BT Yahoo dial-up to close.

I have just had an email from Btinternet (BT Yahoo) saying that the dial-up service will be discontinued on 1st Sept 2013.

I have kept my dial-up account as a backup and because in the past I have had to make the occasional connection to keep the email account active.

The email recommends transferring to Plusnet if I want to continue to have a dial up account.

Yeah! I still have my standby dial-up account with Plusnet for Free-Online and it is still working.

https://portal.plus.net/index_nlp.html

My ISP does an Emergency dial-up service that anyone can use. No need to switch ISP and handy for sorting problems of BB loss from your ISP.
http://emergencyinternet.com/
http://freeola.com/dial-up-internet/

Edited by professor973 (Wed 05-Jun-13 12:33:26)

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

The email recommends transferring to Plusnet if I want to continue to have a dial up account.

BT recommending PN? Is that kosher? They could have recommended O2 for a permanent mailbox.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

BT recommending PN? Is that kosher? They could have recommended O2 for a permanent mailbox.

BT own Plusnet, Sky own O2. BT are unlikely to recommend a competitor - especially that one

You've misunderstood! Sky are not the owners of O2 Mobile who are the sole purveyors of O2 mailboxes even for O2/SHC BB (at present).

My point was should BT be recommending another ISP, which they happen to own, when it can be considered as anti-competitive.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Wed 05-Jun-13 13:12:23)

Did it specifically recommend PlusNet, or did it say your ISP and that happens to be PlusNet?

So you think O2 aren't a competitor? Why shouldn't BT recommend Plusnet as they own them?

But this has nothing to do with mailboxes but access to a dial up service.

And I doubt that it can be considered anti-competative since there are so few dial up customers left.

Suggesting that they use PN is at least pointing them somewhere to go rather than saying we're shutting up shop go look elesewhere.

In reply to a post by undecidedadrian:

But this has nothing to do with mailboxes but access to a dial up service.

Not entirely nothing, but many peeps retain a dial-up service solely to have a free mailbox. My family have free Orange dial-up a/c's, which they never use as such, in order to have their own mailboxes separate from mine own which comes with the BB service.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

So you think O2 aren't a competitor?

O2 Mobile is a competitor of BT? Only in the sense that all mobile firms take calls away from BT.

In reference to www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/bt-4g-mobile-network-spectrum-116137:

BT Plans To Re-Enter Mobile Market With 4G Spectrum

BT 4G network could be launched next year, according to CEO Ian Livingston

In these days of ubiquitous mobile internet access is there still a real demand for dial-up as an emergency back-up?

Looking at the slides for last year's financial results, BT aren't intending to use their 4G spectrum as a standard mobile operator.

They are looking at indoor and small urban cells themselves, alongside partner macro operators. They distinctly label it as "wholesale opportunity", so appear to be aiming at the same market that the mobile operators are in when they share radio network equipment.

They also seem to want to use it to offer a better bundle to their business customers.

Finally, I suspect that they'll use it as part of the BDUK solution for the final few percent, with their own hardware to mimic fixed-line broadband service.

For a very tiny percentage, where mobile isn't a possibility, perhaps.

I use 3G as a backup, and it is useful when out, but it isn't directly the same as using an ISP-specific backup. Outbound email handling almost always needs to be done a slightly different way, for example.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Did it specifically recommend PlusNet, or did it say your ISP and that happens to be PlusNet?

Yes, to quote:

Still need dial-up internet?
If you need to keep a dial-up connection and don't want all the extras you get with broadband, we can help by moving your service to Plusnet, a BT-owned company. If you'd like to move your dial-up service to Plusnet, give us a call on 0800 917 9987.

Yikes!

For about 10 years I have used btinternet/btopenworld email addresses from when I used to have a dial-up account with BT (haven't had BT as my ISP since!). Later they changed their Ts & Cs so you either dialled up every 90 days to preserve the email accounts; or pay £1.50 x 12 months for a 'premium' email service. Needless to say, I just dialled up 4 times a year.

The latest announcement about the dial-up ceasing does not cover this, although their webpage on this http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44702... does say "Your email service won't be affected by this change".

That is, so it seems, true! I called BT (0800 917 9987 - helpful Belfast call centre) and they confirmed that if you have existing basic, free BT email addresses then all you have to do is access email accounts within every 150 days (she actually said via via webmail) even if you are not with BT as an ISP and you don't subscribe to 'premium' email either. As per this http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43867...

The switch to Critical Path from Yahoo is a separate issue but they say that Outlook etc configurations will be unchanged.

I'm getting a personal stand-alone domain for email in any case now, but thought that the stuff about retaining BT email addresses without cost may be useful to others in a similar situation.

O2 are going to use some of it also.

Hi Boothroyd,

I've tried for 2 days now to speak to someone in the Uk but keep getting put through to India (?) and being told I must upgrade to the Premium Email service.

I don't suppose you got an email confirming what the Belfast call centre told you?

Edited by deleted (Wed 21-Aug-13 18:02:45)

Hi again Boothroyd and all!

I've still not been able to speak to someone at a UK call centre yet but earlier today I managed to speak with a manager at an Indian call centre who told me if I singed up for a PlusNet dial-up service I would get 1 years free Premium Email as long as I dialled in (although he didn't know how often!).

They have passed my details onto Plusnet with the promise that Plus will contact me tomorrow.

Anyone else any other updates????

i forgot about Bt dropping dial up, I had to sort out someone's dial up a few weeks back, thankfully freeola still got a dial up service and i have swapped them to that. Been a while since I set up dial up, i had to remember how to do it.

They also had good sense not to bother with email from the ISP a while back. freeola dial up is pretty good, it seems to do the job. that reminds me I must get another modem just in case theirs goes belly up.

I sent the out-going Chairman, Ian Livingstone, an email and here is his reply;

"We have given customers over a months� notice and offered them a number of alternatives including paying a small fee. For your information, I do not have a BT pension so please feel free to ask about it � I am puzzled that you get so irate about something I don�t have."

That's it in it's entirety! No "Dear..." or "Yours..."!!!! What an ignorant excuse of a human being! If the boss thinks that way it's no surprise no-one else in the company gives a damn about customer (or potential customer) care!

Well, as far as I'm concerned, BT can go sc**w themselves as I will NEVER have a BT service again!

Why were you asking him about his pension?

In reply to a post by aja007:

I sent the out-going Chairman, Ian Livingstone, an email and here is his reply;

"We have given customers over a months� notice and offered them a number of alternatives including paying a small fee. For your information, I do not have a BT pension so please feel free to ask about it � I am puzzled that you get so irate about something I don�t have."

What do his pension arrangements have to do with BT Yahoo? Indeed, what do his pension arrangements have to do with you at all?

I think you have blown a valuable chance to contribute to the discussion on the BT Yahoo migration by concentrating on something which is irrelevant.

Oh, and don't expect Dear... and Yours... on an email, especially when you appear to have irritated the person you approached.

Edited by deleted (Fri 23-Aug-13 12:31:44)

BatBoy,

In my original email to Mr Livingstone, I was making the point that maybe he was leaving BT to enjoy his company pension he might not be interested in the problems of the ordinary consumer. Anyhow, regardless of the content of my original email, any reply should have been courteous .If you are happy to accept such replies in your correspondence you will be among the very few who are!

I'm also awaiting a promised phone call from PlusNet (arranged by the Indian BT call centre yesterday, allegedly) because I was informed by the BT advisor if I/we continued to dial in using PlusNet, I/we would get a year's free BT Premium Email. As yet I have received no call so I am very doubtful about that claim.

In reply to a post by aja007:

BatBoy,

In my original email to Mr Livingstone, I was making the point that maybe he was leaving BT to enjoy his company pension he might not be interested in the problems of the ordinary consumer. Anyhow, regardless of the content of my original email, any reply should have been courteous

As I said, to get a courteous reply you should be courteous in your original email and being derogatory about his pension arrangements is anything but.

For your information, he is joining the government as a trade and investment minister.

BatBoy,

I was courteous in my original email, as I generally am! Once again you missed the point.

I received a phone call from the Belfast call centre and I was assured no-one will be getting Premium Email foc therefore Boothroyd has been misinformed. You have to sign up to PlusNet dial-up service and dial in every 90 days to retain the email addresses free for 12 months.

Personally it's not worth the hassle and I think I'll migrate to alternative free emails...unless BatBoy can suggest an alternative?

It's went quiet in here....anyone have any luck re the email addresses?

Just like you were rightly treated courteously but shortly by Mr Livingston, (no e), because of what might have been a courteous but clearly insulting email from you, I expect you have not heard from PlusNet because there is no way a BT Call Centre person can sign you up to a PlusNet service, and no way they can commit PlusNet to ring you.

With respect, you have some strange ideas about the world.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 30-Aug-13 19:33:17)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Just like you were rightly treated courteously but shortly by Mr Livingston, (no e), because of what might have been a courteous but clearly insulting email from you, I expect you have not heard from PlusNet because there is no way a BT Call Centre person can sign you up to a PlusNet service, and no way they can commit PlusNet to ring you.

With respect, you have some strange ideas about the world.

Another poster who jumps to conclusions...BT called me and arranged for PlusNet to set me up with a dial-up service in order that I can keep my BT emails free for a year!

You and BatBoy really should look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on the wrong points!

Yeah, right .

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Yeah, right .

Nothing sensible debate, eh?

In reply to a post by aja007:

You and BatBoy really should look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on the wrong points!

Says the guy asking the Chief Executive about his pension plans

I just found your PMs - notifications don't seem to be working. No, nothing new to add but for the benefit of others this was my previous response to you:

"I just dialled 0800 917 9887 which was the number of the original email advising of the change, and it went to the Northern Ireland Call Centre.

No, I did not get a confirmation that dial-up customers would need to "upgrade". She clearly said as per BT website http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43867... that all you had to do was access the email accounts by webmail or Outlook or whatever within every 150 days.

I would ignore anything the Indian call centres say - they are paid on commission and will say anything to earn a rupee or two. I think I was just lucky - BT are supposed to be bringing call centres back to UK but they switch calls still (using same number) according to call volume.

You could try their Live Chat and ask them for a UK call centre number or try 0179 359 6931 which is the number to use if dialling from abroad or BT Switchboard 020 7356 5000....."

Did you get any joy from those other numbers assuming that it is no longer possible to obtain an answer from that Belfast Call Centre?

Hi Boothroyd,

Nice to have some intelligent chat back on here! It's always a pity when the trolls appear but they probably don't have lives so they try to annoy others.

Yes I got through to one of the numbers (I'll pm you which one) and they got a guy from the Belfast call centre to call me. The guy then arranged for me to get the PlusNet dial-up service plus, if I dial in every 90 days, I'll get the Premium Email free.

As it says in the OP