My 100-year-old mother has been a BT customer for more than 70 years. After a bad fall in March she was hospitalised for eight weeks. She has not been able to return home because of increased frailty and went into a care home in early May.
She is paying £128 a month for phone and broadband (which she hardly ever uses). I want to cancel the broadband but keep her landline. She is still hopeful of returning home and if she does will need to reinstate her emergency alarm service, which requires a landline.
When I called BT they told me my mother could cancel her broadband but would need to enter into an 18-month contract to keep her longstanding landline. This seems unreasonable to me given her age and vulnerability.
With the care home fees to cover, I feel I have no choice but to cancel the BT contract given the cost. However, they told me that even doing this requires 30 days’ notice. This seems cruel and insensitive given her circumstances. I would be grateful if you could investigate this matter.
DG, Leicester.
It is maddening you were shown so little sympathy by BT but also hard to fathom how your mother ended up on such an expensive package.
After we got in touch BT relented. She can keep her landline at £14 a month without a new contract.
BT made it clear its guidance was in line with company policy.
You are glad to have ditched this costly deal but I would complain to the Communications Ombudsman – your mother was being seriously overcharged.
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