Does Account Manager have authority to change line to new address?

[alzy1982]

Hi all, I hope I'm posting to the correct board.

I'm posting on behalf of my step son. In 2018, he moved out when he was 20 and rented a house with a friend of his. His friend didn't have the best credit score so my step son set the bt phone line up in his name and his friend as the account manager. Their friendship soured due to my stepsons friend being destructive in the house and failing to keep up with his half of the bills etc. My stepson (in his naivity) asked his friend to change it over to his own name (I know it doesn't work like that, but like I said, my stepson can be very naive being in his early 20's). My stepson stayed in the same property for around a year after his friend moved out and never recieved any letters from BT as apparently his friend changed everything over to his own new address. My stepson moved to another property around a year ago and he was surprised this morning to get a letter from Lowells with an £800 debt they had purchased from BT.

Are account managers allowed to change an address without the account holders permission? I double checked with my stepson that he never changed the address himself.

[-Richie-]

Account manager is the highest access you can grant, an account manager is treated like an account holder, there's very little they can't do with the access the account holder granted.

As your step son is the account holder, he's liable for any charges related to his account.

If you feel your step son's friend acted illegally you can try Action Fraud but as your step son granted permission, it's likely they'll not be able to do anything to help, awful life lesson at such a young age, speak with the debt collection agency and see if they'll agree a repayment plan.

[gg30340 · Accepted solution]

The account manager can not move the broadband account to another address. Only the account holder can do that and only by using the BT approved house move process.

See link

What's the difference between an Account holder and an Account manager in My BT? | BT Help

The "friend" could not have "changed everything over to his own new address"  without purporting to be the account holder and initiated a home move. If he managed to do that, all the billing for the account would be directed to the new address in the name of whoever authorised the account change/move.

If this was your son's friend and he was using your son's name, he has committed the crime of fraud and this should be reported to the police.

If the account was moved to a new address this would have terminated the service which was at the address that your son and his friend co-habited so your son would have been aware that the service had ceased.

You need to check exactly what property the debt is for and in whose name the account is in. If it is not for the property your son lived in but is for the property that his "friend" lived in then as I said there has been a fraud committed.

If it was for the property that your son lived in and is in his name, your son may be not telling you the whole truth and the debt is his.

[alzy1982]

Thank you for your quick reply and detailed thoughts. We are still looking into it for him to make sure we are aware of the full circumstances and decide a course of action.