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Phone Number Suddenly Taken Over by TalkTalk -Help?!

Hello please bear with me because this may be long.

Since 2009 our Landline and Broadband have been supplied by Post-Office Home Phone we are happy and have NEVER looked into changing our provider.

About three weeks ago I noticed a different type of message when calling 1471 to see if there were missed calls. I thought nothing of it.

Then on Thursday I telephoned my GP only to be told he had phoned me that morning and did I not get his message - there was no message but I didn't think much of it just assumed that perhaps he had mis-dialed when he phoned me.

Anyway, throughout the week I have kept having a number phone me that when I checked it it was apparantly TalkTalk - the number called again on Friday and I answered they said they were TalkTalk and asked for a person who most certainly is not me, they gave an address that is not even in the area of the city I live in and a phone number that is completely different to mine - I told them that I was not a TalkTalk customer and the number was not mine and nor was the address and I was not the person they asked for.

The man on the phone seemed puzzled but apologised for bothering me.

Saturday afternoon I arrive home to a message from the TalkTalk finance department regarding the account. I called them back the recorded message was "Can you conform you are calling from xxxx xxx xxxx " Errrr, NO I wasn't as far as I knew, I got connected to a customer service agent (ha!) I tried explaining but he cut me off.

I then tried phoning my number from my mobile only to discover it rings but my phone does not - so I tried calling this mysterious new number that TalkTalk seem to have given me and hey presto my phone rings!

I called TalkTalk three more times spoke to three seperate people each time they hung up!

I called my own Provider (Post Office Home Phone) apparantly my own number is still live and they cannot understand how I suddenly have this new number.

They have advised me to call TalkTalk and ask them to cancel their service on my phone - but I am obviously not their customer and all I have is this new phone number. I really do not know what to do.

I have NEVER spoken to ANY TalkTalk sales people. NEVER expressed any interest at all in changing my provider.

Does anybody have any idea at all how this mess has happened ? Furthermore does anybody have any advice ?

Comments

  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Something similar happened to me last August - BT Openreach engineers had been working in the exchange and had crossed the phone line over - took about 5 days to sort- you need to chase thru The Post Office as you obviously haven't been "slammed" by TalkTalk as that would have triggered "sorry you are leaving us!" messages from the Post Office - also your internet would have been interrupted.
  • Katgrit
    Katgrit Posts: 555 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Similar thing happened to my parents. They'd been getting a lot of "wrong number" calls recently but thought nothing of it. Then got a call from a woman who had "lost" her own number and realised all her friends were dialling her usual number but getting someone else ( my Mum). She'd dialed her own number to check this, and after her and Mum discussing it they realised they lived next door to each other! Just hadn't recognised each others voices. Several calls to BT and Sky later, and fault was traced to dodgy wiring in one of those green cabinets on the pavement about 1/4 mile away. It won't be a company incorrectly signing you up and not telling you, it'll be most likely a loose/wrong connection.
  • Jemma-T
    Jemma-T Posts: 1,546 Forumite
    I called my own Provider (Post Office Home Phone)

    That's the only people who you should speak with because they are obliged to provide the service and obviously resolve technical problems under your contract.

    Keep it nice and simple when you contact them again.

    The PO's service/brand is all fur coat and no knickers http://www.information-age.com/technology/mobile-and-networking/2105193/post-office-drops-bt-as-phone-and-broadband-partner
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