BT Call protect blocking calls from HMRC and Government Gateway service

[philipejjones]

I last used my landline to receive an HMRC Access Code in January 2017, so it was still working then.  But in late March I had no call back from HMRC.  HMRC told me that BT was blocking landline calls, and that I should use a mobile phone as BT does not provide mobile connections, and so cannot block it.  But I am not a BT customer, so I wondered how can they block calls to me ?  I contacted my landline provider who confirmed that neither they nor I had any block on any incoming calls, but they explained that because BT rents their landlines to other providers, calls could still be blocked if they came through the BT system, and they were aware that this was happening but were unable to do anything about it.  I called the BT customer helpline and was told repeatedly that BT did not block these calls.  When I was tansferred to a manager, he hung up on me without entering into any dialougue.  I do not see why BT cannot accept the number from which HMRC calls are made as a 'white' number that will not be blocked.  Alternatively, perhaps HMRC should stop using BT and switch to a more competent telephone company ?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@philipejjones

Who is your phone service provider, as they may simply be a CPS provider offering reduced outgoing call packages.

See

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_preselect

If that is the case, then incoming calls will be routed via the BT network.

[philipejjones]

My provider is TalkTalk.  They may be acting as a CPS provider in my case - I do not know.  If they are, then the problem still apears to lie with BT.  I think it is reasonable that others on the forum should be aware that what I am experiencing can happen.  Certainly, BT needs to be shaken out of its complacency if they are interfering with legitimate calls made over any system.

[Keith_Beddoe]

TalkTalk are an LLU provider with their own equipment in the exchange, so they do not use CPS.

They rent the wires from Openreach, not BT Retail.

TalkTalk needs to take up the issue with BT Wholesale. There is nobody on this BT Retail forum that would be able to help with this.

Go back to TalkTalk, and ask them to sort it out.

BT Retail customers can control Call Protect settings from within their account.

[pompey1898]

I tried setting up Call Protect from a neighbour's Talk Talk line and it done not work.

[philipejjones]

Getting Technical with the semantics does not solve the buck-passing problem.  TalkTalk tell me they have raised the matter with BT, but cannot do anything about it themselves because they say the problem is within the BT system.  HMRC say they have raised the matter with BT but cannot do anything about it themselves etc., etc, though in fact i suspect that a bit of heavy leaning could sort the matter out quite quickly - but we are dealing with Civil Servants, so i won't hold my breath.  BT wholesale, or retail, or Openreach or any other department have apparently acted in a very heavy-handed manner and really don't appear to care about the consequences of their action on others provided that their system is protected.  If that is not true, then let them come on this forum and explain their position.  You, Keith Beddoe, will know who in BT to approach for such an explanation ..........

[philipejjones]

By the way, why was the original thread marked as solved when it quite clearly isn't ?

[john46]

This is a customer to customer self help forum posts made here do not go to BT although the forum is moderated by BT not every post is read Keith like everyone else on this forum are BT Customers like your self

The only BT employees are the Forum moderators who do not read every post

[john46]

Only you can mark a post as solved

[john46 · Accepted solution]

It appears your provider does have a call blocking service

as a google search shows this is just one link
http://help2.talktalk.co.uk/what-talktalk-doing-stop-scam-calls-0