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Housemate and Bills

Background: I flatshare with another person and we split everything pretty much 50/50 (his rent is marginally more as his room is a little bigger than mine). The way we work it is that the rent and council tax go from his account, I have a standing order for that to him every month. BT goes from his account. I have the gas and electric accounts, and when the bills come in we'll settle who has paid more over the quarter. Water is a whole other issue at the moment, so neither of us have that account.

Due to a mess up by BT we had no phone or internet for 6 weeks (not that we use the phone, but pay the charge for the internet line). He has it on direct debit. We haven't gas or electric bills yet so I haven't had to pay, but he mentioned last night that we should be getting a free upgrade to the BT Vision TV package because of all the trouble over the internet/phone. I said I didn't want that and would be happy just not paying for the time we had no access, but he said we couldn't do that as we pay by Direct Debit, they would credit the account but because of the DD it would never get taken. I'm really not happy with this, and I can't afford to be paying for 6 weeks (well, half of the six weeks). He just sort of shrugges and said there was nothing we can do.

Now I don't want to fall out with him over this, things can be somewhat strained anyway as I was lies to about several fundamental things about the house to get me to move in but we have expensive internet and I don't see why I should pay for time we had no access. He earns 50% more than I do and is less phased by it all. I don't really know how to resolve it without being a cow...any suggestions?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The fact that you weren't given a service shouldn't make any difference to your finances. If you can't afford the BT bill then you can't afford the BT bill. If BT hadn't cocked up you would have had to afford it so I don't think it is fair on him to say you can't afford the bill now.

    It sounds like he wants the vision box more than the lost six weeks rental. BT shouldn't be charging you for the time without service anyway. Ask him what he's on about. But really you don't have much say in this; he will quite rightly ask why you agreed to pay for a BT bill that you can't afford.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yup.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    BT shouldn't be charging you for the time without service anyway.

    Well this is sort of the issue in my eyes, it isn't a matter of finance and cash flow.

    When I say I can't afford it I don't mean I literally cannot find the money to pay it as I could, I mean that if I have to be paying £30 for something then a service I didn't have isn't really a good use of my money as I would much rather use that money towards paying off the small amount of debt I have, or fixing the mirror on my car that some tool broke off in the car park at work yesterday. Why would anyone hand over £30 for nothing, effectively?

    The cost of the BT overall is another issue altogether, related to me being lied to so I would move in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BT vision is a free service anyway, oh i think its like a £30 one off install fee, but if you get it with your broadband, you recontract for 12months.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    BT vision is a free service anyway, oh i think its like a £30 one off install fee, but if you get it with your broadband, you recontract for 12months.

    I know, we had it anyway. Apparently as "compensation" for our lack of service they upgraded it to one of the premium packages that you normally have to pay extras for, films and stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That will likely be only for a short period. as one of the tv packs in normally like £5/£6 a month

    My paranoid (but often right) thinking suggests he just did that himself to get the tv on demands and the films :P

    I think the films you have to pay for anyway, theres no package to get them free
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    MrG wrote: »
    That will likely be only for a short period. as one of the tv packs in normally like £5/£6 a month

    My paranoid (but often right) thinking suggests he just did that himself to get the tv on demands and the films :P

    I think the films you have to pay for anyway, theres no package to get them free

    The silly thing is, neither of us watch TV that much anyway!

    Thanks for makng me realise I'm not the only cynical one :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm confused, you have to pay half the bill for a six week period wher eyou had nno working line and are supposed to be appeased by freebie subscription offer on a tv you rarely watch? I wouldn't be too impressed. You haven't given details but I can tell flatmate's been a bit economical with the truth to you before, which I think shows a total lack of respect for you. Sit him down and phone BT when he's with you and try to arrange a refund for the six weeks with no service and still get the free tv upgrade thrown in as a way of BT saying sorry for not meeting your expectations and inconveniencing you both.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    I'm confused, you have to pay half the bill for a six week period wher eyou had nno working line and are supposed to be appeased by freebie subscription offer on a tv you rarely watch? I wouldn't be too impressed. You haven't given details but I can tell flatmate's been a bit economical with the truth to you before, which I think shows a total lack of respect for you. Sit him down and phone BT when he's with you and try to arrange a refund for the six weeks with no service and still get the free tv upgrade thrown in as a way of BT saying sorry for not meeting your expectations and inconveniencing you both.

    :yes: that
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Compensation for no service over such a period should be much more than that. We had no service from BT for about 10 days a few years ago and the compensation paid for the next year's worth of rental.

    Sort it out.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The only problem I have is that BT won't talk to me becuase I'm not registered on the account :grump:

    But thanks for the suggestions, I'll try and sit him down to talk about it at some point.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    sit next to him while he makes the call after agreeing with him that he's to insist on both refund and compensation. I bet he's bloody done thatt anyway and is fobbing you off with bullshit.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    sit next to him while he makes the call after agreeing with him that he's to insist on both refund and compensation. I bet he's bloody done thatt anyway and is fobbing you off with bullshit.

    Yeah, I do have my suspicions about it all :chin:

    Thanks for your help :)
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