Have you been hit by these phone callers who change your phone contractor without your knowledge?

Question

I had a brand new phone line put in a year ago with an Ex-directory number (I only wanted it for the Internet,really)

3 months later someone rang me up and asked if I would mind if they sent me details of their phone service. I said OK, but I'm not committing myself to anything!

Next thing, British Telecom sent me a letter saying that they were very sorry that I was leaving them!

Crafty buggers! They'd just signed me up without my permission!

This has got in the papers today.So watch out!

Answer 1

In the UK there are something like 360 telephone companies, but only ONE requires a signature on an application form before they will switch you.

I had a friend who had a similar problem, he contacted the company said he had no contract with them and would not pay them for any bills sent out, then got onto Ofcom and complained about the company slamming him, and finally got onto his normal provider and told them that he was not wanting to leave them, final result he was switched back, but had a period of calls, which he didn't pay for.

He now uses the company I use as it is the only one which will not switch anybody without a written & signed form.

Answer 2

Yes it's called slamming. I never buy or entertain sales calls over the phone or at the door. I think you will be in for some compensation when OFCOM has finished with them.

Answer 3

In Italy it's standard procedure, it took me a year to get rid of one "contract" (never signed a thing) and three to get rid of another (I cancelled it officialy, but only after I wrote to their Chairman, a personal friend, did they desist and cancel all charges). Keep getting pestered all the time. Legally you can be hooked up in a series of ways: "innocent" phone offer; complementary IT service when you click on to their site; "open" offer, you have to negate within x days, otherwise you're hooked. Equally legally you can send them all for a Burton; if you do nothing, you are  "confirming" their offer.

Tricky. Colleague of mine has a full time job "blowing" thier guises and reporting them to the Control Commission.

They are the modern day Jesse James.

Answer 4

yes sky tried it on me!!   i was on bt and 6 months ago i went to sky. i had phone line and broadband. i had a month with no broadband because sky could not get it to work. i was on the phone to sky approx 3 times a day, every day for a month. fed up of the bad customer service and no broadband, i went back to bt. about a month after i had been with bt and had no problems with my line and broadband, i recieved a letter from bt saying sorry i am leaving bt and my calls etc were going over to sky in 2 weeks. i then got a letter from sky saying welcome back to sky and we are glad you rejoined us. wait a minute!!  i never done anything!!!  i am staying with bt permantly.  because sky had all my details from previously they tried to steal my line and broadband back without my knowledge and consent. i phoned bt and told them and they said that was illegal and put a stop to it. ofcom have been contacted by bt with a statement from me. i phoned sky and said "how dare you" and i will see them in court.