BT charging for calls I HAVEN'T made

linclass

Hello all,
I receive my BT bills via an email prompt to go to myBT. I don't normally bother to view as usually fairly close to the amount taken each month. However, last July was different, there was a call charged at £7.20, supposedly made by me to a 118 number. I can assure everyone I do NOT use 118! My partner and me are of mature age. There are no children either living here or visiting. Sadly, the job I have stipulates I must have a BT line. Anyway, I had BB Infinity connected in December 2015, and decided to look back at bills to then. Every month bar 2, had calls made to the same 2 numbers, both the same area code as mine. I called them from my mobile, one number just rang and rang, the other had a message that the line was out of service, and to call 118xxx, charged at £2 p/minute. My job entails live data on screen with the number I called, and the time called. I even PROVED that one of the numbers on the bill couldn't have been dialled by us as I was working at that minute! OK. Fast forward, after speaking with various BT agents, the first didn't believe me, the 2nd was doubtful I was telling truth and then an agent awarding £10 goodwill gesture, the calls continued. I have taken the case to the OS- Ombudsmen Services, who last week contacted me to say there was not a fault, BT would neither apologise or pay me for inconvenience - **I acknowledge your strength of feeling surrounding this matter but I must base my conclusions on the evidence available to me. In this case, I have found no basis to conclude that BT has made an error or to justify the resolutions you are seeking. I say this because whilst I do not dispute your testimony I must base my conclusions on the evidence that is available. In this case, your monthly itemised invoice shows that the call was made. The information within your monthly bills, is provided directly by the network and can in no way be fabricated. **

Well I can't accept this, because as recently as JANUARY when the investigation was going through, low and behold 2 MORE calls have appeared as 'usage since last bill' and will appear on the next bill.

I've sent a cut n paste of the 2 numbers to OS (appeals) and received confirmation this morning they've received them just now, and an answer within 6 weeks.

It's not the amount charged for these calls, which is pennies - it's that fact that if this is happening on MY line, how many thousands, perhaps many thousands are BT ripping off in this way? They can't get away with this, surely??

I imagine the answer after 6 weeks will be the same as above, and want to know what I can do after this.

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks.

JJ_Egan

Have you googled the numbers ??
That sort of call could well be a service call home alarm etc connecting .

linclass

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Have you googled the numbers ??
That sort of call could well be a service call home alarm etc connecting .

Thanks JJ yes - I have and nothing is returned. It's a very odd state of affairs. BT confirmed the tested line hadn't been hacked too.

MataNui

Well i for one totally believe you because they did the same to us. Not been with them for about 18 months now and wouldn't go back to the lying scamming !!!!!!!s if they were the last isp on the planet. You wont get anywhere with them. They will just deny it and eventually just stop talking to you about it.

In my case for a couple of the months when we had made these alleged calls we didnt even have a phone. I had smashed it against the wall the month before after getting the nth call from windows about my PC in one day. These people at BT are thicker than you could possibly imagine. No other calls apart from the ones i am contesting in 2 months because i dont have a phone yet they dont seem to see that as the slightest bit suspect.

iniltous

First thing to do is dial 17070 from your landline and confirm the number read back is your number.
Do you live in an apartment block or something similar to that ?, it's not unheard of, in dwellings like this to have all telephone services appearing in a common utility's area, before being distributed to individual apartments, and if someone has access to this area they could connect a phone to your line and make calls at your expense.
One of the numbers that appear on your bill, but you didn't call , and has a message that says the number is faulty and tells the caller to ring a 118 number is a scam, but nothing to do with BT, basically the number called isn't faulty, it just has an answer machine telling people to ring a £2/minute 118 number, the people who supply the answer machine message have a financial interest in the 118 company, so by conning people into calling the 118 number, they make money.