Help! Being charged for calls I haven't made

[#1]

Hello, I have been with Plusnet for a year or so and upgraded to Fibre around 6 months ago. Of course I have the phone line, which is only used for incoming calls from my dad. I use my mobile to call out. At the beginning of this year my dad said that he couldn't call me on my landline. I contacted PlusNet, have had an engineer out and now my line won't make outgoing calls or receive calls. I have an ongoing open query with them about this.

However from 3rd January I have seen outgoing calls appear on my itemised bill. I haven't made these calls. The customer service person said that I must have, as they are on my account. I have copied a list of these calls and charges below. Some are calls at 4am and 5am when I am not up. Some are when I am not even at home! The customer service guy said contact the police!! I think they have more important matters to deal with dear chap.

The latest 4 or 5 calls were during the time when my handset can't make any calls, so there must be a problem upstream from my house and it needs to be looked at. Please. I was fobbed off by the customer service guy so need some help.

Date of call Number called Time of call Duration   Cost

23/01/2018 01722611112 08:56:39 00:01:00   £0.34

22/01/2018 01722211111 05:27:18 00:01:00   £0.34

19/01/2018 01722613333 04:34:12 00:01:00   £0.34

18/01/2018 01722511141 13:10:38 00:01:00   £0.34

15/01/2018 01722211111 15:22:31 00:01:00   £0.34

08/01/2018 01722331974 17:39:10 00:01:00   £0.34

03/01/2018 01722211111 04:24:28 00:01:00   £0.34   TOTAL:   £2.38

Many thanks.

[#2]

Do you have a dial tone? If so dial 17070 and check it reads back the correct number.

[#3]

I don't have a dialtone so can't check what you are saying.

[#4]

You've obviously got a crossed line problem, you line is going to another property. If you've no dial tone you can't have made the calls. Did the customer service guy suggest how you made the calls with no dial tone? Useless response from them. I think you need one of the forum staff to look at this, hopefully they will pick it up soon. Don't pay the call charges, say you are disputing them.

[#5]

Thanks for your interest.

The customer service guy said that I had to have made them because they were on my bill. I did dispute them but will try and put in a formal dispute for now.

Thanks.

[#6]

Welcome to the forum.  

Hang in there @Barracudamart - this will get sorted, but it just takes longer these days in our 'competitive' telecoms environment. That's just the way it is.  

Even so, given the nature of your report, the way it was handled by the reception agent was totally unacceptable. It's pretty obvious that a wrong connection has been made somewhere in the network, and to be told, in effect, 'Tough, pay up' must be pretty galling.

You've done the right thing in coming to the forum. If things go to form, @Gandalf or one of his Help Team colleagues will pick this up tomorrow and push things in the right direction.

 Good luck.  

[#7]

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear of the experience you're having with us.

I've had a read of the comments you've made on your account. (I also tried to ring you just now to discuss this but there was no answer, though I do appreciate it's getting a bit late on a Friday).

I'll be happy to review the call charges you're seeing on your bill when the fault is resolved.

I've replied to your ticket with more detail

I hope this helps. -Anoush

[#8]

From the OP

I contacted PlusNet, have had an engineer out and now my line won't make outgoing calls or receive calls.

[#9]

Thank you @Gandalf for your reply on my account. I have replied to you 'over there'.

My tests again do show there is a problem upstream of the master/test socket, so hopefully another engineer visit will give me a clean line.

And I hope we can sort out the erroneous charges when all is fixed.

Thank you again for now.

[#10]

No problems at all @Barracudamart Fingers crossed the next engineer can fix the problem.

I've arranged to refund you your call charges once the payment is taken/direct debit clears.

Let us know how the engineer visit goes.

[#11]

So the engineer came 4 days ago and as the problem was upstream of the Master Socket, a new cable was attached around the outside of my house, a hole drilled through my wall and a new Master Socket attached to the wall.

My original equipment of router and phone were attached and all seems well. I can dial out and receive calls, and my broadband is up to speed. I do hope that I won't be charged for this.

I understand that I will be refunded for the erroneous 'system calls', so I appreciate that.

[#12]

Thanks for getting back in contact @Barracudamart

 I am glad to hear this problem has now been resolved.

I have now actioned the refund for you for the call charges and this will show on your side within the next 10 days. 

Don't hesitate to let us know if you need any further assistance. 

Thanks 

[#13]

@AlexD,

We’ve seen issues like this before...

Customer complains they’ve been billed for calls they’ve never made.
Agents come out with the potentially flawed “it’s on your bill somyku must have”
Line fault tests find no issues as the line might well be fine ... but terminating elsewhere

What is being done to make first line aware of the possibly of crossed or incorrectly connected lines leading to incorrect billing?

Is there anywhere in the diagnostic process which asks the user to dial 17070 to check the service identification?

Is there anywhere in the process which asks the agent to dial the supplier on line number to confirm connectivity / termination? Such action if undertaken might identify the other impacted circuit.

[#14]

Evening Townman

Hope you're well.

Faults and faults diagnostic isn't my area of speciality. I'll link in with Matt tomorrow to check the process.

Cheers!

Alex 

[#15]

I'd imagine the first thing they would do, would be to call the customer on the landline.  In *most* cases, if the routing was correct the customer in question would answer the phone.

I feel that this issue wasn't a routing problem, and more of an equipment fault at the exchange.  It's not unknown to get some form of battery contacts with workers on frames gear.