£33 BT complaint hits a dead end 

While checking her credit report in June, Emma Allardice found a default notice from BT, dated October 2019 for a value of £33. Emma had been a BT customer between May 2015 and October 2016 but closed her account long before the date of the notice. When Emma called BT, a representative raised her formal complaint as requested. However, they explained that the complaint would not go anywhere as her account was closed, so Emma contacted Which? for advice.

The law

Emma’s contract with BT was formed in May 2015, meaning BT had a requirement under the Supply of Services and Goods Act 1982 to serve its customers with reasonable care and skill. As the default notice was made in error, BT was required to fix the mistake by removing the default marker on Emma’s credit report.

Our advice

We suggested that as BT had been unable to resolve the problem, Emma should escalate her formal complaint with reference to the relevant legislation to BT’s chief executive officer. Within one week of the escalation, BT confirmed that the default marker had been removed from Emma’s credit file. BT said: ‘We’re very sorry for the time it has taken to remove the default marker from Ms Allardice’s account and for the inconvenience caused. We encourage all customers to check their final bill to ensure any remaining amount is settled and to discuss any questions as soon as possible.’