Unexplained Speaking clock/Timeline/123 calls on your TalkTalk bill?

birdwatcher1234

If you have any calls to BT’s speaking clock service on 123 (now renamed Timeline) on your bill and are sure you did not make them, TalkTalk have apparently resolved this issue and are crediting those customers affected. They will not automatically rectify your account, so please make sure you contact TalkTalk and ask for the charges to be credited/refunded.
This is from a post on TalkTalk's Community forum (the original post is Re mysterious speaking clock charges):
“In the last few days the issue leading to incorrect charges for speaking clock charges has been identified and fixed. Customers who've been charged are being credited.” ‎TalkTalk Online Community Executive, 17-03-2014 03:30 PM
Also, if anyone has unexplained calls to 123 appearing on their bill, AND have other calls billed, around the same time, that they do not recognise please do let me know.

fallen121

We are Sky Talk customers and this has happened to us.

Just been on the phone to Sky's billing department for last 20 mins trying to resolve one of these phantom calls to 123 the Speaking Clock which has appeared on our Sky Talk bill for 24th June. It supposedly took place at 08:36 in the morning. I am already at work by then at my desk in Edinburgh 15 miles away and have at least ten witnesses who can state I was sitting at my desk at that time. My daughter can prove from registration records that she was at high school. My husband can prove from a till receipt and debit card records that he was buying a chicken pie at M&S 3 miles away from our house at 08:53. We don't have a cleaner, aren't having any work done on the house and don't have a set of keys held by anyone else. It is physically IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to have made that call. But there it is on our Sky bill.

Apparently, having listened to MUSACK and spoken to at least 3 different people in Sky and one chap in the billing department, although they would like just to credit our account back the 50p, they have to fill out a form and have someone in the billing department call us back within 24-48 hours. JESUS. This beggars belief.

LazyTyper

Someone at Andrews & Arnold sussed out how these phantom calls to 123 appear.

Turns out Kelly Communications (who work on behalf of Openreach) clamp onto phone lines in the green cabinet to identify which lines are working and not working and don't seem to care this causes a charge to the customer whose line they tested....


PS I tried to post the link to the article but I'm a "new user". I'll try and remember to come back and post the link.

bubieyehyeh

LazyTyper wrote: »

Someone at Andrews & Arnold sussed out how these phantom calls to 123 appear.

Turns out Kelly Communications (who work on behalf of Openreach) clamp onto phone lines in the green cabinet to identify which lines are working and not working and don't seem to care this causes a charge to the customer whose line they tested....


PS I tried to post the link to the article but I'm a "new user". I'll try and remember to come back and post the link.

Here's the link http://www.okcheersbye.co.uk/kelly-communications/

LazyTyper

bubieyehyeh wrote: »

Here's the link ...............

Thanks bubieyehyeh.

fallen121

No-one called back but a credit in respect of the phantom call has appeared on the Sky bill so they are obviously not going to dispute it.

Wonder how many other phantom calls Sky is footing the bill for because it is easier to refund rather than arguing the toss with the customer?

That Blog was fascinating, BTW. Seen bits of it quoted elsewhere, but interesting to read the original in its entirety.

Heinz

fallen121 wrote: »

No-one called back......

Why am I not surprised?