Cheaper than BT - Scottish and Southern sells mis-information

I'm registered with the Telephone Preference Service and I always 'opt out' from receiving marketing calls - even from companies I buy from. So when I get 'cold called' at home I want to know why.

Today Southern Energy Gas and Electric called me. I buy my gas and electricity from them and now they want to sell me my home phone. When it comes to energy they are top for customer service and very competitive on price. But as a telephone provider well, let's see...

It's a surprise for the badly briefed sales operator that (following my recent spat with BT) that I'm so up to date on the price of BT's calling plans.

Southern Energy are 'much cheaper than BT' gushes the young salesman. 'We've rented lines wholesale and are renting them on to you much cheaper than BT want us to - and our call packages are much cheaper too'.

Once the Southern Energy salesman explains their line rental is £10.49 a month and evening and weekend calls just £2.49 a month I tell him this is actually more expensive than BT - if you sign up for a 12 month contract (rental £10.50 with paper free billing - and free evening and weekend calls). He is taken aback and confused.

I ask for my call to be transferred to his manager. I ask the team leader to repeat the sales proposition so I can discover whether the problem is with the sales script or the salesman. It's the script.

Clearly Southern Energy hasn't done its homework - and is misleading BT customers into believing that their offer is cheaper. I ask to speak to a senior manager. I explain my concern that their sales script is misleading and factually incorrect. He says they are cheaper than BT's 'Standard service'. I reply that there is no 'standard BT service', all BT customers are on one of 3 calling plans - unlimited free weekend, unlimited free evening and weekend or an inclusive paid for plan. I want an explanation. He promises to phone me back within the hour.

An hour later, true to his word, he phones back. He assures me that if their initial sales call is successful it is put through to the 'verification' team in Portsmouth where additional questions are asked. He stresses that the sales team must ask all the questions to establish what a prospective customer's existing contract is before making any claims over savings. He agrees that BT is cheaper for the contract I have described and assures me that the entire sales team has been re-briefed as a result of my call. (To close, I point out that I am opted out from receiving marketing calls from Southern Energy and registered with the TPS, so their sales call is also a breach of the Data Protection Act).

During my wait for a call back I checked the Ofcom website. The regulator is investigating 'Slamming' and mis-selling of home phone contracts and wants to hear from people called by Tesco Telecoms and Economy Calls Ltd. Ofcom is also conducting a wider consultation of home phone contracts and the fairness of additional charges (like cancellation, direct debit discounts, itemised billing). So to conclude, I decide to call them. At least if Southern Energy doesn't do what it promises then the regulator is alerted (after all I'm not going to be receiving any more sales calls from Southern Energy again, ever).

Ofcom gets tough on 'adult chat'

In a timely (and completely co-incidental) anouncement following my last post about Ofcom being 'asleep at the wheel' the communications regulator has said that the TV programmes and TV channels which appear to rely on generating premium rate telephone calls for revenue (Five's Quiz Call, and the Babestation Channel - among many others) will have to prove that their expensive viewer telephone calls (£1.50+ a minute) are in fact 'editorial content'. If they cannot prove this they will have to re-classify as TV shopping channels. This will also impose restrictions on the amount of advertising time.

The latest proposals effectively ban TV channels like Babestation - as under current legislation adult chat advertising is prohibited on free-to-air unencrypted channels. Quite how these channels have flouted the rules for so long is another question. Ofcom first began making noises about tightening up the regulation of the 'adult chat' TV channels some 2 years ago.

If you've never watched them prepare for a shock when tuning in to the 900 range of channels on your Sky epg (Babestation 906). Did you know that even went on on your TV? Your children and their friends can watch the girls as they pleasure themselves too - unless you've specifically set up the parental controls on your Sky box. The girlie presenters on some of the channels even explain which 4 digits on your sky viewing card you need to enter to unblock and enjoy the post watershed content! I'm amazed the Daily Mail has missed this story.

Sneaky BT...

BT recently announced free unlimited weekend calls for its customers. Sounds like a great deal, doesn't it? Er, no. Buried deep in the incomprehensible terms and conditions Together Option 1 customers (who make up 10.8 million - in other words the majority - of BT's customers) will discover the real cost of those 'free' weekend calls next time they get their bill.

A few years ago BT ran a very high profile TV ad featuring Jeremy Clarkson extolling the virtues of BT's 5p an hour evening call rate. BT has just scrapped that rate, but they've kept it pretty quiet. Now it will cost 1.5p a minute or 90p an hour for a call which used to cost 5p.

OK so for 3 nights of the week calls will be free - but for 4 nights of the week a 60 minute call which used to cost 5p now costs 90p. BT say their customers will be better off. That, I suppose, depends on how many calls you make. You'd have to make 18 'free' weekend calls (which used to cost 5p) to save the new 90p cost of one weekday evening call. Go figure. How has Ofcom allowed BT to confuse its customers like this? Perhaps not unlike the FSA - they are they asleep at the wheel? (as they were with 'premium rate TV telephony and still are over adult 'chat' TV channels - the babe stations).

BT can't do maths and they can't spell either. In their terms and conditions they refer to Weekend Unlimited (formally Option 1) sic. Hope some legal eagles can have fun with their mistake (void terms and conditions perhaps?)

Finally moneysavingexpert recommends switching all calls to primus 2 saver. This apparently gives free weekend and evening calls. BT will offer you this too - in exchange for a rolling 12 month contract, with penalties if you terminate early. I think BT may have shot themselves in the foot and the head this time.