topic Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait in Plusnet Feedback

And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:50:49 GMT

Given new number by plusnet and now getting calls asking for a carper fitter,when you google the phone number it comes up with the carpet fitter and my new number.
And a 30 minute wait for customer services Jog on

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

Pettitto — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:11:09 GMT

Hi 758570,
I'm really sorry to hear that you're getting unsolicited calls on your new number. It's likely that your number has been recycled and the number was used by a Carpet Fitter. Have you signed your new number up to the Telephone Preference Service as can be done here: http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html ?

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

pwatson — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:39:57 GMT

Hmm, not the most useful of replies
How will registering with the TPS assist the OP in this instance? He's not receiving sales calls from marketing companies!
Has Google signed up to be governed by TPS and remove search results that feature numbers on the 'do not call' list?

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

Pettitto — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:45:32 GMT

Sorry that my previous response wasn't all that helpful.
It does appear that the number has been recycled I'm afraid. We do have the option to re-number your line if you'd prefer, however there is a charge for this.
It might be worth taking a look through our Unsolicited Calls page: http://www.plus.net/support/phone/nuisance_calls.shtml
Please let us know if we can be of any further help.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:50:12 GMT

I don't really think your comments are any help at all,so wihyare plusnet saying its a new number when its clearly not? 57 minutes and i hung up, i will take it up with trading standards
dick:quote

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

Pettitto — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:54:12 GMT

I'm sorry you don't find my comments helpful.
The numbers we provide our customers with, may be recycled, they are provided to us by our suppliers. As I've mentioned in my previous post, we could look at the other options available to you such as Choose to Refuse or perhaps re-numbering your line.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:55:51 GMT

And you expect me to pay the charges? as per your other comment
adie:quote

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

pwatson — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:58:48 GMT

There's no such thing as a 'new' number anymore. The number is 'new' to you ie it is not the same as a number you have had before.
There's not a lot any telco can do if a number has been widely advertised by a previous user. Equally, there's no guarantee that another new number hasn't been advertised either unfortunately.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:01:51 GMT

Quote from: 758570
And you expect me to pay the charges? as per your other comment
[Moderator's note by Adie (dvorak): Full quote of preceding post removed, as per Forum Rule]

There are only so many possibilities of new numbers and they DO get reused, the vast majority of numbers these days are reused. It's not PN's fault your number was advertised by the previous owner of the line and it isn't their fault that you got given that specific number.
Man up and deal with it 😕

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:04:23 GMT

Quote from: pwatson
There's no such thing as a 'new' number anymore. The number is 'new' to you ie it is not the same as a number you have had before.
There's not a lot any telco can do if a number has been widely advertised by a previous user. Equally, there's no guarantee that another new number hasn't been advertised either unfortunately.

Then they should explain this at the point of sale rather than after and not use misleading words like "new" number, as i say i will let trading standards deal with this along with my complaint which looking at the length of time you wait for customer services could be months,thanks for your comments anyway.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:13:59 GMT

What they're giving you is not illegal and is not breaking any rules set by trading standards, it is a new number for YOU and specifically that line.
The use of recycling numbers is used by EVERY telephone company out there as the numbers are given to them by their supplier. There probably are not any new numbers left to issue and all numbers would've been used/recycled at some point. There are limits,
For example if you live in my town, Braintree and the surrounding areas
the prefix 01376
That leaves six numbers for the telephone number which leaves 136,080 possible numbers.
Braintree, Essex has a population of 50,000 plus
Witham, Essex (covered by the same code) has another 20,000 thousand.
You can see where I am going here, then you have things like local businesses that have a large number of external numbers (some having up to 100 numbers each. It is very easy to run out of numbers in a given area code.
Then each town gets assign specific numbers ie, most Braintree numbers begin with 3 etc etc...
How can you expect an unused number when there are a limited possibility, Why do you think 02 area codes and now 03 area codes were recently introduced, it's to deal with the problem of running out of numbers..

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

picbits — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:32:59 GMT

Having previously had a telephone number which had been used extensively for "other purposes" I can sympathise with the original poster here. Until it has happened to you, the response of "man up" isn't very helpful.
My personal opinion would be that it would be good for Plusnet to bite the bullet on this one, put this number on hold and assign it to a business line (if / when possible) and give the original poster another number as a goodwill gesture.
Ironically I had an "international" call today from a very foreign sounding person asking for my ex-wife who has never lived here or had anything to do with my current number

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:36:33 GMT

It has happened to me, I had a large number unsolicited calls every day with my previous phone line (from Sky) looking for the previous owner of my telephone line as well as having the odd few (that have slowed down) from my current line.
It's not that I don't emphasise with him but the OP is blaming PN for a fault that isn't his and is very common, there is NOTHING PN has to do, or should do about it and his overall attitude towards PN "Do this or you're going to court for nothing you've done wrong" is a bit crappy tbh. I do really understand how annoying it is but there is nothing PN or ANY phone company has to do about it.
My new number is listed all over the internet, most telephone numbers are and auto diallers just make it easier as well.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

Luzern — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:53:05 GMT

Another point about numbers; there are other providers than BT, which will have blocks of numbers allocated to them. So whilst one provider may have pristinely new numbers available, another may have to use quite recently released ones for a new customer.
I hope that PN has some system to ensure that earlier releases are used in preference to the newer ones.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:56:27 GMT

As far as I am aware, the numbers are issued directly by BT for each individual order rather than in blocks, I don't think PN have a list of numbers available to them, I understood it as when they make a telephone order that their suppliers issue a number to that telephone line.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

pwatson — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 16:56:51 GMT

Might be worth investing in something along the lines of this and recording an incoming message along the lines of "This line is no longer associated with XYZ Carpet Fitting"

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:16:26 GMT

I take the point now, i have to notify some 100 people of the new new number(sorry new number to me) i have to do all the work or incur all the costs, the simple fact is
that as a telecom provider i expect to be told all the relevant information so i can make the correct decision, if i was told that it was a used number and only new to me i would of kept the old number, as I said misleading and I wouldn't say that is doing nothing wrong?

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:47:10 GMT

But according to Ofcom it isn't..
I was informed of the following (but needs confirmation)

Quote
Business lines should not be re-issued for 12 months, residential lines can be re-issued immediately, but only on the same line. (e.g. a start-of-stopped-line order). Re-issuing a residential number to a different line is also possible but there is a time delay for this happening.

So it does mean they are not reissued immediately. I understand your frustration but it isn't Plus.net's fault, it's their suppliers who issue the numbers and it is widely accepted across the industry.

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

758570 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 18:26:30 GMT

I appreciate your point but surely shouldn't this be explained to the consumer first before they sign up, because if i knew that then i wouldn't of changed my number
dick:quote

Re: And another Complaint and 30 minute wait

gnicholson8 — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 18:53:18 GMT

as a courtesy, Possibly but in the legal point (which is what you have been arguing) No, as the numbers are unused for a period of time they are classed as new/available numbers.