I am ex-directory so why are my phone and address still being published by BT

[coolactuary · Accepted solution]

@iniltous 

I am really not trying to pillory, anyone here, despite what it might seem (to you). I don't think anyone here (BT, Vodafone or myself) are showing much competence. Regrettably only two of these parties are multi-billion entities with the ability to influence thousands - perhaps millions - of lives.

Regulators generally recognise the asymmetry of information and knowledge in setting their requirements of companies. I think this is somewhat academic here, as there is also a power and time imbalance. You don't have to look too far to see companies making people's lives a misery. Think Post Office. 

To expect the level of consumer knowledge and responsibility you seem to imply would seem a slightly odd way of running society. There are a handful of companies running essential utilities. You can either decide the put the primary responsibility on the handful of corporates or move it to the tens of millions of their customers. I know which would have the economies of scale and therefore get my vote.

Trying to be reasonable and address your points...

"When you joined Vodafone, bearing in mind , joining VF you had absolutely no need to inform BT of this migration"

You're fight and I didn't. In fact I moved from BT to TalkTalk, stayed with them for many years and then to Vodafone. As far as I'm aware we had no issue with our online or paper listings. It was only with the publication of the latest paper phone book that we realised that something had changed. And, as mentioned before I think, this despite the confirmation of our XD and TPS status this morning. Something has clearly got out of line and it smells very much as if VOD have responsibility there, despite their claims.

"... no doubt they [BT] would be pilloried if they arbitrarily removed on line phone book entries just because the consumer has moved from BT to someone else".

We haven't been in the phone book for 15-20 years, including all those years ago with BT. It's not a matter of "arbitrarily" removing us from a listing, more that someone has put us back, presumably over the last year or so (since the publication of the last paper phone book where we didn't appear)

"VF should have enquired with you if you wanted to be ex directory or not , if you said not , it’s pretty clear where the error is , same as if they didn’t ask  at all ,"

I believe they didn't ask at all. I thought the responsibility for this was with TPS - who I thought of as an organisation. I thought, probably naively, that the likes of BT, VOD etc interacted electronically with TPS through APIs. Until this morning I hadn't realised the TPS phone number went through to BT, with their standard retail menus.

"it’s almost incredible that you continue to apportion blame , if you were ‘XD’ with BT , did you check the same on line directory ?"

I find nothing incredible in this, and nor do several other readers. I assume you too are a consumer rather than a BT rep. This is a forum for help. Stop badgering.

"were you listed ? , if you were , why didn’t you make the same enquiries you are making now but  back then ? , if you were not listed then , but are now , that’s simply more evidence where the error was made , if you didn’t check when BT were your provider , presumably you had a more relaxed view of this matter back them , but obviously cannot claim to know if you were listed or not ."

I think my previous replies answer all this and more. You continue to assume a level of consumer knowledge and responsibility that I think is completely unreasonable. You have guru status, but I do not, at least in this domain. The proof of the pudding would be in a regulatory or legal action (e.g. a GDPR complaint). But despite my long reply I don't actually have the time or appetite.

"Its pretty plain from the guidance on the phone book site , it’s your current provider that is responsible for keeping your entry ( or no entry if that’s your preference ) in the ‘Phone Book’, if they appear to not know this , that’s also a failing on their part"

There you go again. While I agree with your conclusion as who's likely to be at fault (and assume given your status that you are right on the technicalities) I have no idea why it should be an individual's responsibility to read about the  relative responsibilities of the parties. It's this denial of basic corporate responsibility (Post Office, utilities, social media) that has led to such wastage in the UK. On occasion that has gone beyond mental health to cost life.

I now intend to draw our discussion to a close. You've made a helpful suggestion - thanks again - and I said I will act on it. I don't really want either of us to spend yet more time in this thread.