Landline Phone - only receive incoming calls

scruffian · 8 August 2005 at 3:15PM

Hi,

When I was a student and no-one paid the phone bill, we were cut off from the system and were not able to make any calls on the landline.

However we could receive incoming calls. Was this just a strange glitch or is this always the case for cancelled landline phones?

Thanks
Ben

bbb_uk · 8 August 2005 at 6:19PM

scruffian wrote:

...However we could receive incoming calls. Was this just a strange glitch or is this always the case for cancelled landline phones?

It is common for landline providers to place the phone line on incoming calls when you become late in payment. It is possible on a BT line to have just incoming calls anyhow at about £10 per quarter and the tariff is called In Contact Plus and was discussed a bit more in this thread.

jenniborg · 25 March 2009 at 5:31PM

I've just discovered that BT is dropping its In Contact Plus and replacing with a BT Basic package which you can only access if you are in receipt of benefits.

I have also spoken to Ofcom and they tell me that they only ensure that everyone is able to receive a standard package i.e. one with incoming and outgoing calls. They pointed out that you can block outgoing calls but this means paying for a service which is not used. I have lodged a complaint as I think it is unfair that only some consumers are able to access these packages.

However it looks like this money saving option is now no longer open to the vast majority of customers.

kittykt_2 · 22 April 2010 at 4:58PM

my poor elderly auntie has recently been a victim of this new change with bt she was on incoming calls only and has been for 10years she suffers from strokes and needs a phone for us to keep in touch and check on her,they changed her package without her authorisation and have now sent her a bill for £95 for something that she didnt want in the first place,all except £16 are charges for this new package that she had no idea she was on,i have had a pathetic conversation with someone i couldnt understand so asked to speak to a manager whos english was just as bad and would not waver the charges i am absolutly furious .how can they do this to people especialy the elderly,she now has no phone as they have cut her off for something that is no fault of hers :mad:

iniltous · 22 April 2010 at 5:53PM

Although having sympathy for anyone getting a large unexpected bill, if the line was unable to make outgoing calls for ten years, then is changed to BT basic ( and is now able to make calls) , who made the calls ???, if the line was only ever used for incoming calls why would anyone even try to make outgoing ones ,why would they even lift the handset if the phone wasnt ringing ?

BT_company_representative · 5 May 2010 at 2:05PM

kittykt wrote: »

my poor elderly auntie has recently been a victim of this new change with bt she was on incoming calls only and has been for 10years she suffers from strokes and needs a phone for us to keep in touch and check on her,they changed her package without her authorisation and have now sent her a bill for £95 for something that she didnt want in the first place,all except £16 are charges for this new package that she had no idea she was on,i have had a pathetic conversation with someone i couldnt understand so asked to speak to a manager whos english was just as bad and would not waver the charges i am absolutly furious .how can they do this to people especialy the elderly,she now has no phone as they have cut her off for something that is no fault of hers :mad:

Hi Kittykt,

I am sorry to hear that your auntie’s BT Bill has increase so much. I would like to take a look at this for you. Please could you email me her BT account details, a long with a link to this thread? Once I have received those details I will look into this and reply to you directly. My email address can be found by clicking on my profile.

Thanks

Paddy

droow · 18 March 2011 at 12:22AM

Thanks MSE

I'm in a wheelchair on benefits and knew nothing of any of this, I've been paying £100+ on every bt bill for years!! Ringing them tomorrow!

Droow

Landline Phone - only receive incoming calls

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