Unreasonable number of wrong numbers
 

What would you consider to be an unreasnoble number of wrong numbers.

We have had our phone with VM for about 3 weeks and are getting at least 4 sometimes as many as 10 wrong numbers a day (those are the ones we know about - dont know what happens when we are not here).

To be accurate they are not strictly speaking "wrong" numbers as the people on the other end always ask for the same 2 people - the calls come from a variety of different companies and I have tried telling them to change their records. As time goes on I am finding it increasingly difficut to be civil to them!

My guess is that VM have assigned us an old customers number and havent left enough time since the last account was closed.

In fairness to VM I havent contacted VM, but do you think I would be justified in asking them for a different number?

Cheers

John

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

we left vm, and the person who has got our old number still gets phone calls for us. we are on debt management plans. unfortunately when companies are chasing money they don't really care to amend their records - they just put a big 'X' next to the name of the person they're chasing and let another team member try again...

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

As you have been installed less than a month I'm sure you could get it swapped for free.

However you may end up with calls for someone else as Virgin can't guarantee to give you a 'clean' number

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

I had this same problem but after 2 months the calls have stopped

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Thanks for the reply (and for not pointing out my spelling in the header!)

I think I will leave it another few days and see if it gets any better (take it up to a month). If no better then I will request another number.

Thanks again

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

weve had this for the full year and a half weve been with vm for! And we still get them approximately 5 times per day! Even after requesting the number be erased from their records.

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

If people looked after their landline numbers better it wouldn't happen ;)

---------- Post added at 21:43 ---------- Previous post was at 21:41 ----------

Who's records? All Virgin can do is make your number ex-directory, which stops the number getting out with your name attached to it.

It doesn't stop the existing people from phoning

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

No I'm aware of that - I mean the customer records of the companies phoning. We're even using the Telephone Preference Service but this still doesn't stop the calls. Its always the same person phoning asking for the same person and I have asked them to confirm the address of this other person and its completely wrong - and upon telling them this they just put the phone down without even a "sorry for disturbing you".

Its ALWAYS someone from india/pakistan calling as well claiming to be from a bank and as soon as I ask which bank, they hang up.

First it was just an inconvenience, now its a down-right nuisance

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Your answer phone is your friend...Especially if you use an appropriate outgoing message.

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Unfortunately we dont have an answer phone - only the VM provided 1571 service. Can you add an outgoing message to that?

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

You can if you pay £1.75 a month for the Plus version ;)

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

What so you can have vm without paying the £1.75? :shocked:

*did not know this*

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Yes but it is a limited service. Answers after about 4/5 rings, no remote access or personal message

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Ah okay, i'll give it a miss. Thanks tho ;)

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

I had a similar problem when I was first installed, so I called customer services and they were happy to change my number, for free. I think I'd only been with them for about a week, but decided that it was better to get it sorted sooner rather than later.

Not that the landline ever gets used for anything but 08 numbers...

Sam

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

From what people have been saying I think I will request a new number and hope for the best. I also only use the line for 08 numbers (loads of inclusive mins on my mobile)

Thanks to all

Cheers

John

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

Update--

I got fed up with all the wrong numbers so after a month (and on a day where we had 12 calls for the previous owners of the number) I called Virgin. The lady at the other end was very nice but did try to pursuade me to stick with the number. She told me that I am only allowed one free number change. I explained that as the number is at the moment it couldnt be any worse as we have had to turn the ringer off and therefore arent using the number properly so could she change it. I am happy to say that - although it is early days - we havent had any "bad" calls since the number change. So happy ending.

Couple of things bothered me though. I was told that whereas they used to allow a year befor reassigning a number, now because of number shortages they will sometimes reassign a number after only a week. FAR TOO SOON. If they cant offer a propper service then
A: They shouldnt sell numbers that are not fit for purpose (I think you will find that sale of goods act covers services as well as products)
B: If they will insist that they can reassign numbers so soon then I will demand the right to have the number changed free of charge as many times as it takes untill I get a service that I am paying for.

As I said they were nice, they changed my number and touch wood all in the garden is now rosey, but it dosent excuse bad practice.

Sorry - rant over (fueled by a month of bad calls - 5 - 10 a day making in the region of 250 bad calls in a month !!!).

John

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

A) It's 3 months before a number will be released back into the avalaible number pool. It is then random after that how old the number you get is

B) The service you are paying for is a phone line that works, which it does. Whether the number is 'dirty' or not is not part of the contract

---------- Post added at 23:40 ---------- Previous post was at 23:37 ----------

Honestly it is only a matter of time before ALL land line numbers in the UK have been on a Marketing database at some point in time

Re: Unreasonable number of wrong numbers
 

ive had my number almost 3 years and im still getting calls for a woman who lives on a road called Swansea road somewhere in Swansea, and ive told so many people and companies that no one with that name lives here and the road in question is about 2 miles from where i live.

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

I was specificaly told by the woman at Virgin that they are releasing numbers after only a week in some cases.........

I do not think that it is unreasnoble to be able to expect to use a telephone that is not "dirty". If I am going to recieve that many bad calls in a month the line is virtualy unusable. If I am not able to use my number to recieve calls because of unreasnobly quick reallocation of the number I shouldnt have to suffer because Virgin want to release the numbers too soon.....

I reiterate I was specificaly told by Virgin that the numbers are sometimes released after only a week. I certainly did not miss hear as I questioned her on the sensabilities of that.

As I said in my update post, we have not had the same problems with the new number so my feelings are mainly academic. However I still feel it is wrong for Virgin to reallocate numbers so soon.

I will add that generaly I am a very satisfied Virgin Media customer. I have their 10M broadband and XL V+ service and I am a more than delighted convert from Sky+. So this is not a random whinge at virgin. BUT this releasing of numbers so soon is plain wrong...... It wont make me change supplier or anything like that, but I still feel it is wrong and as a consumer of their products I feel I have the right to express my dis-satisfaction of this element of their service and that I will not accept that through their decision to release numbers unreasnobly soon I will just have to accept "one free number change". If it happens again I will demand another free change.

Re: Unreasnoble number of wrong numbers
 

I don't doubt you were told a week. Some people at Virgin seem to love to make things up

But the system is definately designed to hold a number out of the pool for at least 90 days before it can be reassigned

Re: Unreasonable number of wrong numbers
 

Its is 90 days, Anything less and they'd get a slapping from OFCOM as its them that set the guidelines.