Landline switch riddled with hitches

THE switch to digital is underway for landlines, with providers organising it for customers, but for one, the process proved unexpectedly nerve-wracking.

- By MAISHA FROST

Aware of the inevitable change on its way and keen to know if a better deal was available, a couple of months ago Tony Brown took up the suggestion to shift from BT to EE, assuming it would be straightforward and especially as the two are part of the same business group.

Never having had a problem previously with BT, he was taken aback with then being landed with a £548.82 bill for "stopping services and the months left", losing broadband and his home phone and other key extras such as Call Protect and access to TV channels.

In all, the month of May was stressful, he told Crusader: "Because services were stopped - something I never wanted or expected, I had to open a new EE email account with a new address.