiculous.

the first time I put my order in I didn't need a deposit but they lost that order (surprise surprise) and when I put it in again they needed a deposit!

mickoneill30

Me too. I presume it's because I've little or no credit history here (I was abroad for 5 years).

I didn't realise that they kept it for 6 months though. Paying the deposit and then the installation fee is quite a bit.

dubmick

it must be just random as I have an excellent credit history

mickoneill30

Maybe it's just people with the name Mick

Idleater

dubmick wrote:

I had to pay a deposit of €125
some people did, some didn't. Ridiculous.

the first time I put my order in I didn't need a deposit but they lost that order (surprise surprise) and when I put it in again they needed a deposit!

Have you got a receipt for this deposit?

dubmick

of course I don't just gave them my credit card number over the phone
Receipts and BT...not going to happen!

whateveryoulike

...

Idleater

dubmick wrote:

of course I don't just gave them my credit card number over the phone
Receipts and BT...not going to happen!

Credit card - smart.

well there will be a record of it (on your part anyway).

Good luck.

jfanning

dubmick wrote:

of course I don't just gave them my credit card number over the phone
Receipts and BT...not going to happen!

I asked them for a receipt for the deposit and one was posted straight out.

dubmick

whateveryoulike wrote:

I got my deposit back twice (cheque + a/c credit), and I'm keeping both for the inconveniece.

did you request your deposit back or was it just sent out?

dubmick

lads did anyone get their deposit back without requesting it?

dubmick

just been told by BT customer service that I will have to wait a year not six months!!!

They drive me nuts!

Sponge Bob

Mick,

Up to early last year a BB contract was one year and the BT deposit was one year

For the last year and a half the contract is 6 months and deposit still one year

could you email complaints@btireland.ie and ask why a customer who finished a 6 month contract would have to wait another 6 months for their money back ???

It seems most odd

dub45

Sponge Bob wrote:

Mick,

Up to early last year a BB contract was one year and the BT deposit was one year

For the last year and a half the contract is 6 months and deposit still one year

could you email complaints@btireland.ie and ask why a customer who finished a 6 month contract would have to wait another 6 months for their money back ???

It seems most odd

'Odd' and BT now that is a shock!

This thread reminds me didn't BT's official liason person with Boards - Surveys - undertake some weeks ago now to find out why they do not give receipts for the interest free loans (opps sorry I mean the deposits!) and come back with the explanation the very next day???

cc

when i first got bt broadband last year (have now left them!) i got a letter looking for this security deposit. It didn't say beacuse i was renting or anything, just that they needed a deposit. After weighing it up i ignored the letter and thought i would go to another operator if they started hounding me for this, but i was still sent my modem and i never herd anything else about it...i just think they haven't a clue what they are doing themselves most of the time

dubmick

Sponge Bob wrote:

Mick,

Up to early last year a BB contract was one year and the BT deposit was one year

For the last year and a half the contract is 6 months and deposit still one year

could you email complaints@btireland.ie and ask why a customer who finished a 6 month contract would have to wait another 6 months for their money back ???

It seems most odd

cheers spongebob.

Sent an email on Friday and got a response by Friday afternoon, they said they are usually kept for a year but because I was told six months I will get mine back now. Cheque is being issued next friday. Stunned !!:eek:

dub45

dubmick wrote:

cheers spongebob.

Sent an email on Friday and got a response by Friday afternoon, they said they are usually kept for six months but because I was told six months I will get mine back now. Cheque is being issued next friday. Stunned !!:eek:

Well if they are ''usually kept for six months'' and it is six months since they took yours I am a bit confused by your post??

Lafortezza

That 125 is a renters deposit isn't it?

dub45

lafortezza wrote:

That 125 is a renters deposit isn't it?

Well its all a bit vague as BT have been loath (to put it kindly) to actually put anything about the interest free loan (sorry deposit) into print. And as demonstrated above even their own staff seem confused about it.

Sponge Bob

They do tend to shoot themselves in the foot with this deposit business and its soooooo not necessary BT, is it now ?? .

dubmick

dub45 wrote:

Well if they are ''usually kept for six months'' and it is six months since they took yours I am a bit confused by your post??

see edit

dub45

Sponge Bob wrote:

They do tend to shoot themselves in the foot with this deposit business and its soooooo not necessary BT, is it now ?? .

Well I know I keep labouring the point but what does it tell you about a so called reputable business and their internal procedures and indeed their integrity when they (sometimes) require an interest free loan from certain customers who apparently often do not get told of the requirement - and the customer only finds out when their is no sign of the bb being installed - the customer is not told when they will get the interest free loan back - nor do they get an automatic receipt for it - they are not told how to apply for the refund - what exactly the interest free loan is meant to cover and in what circumstances it can be forefitted?

And seemingly the staff themselves do not know too much about the interest free loan either!!!

Foxwood

dub45 wrote:

interest free loan ... interest free loan ... interest free loan ... interest free loan

.

6 months interest on €120 at 3% - about €1.80

Yeah, it's clearly an evil money making plan on BTs part.

dubmick

just a quick update on the above.

After countless emails and phone calls to BT I received a cheque for €125 on Tuesday.

However, the cheque was not made out to but somebody completely different.

All new levels of incompentecy imo.

Note the the date of the opening post.

I've contacted them to tell them the letter/cheque wasn't addressed to me but I have yet to receive a response.

dub45

Foxwood wrote:

.

6 months interest on €120 at 3% - about €1.80

Yeah, it's clearly an evil money making plan on BTs part.

Multiplied by a couple of thousand customers?

dub45

dubmick wrote:

just a quick update on the above.

After countless emails and phone calls to BT I received a cheque for €125 on Tuesday.

However, the cheque was not made out to but somebody completely different.

All new levels of incompentecy imo.

Note the the date of the opening post.

I've contacted them to tell them the letter/cheque wasn't addressed to me but I have yet to receive a response.

I really did not think that new levels of incompetence were reachable on their part:eek:

How about complaining to Comreg?

Foxwood

dub45 wrote:

Multiplied by a couple of thousand customers?

Whoop-de-****ing-do!

How much do you think it costs even an ultra efficient organization (which BT isn't) to administer such a scheme? Far more than €1.80.

I'm afraid your obvious bias against BT is blinding you to even the simplest of conclusions. Deposits are required because some percentage of renters "flit" without paying the phone bill. Taking and managing deposits isn't a profit centre for any business.

dub45

Foxwood wrote:

Whoop-de-****ing-do!

How much do you think it costs even an ultra efficient organization (which BT isn't) to administer such a scheme? Far more than €1.80.

I'm afraid your obvious bias against BT is blinding you to even the simplest of conclusions. Deposits are required because some percentage of renters "flit" without paying the phone bill. Taking and managing deposits isn't a profit centre for any business.

I dont have any bias whatsoever against BT.

All I do is try to point out to people that they have a lousy billing department which over the years has put people through hell including dealing with debt collectors and in cases I know of paying money they did not owe simply to get these debt collectors off their backs.

In addition to the above they unaccountablly lose applications on a regular basis.

They now apparently have initiatied the era of the minimum of an hour long wait on the phone just to sign up with them.

Apart from the above they sometimes (not always apparentlly) require a deposit from certain people - they often do not tell people that they require the depost and these people are somehow to guess this when their bb is not switched on. The staff apparently are not too clued in on this deposit lark either.

They expect people to 'give' the deposit over without any receipt without any conditons and without any inkling as to when and how they will get it back and the thread demonstrates the bother the poster had to go to to get even a wrongly addessed check.

By any standards that is appalling business practise.

Now if you give someone money and will eventually get it back that is an interest free loan whatever use BT may make of it.

Any comments I make in relation to BT are based on well known deficiencies on their part which should appall anyone interested in how bb customers or applicants are treated.

If you call pointing out on a regular basis that a company is mindbogglingly incompetent and has appalling business practises then yes I am biased I guess.

The sad fact is that they apparently have excellent products - their bb is apparently very good - but in fairness they could not be recommended to even ones worst enemies and that is sad for the state of bb in Ireland as it lessens competition.

Foxwood

dub45 wrote:

I dont have any bias whatsoever against BT.

All I do is try to point out to people that they have a lousy billing department which over the years has put people through hell including dealing with debt collectors and in cases I know of paying money they did not owe simply to get these debt collectors off their backs.

Suggesting that BT are asking for deposits to make a profit can only be explained by either irrational bias or the sort of thickness that your other posts don't suggest.

Do you honestly think that it costs BT less to handle a deposit than that deposit could possible earn in interest?

I've recommended BT to two people in the last 12 months. Neither have had any problems, or regrets. The current bizzare behaviour of the customer support line wasn't a problem when they signed up, and they haven't needed to call it since.