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PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

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Leapy
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

@Mav  I follow your logicSmiley... those pesky Engineers Angry

 

@Gel  Clearly Chile have the right idea to avoid mis-billing and trouble making Engineers Ticked_off

198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!


@Gel wrote:
https://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/123-phone-call-charges-bill-speaking-clock-bt-openreach/

Interesting to note that the article is from Aug 2015, and there appears to have been no progress.

It was a long-established problem when I left BT employment in 1999!

As I wrote in another thread recently, I have doubts that the telecoms industry will ever take it seriously.

Murphy was an optimist
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Townman
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

I( guess that it is not in the interest of the industry to take it seriously when it generates revenue.

Ofcom have rules on correct billing - if BTOR cannot control the behaviour of their engineers and sub contractors, then either 123 needs to be make FOC or the TIM service needs to be given a new number and 123 made to report "number not in service" … which really will confuse silly engineers using 123 to find a serviceable line!

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.

Jonpe
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

Surely it would make more sense for engineers to call the BT customer helpline (an 0800 number); they wouldn't 'disturb' any 'advisers' if they hung up as soon as they heard the recorded message.

Townman
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

There is a lot which would make more sense, but getting staff who "don't see what it matters" to change bad habits is far from easy!  From experience of trying to get staff to change bad practices, the following are typical excuses for not changing...

  1. I forgot
  2. I did not think
  3. I've always done it that way
  4. What difference does it make
  5. Who do you think you are to tell me how to do my job
  6. Does it really matter …its only ...
  7. It does not matter if I do not change, cos you cannot prove I did it wrong

Establishing a different test number is not going to help - 17070 is already there … but that is 2 digits more than 123 and is harder to dial.

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.

Leapy
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

@Townman  @Jonpe  To have 123 free or get the Engineers to use an 0800 is  good idea and very sensible Wink

 

In my case, with a one-second call, there is no benefit, so maybe calls to 123 under say seven seconds should be uncharged?Roll_eyes

 

I think, seven seconds,  is how long it takes to connect and hear "at the third stroke it will be" before the time is spoken and the pips start.

 

So I guess I now have to raise a  social  multi-media campaign and a formal complaint with PlusNet to get 10/- refunded, some time in the future?Cry

198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!


@Townman wrote:

...but getting staff who "don't see what it matters" to change bad habits is far from easy!

Indeed! As I say, this has been known about in the trade for decades, but it's only been in the public domain since itemised billing started to be rolled out in the late 80s.

In the days of mechanical meters, neither the company nor the customers had any record of what had been dialled!

Murphy was an optimist
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198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

ps  I believe making 123 FOC is the best option - easy to implement, eliminates the problem at a stroke, and is hardly going to make a dent in BTOR's profits.

Murphy was an optimist
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198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

...or there's always the Australian option.

Murphy was an optimist
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Leapy
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!


@198kHz wrote:

...or there's always the Australian option.


Yes, but would that ever get me my 50p back from PN Cry or is it justified?

Gandalf
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

Hi @Leapy 

From what I can see there have been no open faults against your line at the time of the call to 123. Could I ask what equipment you have connected into your phone socket and if there's anyone within your property who may have called this?

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!


@Gandalf wrote:

Hi @Leapy 

From what I can see there have been no open faults against your line at the time of the call to 123.


Most rogue calls to 123 will be made by BTOR engineers on other people's lines in order to find a spare pair to repair the line they're working on.

Murphy was an optimist
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Leapy
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

@Gandalf  a PN router and two BT phones. No one was in when this fleeting call was "allegedly" made and  the duration is 1 second!

RealAleMadrid
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!

I notice there is another more recent thread about a phantom 123 call and @Gandalf immediately refunded the charge as a goodwill gesture. I am surprised that @Leapy has not received the same generous treatment.😲

198kHz
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Re: PlusNet £1800 an hour phone bill!


@Leapy wrote:

@Gandalf      ...and  the duration is 1 second!


Which 99·9% guarantees that it was an engineering test and not anyone actually wanting to know the time!

Murphy was an optimist
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