This topic

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:46:22 GMT

FWIW bt removed our 40 year old landline on August 1st - a mistake - advisor said so 3 days before it happened - "seems to be a mistake - don't worry - you won't be cut off". mmm. Strangely plus.net seemed to know whatever bt knew as they cut us off as well - no checking: no due diligence. 40 year old landline number gone : 20+ years of personal, professional and business emails and addresses - gone. To date I have had 4 advisors assure me the old number would be restored - last time was two weeks ago now when a fellow assured me I could expect this to happen "tomorrow". Several tomorrows have come and gone. I was told " a team is working on fixing this": maybe Man Utd? The only sense of urgency at any time has been the hustle to get me to open a new account and sign up to a direct debit. I did so on condition of that promise - old number restored. Promises is cheap. I think this counts as breach of contract and possibly fraud. Sick of listening to inane "computer says no" bt guides.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Christopher_G — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:30:35 GMT

Hi @chipsncheese

Welcome to the community.

I'm really sorry to hear of your experience. When you called, do you know if a complaint was opened against your account? If you haven't already, I'd suggest asking to speak with a manager so that they can look into this further and follow through with your complaint and look to get it resolved.

Chris

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:28:47 GMT

Thanks for sympathy and suggestion. I have no idea if a complaint number was raised. A manager promised the restitution of landline on 2nd August - but it seems I have to do all the running. "Let's get you connected and then we'll deal with that". You have to realize that without email or landline it was either voice or text. I'd have thought bt and plusnet would understand that but in the days before reconnection both were sending email updates ( I saw titles but could not download). When bt commit such a **bleep**-up (forewarned as stated on 28/07 ) I'd expect bt to bend over backward to put things right - but no. bt Customer Care - oxymoron of the month. Steeling myself for another try but it is wearing: and of course there is no written record of anything apart from my own notes.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

imjolly — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:07:48 GMT

try complaining to the customer resolutions team as others seem to get problems sorted quickly here

https://www.bt.com/bt-plc/assets/documents/about-bt/policy-and-regulation/our-governance-and-strategy/codes-of-practice/customer-complaints-code/complaints-code.pdf

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:21:55 GMT

For the record on Aug 1st my wife received an email headed btcomms@info.bt.c... with headline "We've closed your case" by which we assume they meant "your account". message read : This message has not downbloaded". Seven more email stumps were received that day - none downloaded presumably as plusnet had closed my account too. For a comms company none too clever.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:08:52 GMT

That seems to have worked. Still a lot of AI closed question nonsense at that site but within an hour of an actual email a competent chap rang mobile - promised to have landline sorted by tomorrow - yes I've heard it before - but this time they called me. many many thanks for the steer. Interesting glitch in that my wife's was a Northern Ireland account and my new one is GB so the system wouldn't let the number be reassigned - competent chap has the authority to over-ride "computer says no". What a waste of 3 weeks. The struggle with plus.net continues. Big thank you.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:32:03 GMT

30/08/25 still waiting for landline number. Due Sept 3rd I'm told: I've been told a lot of things. Getting the same person each time now which is better - much - better. Same person asked if it would be ok to close complaint now; no - not until the problem is actually fixed. I note the due date is just beyond my cooling off period. Plusnet has recreated Mrs.Me's rather crucial webmail address. Her bank among the first batch of senders. Looks as if 28 days worth of emails are through purgatory and gone for good. The stress of being randomly cut off and of treated with disregard bordering on contempt is hard to convey. Without users forums for both bt and plusnet we would not have had a chance. Ta

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:23:49 GMT

Landline number retrieved 3rd September. Hooray. Billing statement received 15th September. Trying to check billing - "either user name or password is incorrect" - let's try "create an account" - enter account number - "that account number does not exist it should consist of two letters and eight numbers" - which it does and been recorded twice from bt guide calls and been accepted several times as correct id when contacting bt. It can't just be me can it ? I now have to wait up to 5 days to receive corroboration by post in order to check bt billing. To date there has been no paper communication at any stage of this debacle. New readers start here; bt cut landline off and terminated my wife's account 1st August despite being assured we had no intention of leaving bt. I opened a new account for landline

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Katie_B — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:15:10 GMT

Hi @chipsncheese.

Thanks for keeping us updated.

I am sorry to hear you are now experiencing issues when trying to view your bill online, this is not the experience we would expect for our customers.

Has our customer care team raised a ticket to get this investigated?

Katie

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:28:47 GMT

Short answer "no" as I can't actually contact anyone. Longer answer - I confess to a muddle on the account number and have got as far as activating something which hasn't actually activated yet. I had to open gmail account when plus.net cut me off and the chopping and changing is a pain. No need to apologize for bt - we now expect abysmal service as the norm - if that sounds acidic it is meant to. bt slogan was "It's good to talk" - cutting off customers - fully paid up in advance customers has an equally detrimental effect - and I'd emphasize the "MENTAL".

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Katie_B — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:02:46 GMT

Thanks for letting me know that you have been able to use a different email @chipsncheese.

What shows when you try log in to your account online? Are being presented with an error or a blank page?

Katie

Re: Old landline number retrieval

mellieleeds — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:51 GMT

Hello, sorry to jump on this post. It’s very similar to an issue with elderly friend/neighbour who I’ve been trying to get this resolved for. A complaint is with the ‘executive’ team as we have been waiting for her old number to be transferred. She was given a temporary number whilst her line was upgraded to digital voice. We have now been waiting 4 weeks after initially being told it would take 48 hours.
we now have a situation where no one can ring her on the landline but she is able to ring out. We specifically requested international calling as her sister lives in New Zealand but now her sister can’t call her and my friend can’t call her sister because international calling barred.

i have spent hours on the phone, I’ve emailed the CEO and no one can tell me when this will be resolved. @Christopher_G Please is there anything you can do at all?

Re: Old landline number retrieval

gg30340 — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:16:40 GMT

@mellieleeds

If your complaint is with the Executive Team, who are at the top of the complaints process, there is nothing that the moderators can do to assist.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

mellieleeds — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:20:56 GMT

Guess we are stuck then. I think they have had the complaint for a week or 2 now. No one seems to be able to help

thanks for letting me know

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Katie_B — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:17:35 GMT

Hi @mellieleeds.

Thanks so much for coming here.

Although there is nothing further we can do as your complaint is with our Executive Complaints team I can absolutely try to chase an update.

When you have a moment please check your community inbox.

Katie

Re: Old landline number retrieval

chipsncheese — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:10:00 GMT

FWIW am unsurprised and baffled by bT's attitude and questionable competence. I am quite sure our problem was resolved partly due to age and vulnerability issues - I expect you have stressed similar in your case. As I recall a promised 48hours stretched to a month or so with communication lacking in the interim. No help at all to say our complaint to Communications Ombudsman has been unanswered for 6 months. Either there is a hel***a backlog or there is literally just one Ombudsman with one old computer.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

mellieleeds — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:20:40 GMT

It certainly seems like it’s a far more common issue than I had thought.

it just seems to be a constant battle. It would now seem they have started the process again in the hope the number will be transferred but the date for that is something like 22nd April so 🙄

I think people just don’t care anymore. I do hope you get a response soon from the ombudsman