I live in a house share in London, and when we received a letter from TalkTalk addressed to a James Jones (not his real name) I didn’t think much of it. But when it was followed by a package containing a broadband router I became concerned that someone had set up an account using our address.
I rang TalkTalk and was told to ignore it as a scam as the call handler didn’t recognise the return address on the box. But when a quick search on Google a few days later revealed the address was indeed for a TalkTalk depot I chased it up again.
It was confirmed that Mr Jones had put down our address on his application for a Talk Talk account, but I was assured that a priority flag would be put on the account so no further action could be taken until the confusion was cleared up.
Shortly after, our BT broadband and TV were shut off. BT confirmed that TalkTalk had authorised the cancellation of our contract and was very apologetic – it said it wasn’t able to undo the cancellation but would set us up on a new contract with a better deal, and obviously waived all charges.
I complained to TalkTalk but it washed its hands of it. A manager told me the fault lay entirely with Mr Jones and I should track him down myself if I wanted any compensation, as he was “probably a neighbour”.
I was told it never would have put a block on the account in the first place as I wasn’t named on Mr Jones’s account. To make matters worse, I’ve now been told by BT that it has been blocked from taking our line back and can’t progress with our new contract until TalkTalk relinquishes it, which it is refusing to do since I am not the account holder.
It feels like we’ve hit a brick wall and TalkTalk is happy to let us go on in limbo rather than lose a potential customer in James Jones. This has now dragged on for more than a week and I’ve made three complaints with TalkTalk, but it keeps marking them as “resolved”. CD, London
Incredibly, TalkTalk only requires an email contact from online applicants. So long as the address they give exists, their bank details are genuine and they pass a credit check they are waved through. It says it could not cancel the phantom order when you rang to question the arrival of a router because you were not the account holder and it would have breached security rules to view the account at your behest.
Those same security rules did not prevent it and BT from handing your account to a stranger without any communication with you, however. Moreover, you couldn’t reinstate your service while this other account existed because one line can’t support two orders, though again, that didn’t stop TalkTalk and BT giving your account away.
The mysterious Mr Jones eventually cancelled the account three weeks after taking it over, leaving you free to set up a new contract with BT.
In a statement TalkTalk merely apologises “for the inconvenience caused”. BT offered you £40 compensation for surrendering your account without a word, but said it wouldn’t prioritise your reconnection.
When finally you were online again it had no record of the goodwill gesture – or of its promise to give you a better deal. BT has failed to respond to a request for a comment.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
