Nuisance Calls from BT!!

Paul_Varjak

My aunt has been receiving calls just after midnight since early November. When she picks up the phone there is total silence. Dialling 1471 reveals no information that any call has even been received! 1471 only reveals who called her several hours earlier!

Without any CLI information being transmitted I think there are just two possibilities:

1. Her own phone has an alarm which calls at 12:15am every day
2. BT test equipment is checking her line at 12:15am every day!

Option 1 was quickly ruled out as none of her phones has an alarm feature and the phone still rang when replaced with another phone anyway!

So, that just leaves option 2 - BT is calling my 87 year-old aunt every morning and waking her!

I called the BT Nuisance Call Bureau and told them the scenario but never suggested to them that it may be their test equipment calling my aunt; even so, they immediately suggested it was BT test equipment calling my aunt and that it was an increasing problem!

I think I know what is causing BT test equipment to call my aunt! On 5th November 2006 a fault was reported on my aunt's line to BT. This fault is still showing as OPEN on BT's systems. The problem is that this is showing on the old CSS system and they have been unable to clear the fault. I believe this is because most BT staff no longer have access to CSS.

It is very strange indeed that BT test equipment should decide to call my aunt every day, commencing with the 5th anniversary of that open fault but that appears to be the case.

Luckily, I have spoken with someone at BT who does seem to understand the problem and will get someone with CSS access to close down the open fault today (I hope)

If anyone else has had similar problems please post below...

poppasmurf_bewdley

This used to be a problem in the past, but not for the reason you give.

They were caused by computers ringing a wrongly inputted number at the same time every night, usually to collect data from a store or factory for processing.

PS. I'm impressed that you know a fault was reported on the phone on a certain date in 2006.

Paul_Varjak

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

This used to be a problem in the past, but not for the reason you give.

They were caused by computers ringing a wrongly inputted number at the same time every night, usually to collect data from a store or factory for processing.

This sort of thing still happens and when it does CLI information is transmitted with the call. But on the calls my aunt receives there is simply no CLI information whatsoever

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

PS. I'm impressed that you know a fault was reported on the phone on a certain date in 2006.

That is easy - just type the phone number into https://www.bt.com/faults. That is how I determined the fault was reported on the now defunct CSS system - the fault number began: CSS

Ady87

BT have a call feature called Alarm Ring. It works by Telephone number and not by handset. It's unlikely, but entirely possible, this features has been activated. It would work no matter what handset you plugged in, the phone would just ring.

Paul_Varjak

Ady87 wrote: »

BT have a call feature called Alarm Ring. It works by Telephone number and not by handset. It's unlikely, but entirely possible, this features has been activated. It would work no matter what handset you plugged in, the phone would just ring.

I did actually think of that but *#55# revealed there were no reminder calls set and *#001# showed the only active Select Service on the line was call diversion (presumably to the 1571 call minder service)

iniltous

Overnight testing doesnt usually 'ring' the phone although you can sometimes get a 'ting' as the test equipment picks up the line, tends only to be a problem on really old phones though, you can get the number removed from the overnight testing routine but getting the BT CS rep to arrange this may not be that simple...if the line is a proper ringing cycle...ring ring, pause, ring ring, then its probably not BT testing the line

Paul_Varjak

Hi iniltous...

No, the ringing is not a standard ring, my aunt says it is a 'more mellow' ring. According to the BT nuisance call bureau, this has become an increasing problem with BT test equipment. Until otherwise shown, I feel it is down to the fault reported on 5th November 2006, which is still showing as open. If you are a BT employee you may well know that their CSS system (introduced in the 1980s I believe) was superseded. I just hope that someone still with access to CSS can get the fault closed!

BT_company_representative

Hi Paul,

I would say its unlikely the old open fault in CSS causing the test equipment to ring that line. If you send me in the BT account details for your aunt I can take a look at this for you. Please could you send me in those details using the link found in my profile?

Thanks

Paddy

Paul_Varjak

I saw my aunt on Xmas Day and plugged in my trueCall unit but could not obtain dial tone with trueCall plugged in.

My aunt thinks that only one extension is ringing when this problem occurs.

So, I am now thinking that when BT does a line test (which I think they do every night) then this causes the phone to ring on a faulty extension. My aunt has used a different phone on the extension but the problem still occurs, so it is NOT a faulty phone!

Paul_Varjak

BT have confirmed today that they have been testing my aunt's line every day at around midnight! A request has been made to BT Openreach to stop the test calls being made. A similar request had been made before but BT Openreach said that as the open fault was so old it could not be closed!

I am still trying to find someone with access to CSS who can close this fault; unfortunately my quest has proven fruitless so far!

Paul_Varjak

iniltous wrote: »

Overnight testing doesnt usually 'ring' the phone although you can sometimes get a 'ting' as the test equipment picks up the line, tends only to be a problem on really old phones though, you can get the number removed from the overnight testing routine but getting the BT CS rep to arrange this may not be that simple...if the line is a proper ringing cycle...ring ring, pause, ring ring, then its probably not BT testing the line

I decided to 'harass' BT Faults, BT Customer Services, the Chairman's Office and BT complaints department yesterday. Between them, they have managed to remove my aunt's line from overnight testing. There were no phantom calls last night!

According to on BT person, they do not routinely test residential lines unless there is broadband on the line. My aunt has no broadband - even though the open fault from 5/11/2006 was showing as a broadband fault!

UNFORTUNATELY THE BT NUISANCE TEST CALLS HAVE STARTED AGAIN!