Call Protect - last call number not showing

[swatty]

I agree the Forum seems to be more of a way to vent frustrations than actually getting anything done, particularly if there are only a few complainants which BT seem to feel able to safely ignore.

[Clarkatron]

Swatty I just had a call. Showed up on caller display. But nothing on call protect calls received. So obviously not resolved. 

[swatty]

I am finding that most calls do appear on call protect; probably 8 or 9 of every 10 calls, but every now and then one doesn't show up. The no-shows have no common properties so appear to be random. It's strange and annoying that BT don't appear to be interested in fixing the issue.

[Clarkatron]

Hey Swatty how you coped with the heat this week? Just had my Tesco driver call. He called once and I didn't answer. He called again few minutes later and I answered.  Both calls appeared on caller display. Only one appeared on call protect. So still broken.

[swatty]

Wilted in the heat a bit but not too bad. Like you, I'm finding that Call Protect is still missing some numbers - about one in every eight calls doesn't show on the recent callers list. I wondered if VOIP calls were perhaps not being seen but my calls to my landline from my mobile have all shown and they are VOIP so that's not the reason. I'm running out of theories and BT don't seem to be interested in fixing the problem anyway.

[MichaelB007]

Hello swatty,

Just joined the community.

I think you're doing an amazing job help BT users.

This issue with Call Protect not always recording the last number called is most annoying.

Another annoying issue is: 

1, Receive unknown call & don't  answer
2. Call 1572 and BT asks do you wish to add the last number called to your block list? 
3. Press '1' to have this number added to my block list
4. BT then says "Sorry, the last number called is unrecognisable"

Using my mobile (with Show Caller ID switched off)  I called the number
It doesn't connect and the line hangs up.

I guess the number is spoofed so BT is correct, but what if the scammers call me again using the SAME spoofed number, BT will let it through. 

It is well know that  scammers used spoofed numbers anyway. The fact that the Called ID gets recorded on my handset and BT 1471 will correctly read out the number means BT is aware of the number, so Call Protect is useless in this context.

MichaelB

[Clarkatron]

Swatty we have a new addition to our conversations! Interesting comments as I've also experienced this issue of not being able to add last number answered. I'll let you address his comments as his message is to you. 

[swatty]

Hi MichaelB,

Welcome to our little band!

Sadly, I think the problem you've identified with 1572 and unrecognised numbers is yet another exasperating issue relating to Call Protect's malfunctioning. The whole point of CP is surely to be able to block known nuisance numbers but if you can't see them on Recent Callers you can't block them.

We have been trying to get BT to look at this for months (as you'll see if you follow the thread) but they don't seem able or even willing to try and resolve it. So, if you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them!

[MichaelB007]

Hi swatty,

The only thing, I think,  where BT would take action to resolve the Call Protect issues is bad publicity that affects  revenue  - That would be  either existing customers leaving or new customers put off joining BT due to  a failure of call protect doing what it's supposed to do, i.e. PROTECT.
Through social media, if you can get actual customer experiences where they have been affected by scam calls  such as being continually bombarded with calls night and day making them nervous (possibly elderly people) or again, losing money to a scammer because they couldn't block them.

If any community members have contacts with the newspapers or news media would be a start to see if they would run a story.

Maybe, we should, through the community,  get a letter put together and send it to Martin Lewis.  He likes to take up causes that affect vulnerable and elderly people. 

Hope this helps.

Michaelb007

[swatty]

Hi Michael,
Thanks for this.

I agree that there is always strength in complainant numbers when trying to get a problem recognised but we have only accrued a half dozen on the Forum. I don't know if that shows low take-up of Call Protect amongst BT customers or that people simply haven't noticed the missing numbers.

I think part of our problem is that Call Protect is a free service and BT would no doubt prioritise fixing paid-for services. Also, most landline phones now have a caller recognition system enabling one to see all the numbers that have called so users should not be missing important calls because CP has not picked them up. Having said that, we did have a couple of people on the Forum who were using CP to monitor calls for infirm relatives so there are users for whom a correct Recent Callers list is important.

None of this takes away from the fact that spam calls are being missed and therefore not being blocked which is the raison d'etre of Call Protect so I will private message one of the Forum Moderators who was trying to help early on in this saga and ask what, if anything, is happening.