BT smart talk app

soontobemrsg

I've just got off the phone to BT and needed to have a rant.

My mother popped by my house to get some washing done this morning as her washer had broken, whilst she was here we had an incoming call from BT to speak with her (On my line :mad:) It seems they kept my number from when I set up the account as an alternative number. Fair enough I guess.

They were phoning to advise that a averagely high amount of calls had been made to mobile phones. It turns out these phone calls were made via the Smart Talk app which allows anyone with a smart phone to charge the calls back to a BT phone using wireless technology.

My mother does not have a smart phone!

It turned out after a ridiculous amount of getting passed between the departments that the mobile using this app against my mothers BT account was owned by a family member. All you need to download this app is to be within the house at the time to answer the landline where you will be given a pin number :eek:

They advised that there was no way to stop this activity other than to delete the app. I didn't believe this. I got passed around and around.

62 minutes later I finally spoke to a very helpful guy in Technical services who got a block put on the app which will take effect within 24 hours.

I clearly see the benefit of the app as a smart phone user myself. However the ability to misuse this is shocking. I am so annoyed on my mothers behalf and if it wasn't for my persistence in getting the app blocked and advising them them that I would place all charges relating to any call made via this app in dispute from today when I have informed them that the account holder has not authorised this did I finally get to speak to someone of any use.

Why do they insist on complicating things?!

Anyway - a happyish result our end, the cost of calls made will have to be taken on the chin I guess with the hopes that the family member will cough up for their wrong doing.

I guess for all you guys out there with BT and teenagers with a smart phone keep a close eye on your account. Boy do I hate these advances in technology!!!!

Searcher

soontobemrsg wrote: »

I've just got off the phone to BT and needed to have a rant.

My mother popped by my house to get some washing done this morning as her washer had broken, whilst she was here we had an incoming call from BT to speak with her (On my line :mad:) It seems they kept my number from when I set up the account as an alternative number. Fair enough I guess.

They were phoning to advise that a averagely high amount of calls had been made to mobile phones. It turns out these phone calls were made via the Smart Talk app which allows anyone with a smart phone to charge the calls back to a BT phone using wireless technology.

My mother does not have a smart phone!

It turned out after a ridiculous amount of getting passed between the departments that the mobile using this app against my mothers BT account was owned by a family member. All you need to download this app is to be within the house at the time to answer the landline where you will be given a pin number :eek:

They advised that there was no way to stop this activity other than to delete the app. I didn't believe this. I got passed around and around.

62 minutes later I finally spoke to a very helpful guy in Technical services who got a block put on the app which will take effect within 24 hours.

I clearly see the benefit of the app as a smart phone user myself. However the ability to misuse this is shocking. I am so annoyed on my mothers behalf and if it wasn't for my persistence in getting the app blocked and advising them them that I would place all charges relating to any call made via this app in dispute from today when I have informed them that the account holder has not authorised this did I finally get to speak to someone of any use.

Why do they insist on complicating things?!

Anyway - a happyish result our end, the cost of calls made will have to be taken on the chin I guess with the hopes that the family member will cough up for their wrong doing.

I guess for all you guys out there with BT and teenagers with a smart phone keep a close eye on your account. Boy do I hate these advances in technology!!!!

It's not quite that simple to be honest


The first time you use it you also need a BT.com account and login which you can only get if you register online with your BT account details such as account number etc.
It's not just a case of being in the house and setting it up.


http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44028

Jakg

You also need to pick up the phone and press a button when they call (this was a large issue for me as my home phone isn't DTMF!).

They also send a letter to the account holder letting them know SmartTalk has been setup on the account (although obviously this might not have got through).

AndyPK

Yes they send a letter thru telling you.

You can also cancel it online.

soontobemrsg

I can't confirm or deny what you guys have said only write about my personal experience.

In my mother's case the family member lives with her and she always leaves her accounts logged in using the Internet browsers remember me options and therefore it could very well be that all this was done as it was more than possible for my technically savvie nephew to be able to do all of this.

Like I said in my post - I can certainly see the benefits of this and when I downgrade my mobile package or next summer when I go away it will be something that I would consider adding to my own phone.

I just wanted to alert parents I guess of the ability for their wayward teenagers to abuse the system without their knowledge initially.