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Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

mitzibishi
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎21-07-2018

Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

Havn't had the home phone plugged in for a year then get this

 

**/12/2019 14:45           number 123      Other 0:00:01        £0.50
Total Calls Cost £0.50

 

So, I called Plusnet, spent 30 minutes on hold. Spoke to a guy who refused to believe it wasn't me ringing the talking clock, for 1 second I may add.

 

I explained that engineers ping the talking clock for tests, (why they have to use this archaic form of test I don't know) so if it's an engineer this was on their end. He refused to believe, then after all the explaining and arguing back and forth over 50p he said he would pass me to the billing people.

 

The next guy admitted straight away this was an engineer, so after all of that i'm right and i'm being charged for what reason?

He said it would come off the next bill.

Here we are on the next bill and nope. Not there.

 

So I will have to waist another 50 something minutes arguing with pea brains for it to go nowhere.

 

I wonder how many of these "tests" get through into peoples bills. Nice little money maker for 50p a pop, little test from an engineer here an there, few million people a year.

 

Been with Plusnet for around 10 years. Back when it was good. Looking elsewhere.

4 REPLIES 4
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,730
Thanks: 2,773
Fixes: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

It's been going on since time immoral (sic) - see this thread for a bit of history.

 

Google   123 site:community.plus net  for many more.

Murphy was an optimist
Zen FTTC 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
jgb
Champion
Posts: 800
Thanks: 511
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

Yes, it really is about time that either BT Openreach stamped on this engineers' "illicit" procedure (by either disciplining their own staff or imposing a financial penalty on their subcontractors whichever is applicable in each incident), or BT stopped charging for 123 calls.

The time wasted by customers and staff sorting out these erroneous charges is ridiculous.

However, I doubt that much will happen as it is BT.

dejjones
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

I had one of these mysterious calls added to my bill :-

(17/02/2020 12:34 02080316132 UK Landline 0:01:27 £0.53)

I, like you, do not have my landline phone connected so it can't be my call.

I also queried it by phone and by the "question" system, and like you, they promised to refund and guess what I've just got my next bill -no refund.

There is no call recorded in my itemised bill under the "phone" heading, it only appears under the "billing" heading.

I pointed this out to customer services but they seem incapable of understanding the contradiction.

KatieC
Pro
Posts: 204
Thanks: 11
Fixes: 11
Registered: ‎23-12-2019

Re: Keep an eye on your calls, hidden charges for talking clock.

Hi @mitzibishi

 

Sorry to hear of your experience.

 

Having reviewed the account, I can see that your £0.50 credit has been applied.

 

Please do let us know if you have any further questions.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Katie C
 Plusnet Help Team