BT - NOW tv account connections.

[Anonymous User]

Do not link your BT and NOW TV Accounts!

I unknowingly trapped myself in this pitfall of an offer, and regret ever linking these two accounts. Now, I can't say that these same issues apply when you link BT to Netflix or Amazon prime, but this has been an uphill struggle. 

I first contacted BT two weeks ago to cancel all of my NOW TV subscriptions and to unlink my two accounts. My reasoning for this is simple; BT does not allow you to redeem NOW TV offer codes once the two accounts are attached. I was paying the full £33.99pm for the sports package with a Boost added on (total £38.99pm). I then got an offer from NOW that would give me sports for £20pm for three months; clearly a good saving. 

In the first call, the person said that they had canceled all subscriptions, but it would need to go through to a technical team to unlink the accounts. I thought that this seemed a bit long-winded, but I don't know the system, so that's ok. I then logged on to my BT & NOW accounts to see that the sports had been canceled but not the Boost! I contacted BT again and said that the Boost had not been canceled, they said it had, but it had not. Once again, they said it might take 24 hours.... 24 hours later; I'm still being charged for the boost. 

I call BT again, and eventually, I get the boost issue sorted out. I then ask if the accounts had been unlinked so that I could redeem my NOW tv offers, and watch Chelsea FC get beat by another lower league team. The lady was helpful, but it did not sound like she knew what I was talking about. She confirmed the Boost was gone and said that I should give it another 24 hours so that the accounts could separate. I gave it 24 hours and decided that I would try purchasing my discounted sports package. I purchased the sports package and Boost, and guess what? They were both full price and being billed through BT. 

I then call again and explain what had happened, the man on the phone was very nice and polite, and said that both of the products would be cancelled, and that he would send the account unlinking issue through to their technical team. I know that he did do this as I received an email with a reference number. The next day came and went, and my sports and boost had still not been cancelled. 

I call BT again.

They say that they have cancelled my subscriptions, and that they will credit my account with £38.99 as the issue was not my fault. The man was honest and said that the account separation might not happen until the 1st of May. After all this hassle, I just wanted and end date. 

I leave it until 2nd May due to the bank holiday, and can see that my subscriptions have been cancelled, and the accounts unlinked. However, there is nothing on my BT account saying that it has been credited. I have just spent over an hour in an online chat with BT staff, and they said that they could find no record of the refund in the call notes, and suggest I call BT in order to get the issue sorted. I've just called BT, and should be receiving a confirmation email shortly. 

 All in all I contacted BT numerous times through telephone calls and online chats over the last two weeks. I have also been in contact with NOW throughout this time period. All staff that I have dealt with have been friendly, but clearly did not know how to deal with this issue. 

The point of this post is to warn people not to fall in to the same mistake. 

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

AIUI, if you sign up for BT TV, then the packages may be flexible, but you have to take at least one of them every month for 24 months.

And the only way you can do that without having at least one Now membership linked in is to take the Sports (not Big Sports) package.

With linked Now memberships, you can watch and record the relevant Now channels from the TV guide on your BT YouView box.

But with no Now memberships linked, you can’t; you can use the Now app on the YouView box, or indeed anywhere, if you subscribe direct to Now memberships, but you get none of the BT TV extra Now features.

I know that with the convoluted rules about when you can and can’t watch F1, live, replays, and highlights, on the Now app, that some F1 fans are biting the bullet over full-price Now Sports at £33.99 (gulp) via BT TV, just so they can record the action when it happens, and then watch it whenever they want.

Which it appears there is no other way of doing ‌😢‌