'Ghost' phonecalls to 123

Has anyone else here had charges made to their PlusNet phone bills for calls to 123 which they know they did not make.

I'm currently at the stage where I'm disputing one such call which I know I didn't make (me being asleep at the time) but which BT raw data says was made from my line. I've asked for a ticket to be raised and escalated as a complaint.

I'm aware of the longstanding complaints from BT, TalkTalk, Sky and PlusNet customers of this happening and I wonder if anybody has had a similar experience and how was it resolved.

http://www.revk.uk/2015/11/fraudulent-calls-to-123.html

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

http://www.revk.uk/2015/11/fraudulent-calls-to-123.html

I believe this is why there is a voice recording now on all AA copper pair lines saying that it's in use and not to disconnect. Plug a phone in and you will hear it if you have one.

Last time I had a line installed the guy called his mates mobile and I was stung 69P but i got it back. Why cant they just do 0800 like the olden days?

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

I believe this is why there is a voice recording now on all AA copper pair lines saying that it's in use and not to disconnect. Plug a phone in and you will hear it if you have one.

Really? Clever.

But wouldn't a simple dial tone be enough to indicate the line is in use aka "live" ?

In reply to a post by 23Prince:

In reply to a post by WWWombat:

http://www.revk.uk/2015/11/fraudulent-calls-to-123.html

I believe this is why there is a voice recording now on all AA copper pair lines saying that it's in use and not to disconnect. Plug a phone in and you will hear it if you have one.

That's what the blog link says

We have heard from other telcos that set up lines with no dial tone, and they say that they regularly fine such pairs "stolen" as they appear to be "dead" lines. This is partly why we have dial tone. These days we also add a message stating it is a broadband only pair and not to be disconnected, which usually works.

I think dial tone exists on stopped lines. The call to something chargeable distinguishes a live PSTN line.

I get "This line is defined as..." and then straight to the quiet-line test - if I had a phone plugged in that is.

Plusnet have provided an extract from the raw BT data showing that the call was 1second duration.

At the moment they are adamant that the call was made and I've got to pay for it so it looks like being a long process!

To be honest it's the first time that I've found Plusnet to be intransigent and up until now I've been very happy with the service they provide.

You're far more likely to resolve this if you post on the Plusnet forum.

Think he's been there as well

https://community.plus.net/t5/Phone/I-appear-to-be-s...

Fair enough' I hadn't read that thread but have now quickly scanned it. It might be worth the OP mentioning a PN forum rep name or two in the thread (e.g. @HarryB) so that they get a notification they've been mentioned and hopefully respond. I'm fairly confident that when a response does come from one of the forum reps it will be positive.

Do you have a Sky box connected to the phone line? There was a software bug a long time back that would make calls to the talking clock instead of connecting back to the Sky servers.

Yep that's me. I've also got an open ticket but I suspect it's going to be a long slog. The trouble is that nobody is bothered about the odd 50p so people who have this happen to them are either unaware or don't see it as worth any effort to correct. I'm cursed with a nature that simply won't accept it 8^)

In reply to a post by ian72:

Do you have a Sky box connected to the phone line?

I've got a Sky box but it's only connection is via ethernet to my network. I took the phone line out many years ago at the end of my 12 mths initial contract period.

Anything else connected to the phone line?

Hi, I got two calls made to the 123 service. Both 1 second duration and two mins apart. BT refunded 84p from next bill. Then on the next bill said I had not paid the last bill in full and charged me 84p. (I pay via Direct Debit) I explained that I was not at home when thease call were made. Its not the money (84p) but the fact BT can charge for calls not made that makes me angry.

I agree with you 100%

In reply to a post by ian72:

Anything else connected to the phone line?

No I live alone and there's a single connection to the phone socket from a BT dect base station (apart from my router that is).

Just an update - HarryB has picked up on it in the Community forum and it is in the process of being refunded.

I don't have an issue with Plusnet at all (well apart from long wait times). The fact that this continues to go on and BT are making £20 million plus per year out of calls to 123 (some of which no doubt are genuine) is a scandal IMO.

It's happen to me in 2015 Feb when Openreach engineer installed fibre and he checked my landline as he dialed something and put the phone down. A month later the bill was charged on the same day when the engineer called 123. I was charged 62p.

Good to see that you are getting a refund.

From couple of years ago:-

https://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/timeline...

Edited by Apprentice (Wed 14-Sep-16 18:45:49)

In reply to a post by Apprentice:

From couple of years ago:-
https://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/timeline...

Yes you'll see me at the bottom of that 'conversation'. I see it as an ongoing theme.

p.s. I would like to re-iterate that it is not a Plusnet thing, it's an industry wide issue and I am well pleased with Plusnet's response.

Edited by longedge (Wed 14-Sep-16 20:35:19)

Looks like it's happened to me now.

A 2 second call, costing 45p, to 123. No-one at home that day.

I'm on BT, not Plusnet, but I don't think that matters - I am guessing it was a test from the roadside cabinet - e.g. perhaps to find a free line for a new customer. I didn't have an open fault at the time.

I've complained to BT and they say the charge will be removed from the next bill - plus the feedback/complaint will be shared with Openreach.