BT line and Talktalk call provider

scruffyone

In the past I have been able to dial BT through 1280 on my phone as Talktalk are my providers.

As I pay my line rental to BT I have a package with them which allows free 0845 and 0870 numbers over a weekend as long as I dial 1280. However, I noted that these calls were being charged to me by Talktalk.

Talktalk tell me that it is BT who are blocking and BT say it is other providers!!!! So how is this happening.

Also if this is the case why does the system not reject my dialling 1280 as an unrecognisable number.

I can't be the only one please help. Thanks.

Torry_Quine

Exactly the same happened to me. They continually claimed that I needed to contact BT as they were blocking 1280 calls. Any calls made went through Tiscali but this only happened since they were taken over by Talk Talk. I ended up being charged by BT as I hadn't made the necessary number of calls for 'free' caller ID. Despite several e-mails and phone calls to them they hadn't a clue. Ended up going back to BT for calls so they've lost a customer.

Heinz

BT are not blocking 1280.

Talk Talk (amongst other CPS calls providers - Sky, AOL and Orange are others) have changed to taking their line use from BT Wholesale's new WCLI (Wholesale Calls Line Independent) package. That means that, although you pay Talk Talk for your calls, they are actually carried on BT's network and, hence, the 1280 prefix no longer works - a call cannot be made to 'hop back onto BT' because it's already there!

utilitybroker

See: www.bt.com/1280

nbr

I am in the same situation and it seems that, despite the 1280 prefix being still active as far as BT are concerned, TalkTalk has withdrawn this facility and will not reinstate it. I have also asked for a refund of the calls I have made while thinking my calls were being routed through BT, but no luck with that.

I have now started the process of returning to BT. SO they will remove the CPS and I will then call TalkTalk to cancel the phone service with them. I was wondering, though, if after BT having removed the CPS, I can still redirect call to TalkTalk with a prefix belonging to TalkTalk. In the Tiscali days it was 1615.

Do you think that would be possible? Or do you need to actually have CPS on TalkTalk to use their service?

Heinz

nbr wrote: »

I am in the same situation and it seems that, despite the 1280 prefix being still active as far as BT are concerned, TalkTalk has withdrawn this facility and will not reinstate it. I have also asked for a refund of the calls I have made while thinking my calls were being routed through BT, but no luck with that.

There is a thread on the Talk Talk forum in which Talk Talk CPS customers who have had their service changed in this way can post requests for their 'real CPS' service to be restored. Talk1280Talk

http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25290

That thread is full of excuses and inaction but, comments from member 'JSD' in post #27 appear to show it is possible - eventually!

I am sure Talk Talk Customer Representative will be along shortly to confirm that and advise you of the procedure to be followed.


P.S. If TT can do it, there is no reason why Sky Talk, AOL and Orange cannot.

nbr

Heinz wrote: »

There is a thread on the Talk Talk forum in which Talk Talk CPS customers who have had their service changed in this way can post requests for their 'real CPS' service to be restored. Talk1280Talk

http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25290

That thread is full of excuses and inaction but, comments from member 'JSD' in post #27 appear to show it is possible - eventually!

I am sure Talk Talk Customer Representative will be along shortly to confirm that and advise you of the procedure to be followed.


P.S. If TT can do it, there is no reason why Sky Talk, AOL and Orange cannot.

The forum you quoted seems to be for TalkTalk customers only, not for customers who were Tiscali before and now got transferred to TalkTalk due to the merging of the 2 companies.

Anyway, from the thread below,

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=173745

it seems that despite everything the 1280 can't be reinstated so I am not sure whether the customer representative on the TalkTalkmember forums can actually do something?

Heinz

nbr wrote: »

The forum you quoted seems to be for TalkTalk customers only, not for customers who were Tiscali before and now got transferred to TalkTalk due to the merging of the 2 companies.

Anyway, from the thread below,

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=173745

it seems that despite everything the 1280 can't be reinstated so I am not sure whether the customer representative on the TalkTalkmember forums can actually do something?

What a very unhelpful and abrupt 'service' you received there.

If Tiscali is now part of Talk Talk (didn't your charges go up to bring them into line with Talk Talks's?), obviously, it can be done. It's a question of not wanting to be bothered by the look of it (how can/why should you be treated differently to Talk Talk CPS customers?

nbr

nbr wrote: »

I have now started the process of returning to BT. SO they will remove the CPS and I will then call TalkTalk to cancel the phone service with them. I was wondering, though, if after BT having removed the CPS, I can still redirect call to TalkTalk with a prefix belonging to TalkTalk. In the Tiscali days it was 1615.

Do you think that would be possible? Or do you need to actually have CPS on TalkTalk to use their service?

From T&C 3.16 here

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/legal/tiscali-product/terms/

it seems that TalkTalk only provide the service via CPS. Is anyone aware whether a prefix e.g. like 1615 (to redirect the calls through TalkTalk) would work once returned to BT?

Thanks for your help!

nbr

Rockport wrote: »

Have BT not taken the courtesy of directly contacting valued customers to ensure that they were fully informed, such as a letter or phone call? Has nobody here recieved a letter or call from BT advising them that the 1280 service would no longer work? All BT had to do was create a list of calls providers that they know would no longer be compatible with 1280, call or write a letter to advise line rental customers who were currently paying for the 1280 service. Then everybody would be fully aware of what was going on and could then make an informed decision as to whether they would cancel the 1280 service or return to BT for calls. As it stands, many people still seem to be in the dark about why 1280 isn't working (something that they are being billed for) and they are blaming their calls provider and migrating back to BT because they think the calls provider is at fault, when infact BT should be alerting all line rental customers that use external calls providers that the service they are being charged won't work if they use a specific list of calls providers.

It isn't the responsibility of the calls provider to explain why a service that BT provides and charges for is no longer working, it is the repsonsibility of BT to ensure that customers are aware that 1280 no longer works.

utilitybroker reported the useful link in post#4. It may be that BT sent out something along with their bills (through the post or appearing when logging into your BT account) about updates on their T&C.

Heinz

BT Retail state that a call provider changing to using WCLI is a commercial-in-confidence issue between the call provider and BT Wholesale.

Sky made the decision to 'come clean' but others (e.g. AOL, Orange, Talk Talk) chose to keep quiet and to make extra money from their customers instead.