Account in wrong name

[Connie3]

BT mistakenly put the account for our landline in the name of someone we do not know, My mother opened the account when we moved here in 1978 but you opened the account in the wrong name (for some inexplicable reason). The person whose name you opened the account in has never lived at the billing address (according to the house deeds/land registry going back to 1924 and the electoral roll). Yet for some reason you set the account up for a person who may or may not exist. 

We (who have a completely different name) pay the Bill but the account holder is still this random person. 

Since 1978 you have refused to change the name on the account despite the original mistake being yours- we have tried to get the account changed a few times over the years, but you say we would need the account holders permission - but how do we contact someone who probably doesn't exist

My mother is now 93 years old and is desperate to keep the phone number as it is her connection to far flung relatives who may try to get in touch one day. 

We now want to upgrade to BT fibre broadband, but we can't as we need the account holders permission!

We probably also cannot cancel the account as it is not in our name.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

If out of contract, try just placing an order as a new customer in the correct name, as if you wete moving inyo the property. You should be able to specify the existing number as the one you want to "keep" when you "move".

[Connie3]

Thank-you very much. Will try that

[iniltous]

Given you know this name (even if it not the correct name ) and you have the account number etc , what’s stopping ordering on line (you just click on the existing customer link , even if didn’t want to do this on line and you called  BT about an upgrade, when asked ‘am I speaking to Mr/Mrs **** , you just say Yes , they are not interested any further than that …..if any security has ever been put in place previously like asking for , DOB , or your  first car , first holiday etc , the standard type of questions, presumably you will know those answers (that’s if this has ever been set up )otherwise the questions you will know the answer to , like the account number , the amount the last bill was for etc , what’s more presumably the current payment is made from a bank account in a different name ,if that doesn’t change  that’s not going raise suspicion by keeping payment from the same place ,

TBH , if this has continued since 1978 , why try to change it now , it will have no impact on upgrading within BT if that’s what you want to do .