Virgin Media call mobile phone barring rip off

bettybop

:mad:When you take out the call mobile barring option with virgin media, one expects just that; after all you are paying extra on your bill for the privilege.
Alas, it isn't the case, as your teenagers can easily phone 118 118 and Virgin Media will happily put them through via 118 118 to any mobile number your kids have dialed.

Virgin Media know full well there are flaws within their call-barring facility, but they are making far too much money from unsuspecting customers like me to be bother to change their exchange sub-routines, which could easily stop the above from happening.
Guess what happens when you phone them and ask for your telephone line to be taken out? They inform you that your bill for your existing broadband and television package will be increasing by £11 as you loose your full package discount which included your telephone line.:mad:

KimYeovil

Don't blame all and sundry for your inability to control your children. Why do your children not obey you?

And of course if you remove a revenue-generating component from a bundle the cost of the remaining elements will alter.

bettybop

KimYeovil wrote: »

Don't blame all and sundry for your inability to control your children. Why do your children not obey you?

And of course if you remove a revenue-generating component from a bundle the cost of the remaining elements will alter.

So you are saying there is no flaw?
It has zilch to do with teenagers and all to do with the flaw that exist within the system.

Buzby

This isn't a 'flaw' - and to be honest, any telephone network will work in exactly the same way. How on earth do you expect VM to block numbers that aren't actually dialled over their own network?

Similarly, if your kids are devious enough to know the ways around a block, by using a different service to connect, then surely the ability to control them rests with you? You've laid down the rules (I assume?) and they laugh in your face. Not VM's problem at all.

In the good old days, you could put a padlock on your phone dial, and with only BT providing service, there were no back doors. Until the kids buy their own phone and replace yours dialling out with no restrictions.

There's nothing new under the sun. As for the DQ back door, I also believe there is another - if someone calls, hangs up and you dial 1471, the system will offer to redial the caller - even if call barring is in place. Now, that IS a flaw (and may well have been addressed by now), but I think your ire is directed at the wrong people!

bettybop

Buzby wrote: »

This isn't a 'flaw' - and to be honest, any telephone network will work in exactly the same way. How on earth do you expect VM to block numbers that aren't actually dialled over their own network?

Similarly, if your kids are devious enough to know the ways around a block, by using a different service to connect, then surely the ability to control them rests with you? You've laid down the rules (I assume?) and they laugh in your face. Not VM's problem at all.

In the good old days, you could put a padlock on your phone dial, and with only BT providing service, there were no back doors. Until the kids buy their own phone and replace yours dialling out with no restrictions.

There's nothing new under the sun. As for the DQ back door, I also believe there is another - if someone calls, hangs up and you dial 1471, the system will offer to redial the caller - even if call barring is in place. Now, that IS a flaw (and may well have been addressed by now), but I think your ire is directed at the wrong people!

I do not have teenagers;it was a figure of speech.
What I'm saying is Virgin Media can and without question SHOULD create a sub-routine block which disallows anyone whom has call barring enabled on their phone to have the option of blocking any user from dialing 118 118 as anyone can then be put through to any mobile number via the 118 118 number which was originally accessed/ dialed through a Virgin Media phone line with call-barring enabled.t should be an extremely simple routine to write.

Buzby

A simple routine? This would have the 'clairvoyance' sub-routine as standard, would it?

ONce a call set up takes place, they had off the call to the distance service. What that service does is outwith their control. If you are suggesting they should continuously monitor your line in case this is used to make another call that might otherwise break the established line restrictions?

Now that does make me feel really uncomfortable.

What about all the other 118 providers? There were 18 at the last time I counted.

Should they all similarly monitor your calls to ensure compliance? They only bar mobile calls, that's what they promise and that's what they do. The calls you complain about are to non-mobile numbers - what they do after they deliver the calls is none of VM's concern, nor should it ever be.

bettybop

Buzby wrote: »

A simple routine? This would have the 'clairvoyance' sub-routine as standard, would it?

ONce a call set up takes place, they had off the call to the distance service. What that service does is outwith their control. If you are suggesting they should continuously monitor your line in case this is used to make another call that might otherwise break the established line restrictions?

Now that does make me feel really uncomfortable.

What about all the other 118 providers? There were 18 at the last time I counted.

Should they all similarly monitor your calls to ensure compliance? They only bar mobile calls, that's what they promise and that's what they do. The calls you complain about are to non-mobile numbers - what they do after they deliver the calls is none of VM's concern, nor should it ever be.

When I order and pay for a cheese burger, then I expect just that, a burger with cheese on. Virgin Media are charging for a mobile call barring service which they cannot and do not provide.Trading standards should be looking into this.

bettybop

Buzby wrote: »

A simple routine? This would have the 'clairvoyance' sub-routine as standard, would it?

ONce a call set up takes place, they had off the call to the distance service. What that service does is outwith their control. If you are suggesting they should continuously monitor your line in case this is used to make another call that might otherwise break the established line restrictions?

Now that does make me feel really uncomfortable.

What about all the other 118 providers? There were 18 at the last time I counted.

Should they all similarly monitor your calls to ensure compliance? They only bar mobile calls, that's what they promise and that's what they do. The calls you complain about are to non-mobile numbers - what they do after they deliver the calls is none of VM's concern, nor should it ever be.

Yes I would like my telephone line constantly monitored by the correct and appropriate software to insure that zero calls are made from my land-line to any mobile number regardless of the route taken.It would be a very simple sub-routine to write. When I order and pay for a cheese burger, I like you, expect cheese on that burger.So ask Virgin Media "Where's the cheese?"

Heinz

https://help2.virginmedia.com/assets/customer_zone/complaintformCZ.html

bettybop

Been there, zero joy. Depending on the exchange area , Virgin Media can block access to 118 118 numbers, but in doing so those of us who pay extra for free landline calls will loose the ability to call landlines outside of your immediate area code.
Virgin Media will not address this massive problem, massive for its customers, but a bit of a gravy train for Virgin Media. It’s about time trading standards place this service under extreme scrutiny, and brought the Virgin Media phony call barring service gravy train to a halt

Buzby

Yes - I can just see Ofcom falling over with glee at your request for a Cheesburger. Any other perverse similarities you feel relevant? Like getting Burger King to supply you with a Big Mac....?

It's only a problem in your mind, because of your limited expectations. Why not ask BT and Kingston how they block their calls. You talk as if VM somehow fails when others do not.

They don't.