Why I cannot call a specific foreigner number any-more? - SOLVED

[#1]

Why I cannot call a specific foreigner number any-more?

It has been many months now, I cannot call a specific foreigner number any-more? [Italy]

1. Every time I call it from My [Plusnet ] home number I find it engaged [when I know it is NOT]

2. The number I call from has been used for many years - possibly 10 years now

3. After about 6 months with PlusNet it stopped working

4. If they call me, it is fine

5. If I call that Italian number from ANY phone it works fine

6. I have checked and the Italian side have checked too, I am not barred by them [they can control it online - not like the UK with a stupid external machine - UK Treasure Island!] and they do not even use the Barring services over there!

7. this side[ PlusNet ] state it all seems fine [as usual, they are perfect - especially when they do not really do anything to check ! ]

8. I was told by PlusNet they can call a BT Engineer to check the line, but if they do not find anything, I would have to pay - the typical scaring tactics to do NOTHING about it !

Worst of all [and I am also a IT and Electronics Technician since 1979 ! ], in my 'nobody's technical view, I believe the problem is in the servers handling the calls - NOTHING to do with the lines.

So, I cannot call my mother any-more - she lives there!


Thank you PlusNet for not really checking what is going on.

... or on another note could this be happening if you are tapped - for whatever stupid reason?

I heard all kind of stories of Government 'White Collars' spending money chasing nobodies like me, instead of chasing the large Evader and so on.

Typical waste of 'Our' money!

Anyone has any ideas?
I do not believe PlusNet is really bothered about me not being able to call my mother any-more!

WORKAROUND a-la-technician

What I have to do now is text a mobile in Italy and tell them to call me!
Other thing is I am bothering another person to do that.

Ridiculous:

UK text to IT Mobile
IT mobile calling 'mother'
Mother calling UK [me]

This is 2016 and that is what we get!

Most Companies ONLY interested to make MORE money towards ONE person or small group of investors and badly pay workers and less and less technicians are used - they cost too much ... but they blooming FIX things , knowing what to do!

Has PlusNet got worse since BT taking over?
ADSL works OK and the rest seems to - their routers are total rubbish - we all know that right?

Has anything as strange as this happened to you?

Rest assured, I do like PlusNet, but I am getting rather frustrated by this and also being a Technician.

I have never left a site without FIXING whatever fault there was, sometime even on-the-fly-modify electronics apparatus or whatever was necessary to make it work ASAP, then proper fix it at a later time.

Do you see this happening in 2016 - I do not!

pnPhorum


NOT SOLVED

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Sorry to hear you're experiencing problems when trying to call Italy.

Is it only the one specific number that you're having problems with?

Do you experience problems when trying to call other international numbers? (Other than Italy?)

Might be a bit of a shot in the dark, but I've noticed your number is set to Withhold Number on All Calls.

Have you tried calling the number by dialling 1470 before the number you're calling to un-withhold your number, in case the call is getting blocked due to being withheld?

[#3]

Yes, 'first thing' we did try 1470 and as mentioned checked the Italian side too - they can check themselves online rather than rely on their providers' Customer Care - so you can see it is done.

I have no idea what to do now.

[#4]

Are you able to test these two?

@HarryB wrote:

Is it only the one specific number that you're having problems with?

Do you experience problems when trying to call other international numbers? (Other than Italy?)

[#5]

Well, I can say it now works!

But, ... I cannot believe it.

I have checked in Italy and they state it is not barred or blocked and also asked about withheld numbers.

It must be automatically enabled without customers knowing = It is FREE in Italy to block withheld numbers.

So, I just re-tried 1470 and it works.

One possibility is that we might have tried the old 141 [remember?] as we never really needed to use 1470 [141] in many years.

Must have been our fault then!
Problem solved for now - lets see about the cold-callers - I already had my number de-listed by the main 'lists' ther must be someone over-writing current lists with older lists to catch 'de-listed' numbers after the change.

I remember also that The EU Law says that they had some time to DELETE the old listings and use the new ones, then keep updating them as they come out - obviously they are not bothered to do it as they need to catch as many numbers as possible to get rich!

Thanks PlusNet about re-trying the 1470 - we must have used 141 - that was a couple of months ago or more the last time we tried it.


PS

Did you know thanks a EU Law in Italy [not here!] they sent a letter to all Landline users to ask to be de-listed from their books and 'online' listing - so, when BT and Firends SELL their listing including Electoral NON de-listed numbers are listed any-more.

It does not really happen here and we pay for it too.

[#6]

Glad to hear that seems to be working now.

The confusion between 1470 and 141 is understandable.

1470 un-withholds permanent withheld numbers whereas 141 withholds numbers if they are not permanently withheld.

Easy mistake to make. I've made the same mistake in the past

[#7]

See below reply - yes one number only. - they must have a very good service with FREE withheld number control they do not know about.
They can login and see their package and add/close any options paid or free and withheld was not used!