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Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Help!
We got in from work this evening to find our Plusnet phone line dead.  We then find out calls to our landline number (that we've had for years, originally BT, switched to Plusnet some months ago) are now being routed to someone else's house.  I've just called my number and spoken to the woman who's now receiving our calls, she tells me she had recently arranged to have her existing number transferred to Sky, so clearly someone has got something wrong when switching her line over.
I've contacted Plusnet, but they say that their tests on the line show there are no problems (even though the Plusnet support assistant called our number and spoke to the same woman).  Presumably this is because technically everything is fine, it's just that some wally has just clumsily connected our number to someone else.  But because no fault is showing, they have to arrange for an engineer to come out to our house, even though there's almost certainly nothing wrong since this is clearly a muck up at the exchange/cabinet.
This means I have to take a day off (losing pay in the process as I'm freelancing) at short notice for no reason.  Also, the next appointment isn't until Monday which means we will be without the 'phone all weekend (at a time when we need to be contactable on the landline - our mobile signal is lousy in the house).
Is there really nothing that can be done until Monday?  There is simply no need for us to have to be here when it's clearly an issue at the exchange.  Can anything be done before the weekend?
Our ticket number is 86344208
28 REPLIES 28
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

This sounds very similar to something I've just been reading: http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,127186.0/topicseen.html
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
picbits
Rising Star
Posts: 3,432
Thanks: 23
Registered: ‎18-01-2013

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

It sounds to me like an incompetent BT engineer has swapped the wrong pair over at the exchange and caused this issue.
snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Seems like it, our Plusnet broadband is fine, thankfully, so we can at least use our VOIP line.  Unfortunately it's the land-line number that has been printed on our wedding invites...
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Quote from: snj
I've contacted Plusnet, but they say that their tests on the line show there are no problems (even though the Plusnet support assistant called our number and spoke to the same woman).  Presumably this is because technically everything is fine,

@DCT,
We've seen this issue before - though the line tests out fine, this is still is service provision fault - as such it needs to be treated as a fault from the off.  Is there a need for a business process / training change here?
What seems bizarre is the the BB is still working - if the wires had been mistakenly cross connected it is highly unlikely that the present wires would be connected so as to be associated with a PN connection.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Redirect of all calls to your VoIP number?
Sky should pay you for the cost of that as they have cocked up!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

That'd be a great temporary solution if there was any way of doing it.  I don't have call divert active on the account and there is no way of setting it up on-line (as far as I can tell).
As I recall, BT offered something like this whenever there was an issue, it wasn't offered to me.
This is very frustrating...
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

My phone is with BT (mainly because of the free divert they offer if there is a fault) so I don't have the home phone control panel but I believe you should be able to add it via http://www.plus.net/plustalk/index.php?page=wlr_add_call_features
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Thanks, I saw that I can add the feature, but I suspect it won't get added until the next billing date.  I'm also not sure if you can configure diverts from the portal. 
This really should be something that Plusnet customer service should be able to set up for me (and actually offer to do).  As far as paying for it, right now I don't care how much it costs I just want my calls (I have the all calls package but somehow I suspect that diverting to a landline will still cost me)
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Quote from: snj
I'm also not sure if you can configure diverts from the portal. 
This really should be something that Plusnet customer service should be able to set up for me (and actually offer to do).

You are correct, you cannot control the call divert service from the portal and yes, PN can set up a divert for you on a temporary basis - I have had that done for me before on my business account.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Well, it seems not.  They tried but it failed.  I find it difficult to accept that this isn't considered a fault so they don't send someone out to fix it straight away.
RobPN
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,103
Thanks: 2,668
Fixes: 13
Registered: ‎17-05-2013

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Watch out when your bill for the affected period arrives that you aren't charged for outgoing calls made by the people who have 'possession' of your number at the moment!
Edit: added 'made'
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

Hi snj,
I've just taken a look at your account and it's seems that the engineer appointment if booked in for today, it is the route we have to go down at the minute for something like this.
snj
Grafter
Posts: 69
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎09-08-2007

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

I can't believe this.
BT have been, fixed the telephone line and taken down the broadband in the process.  The engineer says it's not his issue and we need to get a broadband engineer out to fix that, even though he just screwed it up.  And now he's gone.

Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: Our phone number has suddenly been switched to someone else!

I've just taken a look into this for you.
I'm really sorry to hear that the engineer has disconnected your broadband as part of fixing the telephone service. I've raised the b4roadband side of things to our suppliers and they would like to send a broadband engineer out to resolve this issue.
Would you be available tomorrow morning for an engineer to visit? That's the earliest available appointment we have unfortunately.