Simon Read: Everyone makes mistakes - except for BT, it seems. And that's why it carries on making them

The only thing on the line is its pride, says our Personal Finance Editor

Big companies make mistakes. When they have millions of customers, that's going to happen. So often the best way to judge them is on how they deal with those mistakes. Take Scottish Power. This week it was given a 12-day sales ban for failing to clear a backlog of customer complaints that had been ruled on by the ombudsman. That's not a very positive sign, is it?

And so back to the telecoms giant BT. Still your emails and letters come in about what you feel are the company's unfair hidden charges, and still the company ignores calls to make things clear. This week has been the same old story of some readers being told they will get a full refund for being charged for caller display – when they could have had it for free – while others have been denied a refund. The ruling seems to be random.

As a reminder, here's BT's official view: "Customers can get caller display free by signing up for the 12-month-free caller display offer, which also renews their line contract. Customers can renew their free offer after 12 months to continue to receive it without charge. If a customer is charged and contacts us to renew their free offer, we'll refund the charges from the first bill they appear on."

Clear? Not to many people, especially BT staff. Reader John Disney was denied a refund by one BT worker, who told him: "When you sign up for the line-rental saver contract, the caller display service has to be activated separately."

But Kate Phillipson was successful in getting a refund and the BT worker she dealt with said: "BT are aware of the problems this matter has caused and will look at reviewing this policy. I personally will recommend that the free caller display service is provided automatically for Line Rental Saver customers in the future."

Hooray! Someone with common sense at BT! Will she help the company improve things? I won't be holding my breath!

s.read@independent.co.uk

twitter: @simonnread