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Hunkymouse: an IRC server without a host

NewsWireless provides an "instant feedback" service for readers. You can phone the Editor. And you can log onto the chat server, and flame the Editor directly. Or at least, you can, normally. Courtesy BT Billing, however, you can't.

The server is provided on a standard ADSL line, and the service is pretty much 24x7 - but for some reason back in January, a change in our banking arrangements meant that payment got overlooked. The direct debit was not moved to the new account.

BT provides the line (not the ADSL). It sent a late payment "red bill". So we contacted BT and paid it there and then. And then, we said: "Can we now set up a new direct debit mandate, please?" And BT said:

"No. You can't."

And they explained, in tedious detail, that until the account was "in good order" they couldn't accept a new direct debit mandate. "Call again in a week," they said, "and once payment has gone through, we'll set up the new mandate!" - a nice idea, and sadly, it got omitted. So three months later, it all happened again.

And three months after that, it all happened again again.

And last month, another red bill came. This time, however, it was different! This time, we paid the bill, and they said thank you, and we asked for a mandate in the post. And then, ten days on, BT terminated the line.

So we rang to ask why?

"Because you have an outstanding 'late payment penalty' payment," said the clerk.

"But I paid you last week! I asked how much was owing, was told 70 pounds, and paid it. Why didn't you mention the outstanding late payment penalty at the time?"

"Oh," said the clerk, "I expect we've sent you a notification by post."

And a week later, for the sake of a seven pound penalty payment, they terminated the line. Still no sign of this postal notification...

To make things even more fun, when we lodged a complaint with the billing department, they professed bafflement.

"There's no requirement for the account to be 'in good order' before setting up a direct debit," they assured us. "What happens normally is that we set up a new mandate, and then take the next payment AND the missing payment together."

So why are the collections department refusing to set up a new direct debit? "They shouldn't have done that. We're very sorry. Now, about the line. Do you want to apply for a new one?"