Strange letter from BT - any logical explanation?

[Annner]

We had a bizarre letter from BT this morning. It said that somebody wanted to take over our number and that unless they heard from us in the next seven days, they would go ahead and close our account and issue a final bill.

We called them straight away, but how bizarre was that? Surely if someone requested our number it would be far easier for BT just to say, "no, you can't have it. Someone else has already got it" than to assume that they could just reallocate it just like that. Why would anyone happily just allow their number to be changed with the same provider? It's not as though our number is particularly memorable or exciting.

The other irritating side of it all was that we only had seven days in which to react - when it August it isn't beyond the bounds of probability that we could have just gone on holiday for a fortnight?

Is there a sensible explanation to this, or are they truly bonkers people who like making extra work for themselves?

Annner

anner they must be bleedin bonkers

send in a complaint

We were thinking of that: it just seemed so strange. Shureley, shureley their approach generated loads of work and possible complaints for them!

What did they say when you rang?

Wonder if banks do this? I fancy some other people's account balances - ie a credit one...!

have you got a 'desirable' number? perhaps someone has offered BT alot of money for it. sounds strange

The only thing I can think of is that when you move you can keep your number if you stay with BT.
For example, the last house we lived in, we bought it off my BIL and ex SIL as they were splitting up. Ex SIL could have easily kept her number when she moved out.
The same when we moved into this new house, they asked us if we wanted the previous owners number but we changed it.

Don't know if that sheds any light for you?

They just said that our address could have been confused with another one. But the letter clearly said that our number had been requested, not the telephone line at our address, iyswim. ANd we aren't going anywhere soon.

It isn't a memorable or notable number - no triple or even double digits, no nice patterns.

We've had it for five years, since we first moved to Winchester. For our first flat we were just given our number, (no mention or offer of a choice - it wouldn't ever occur to me to ask!) and then took it with us when we moved here two years later.

I just can't imagine a scenario in which you would ask for a particular number for an address that had nothing to do with the address that it was already attached to, and that BT would say, "yeah, should be OK. S'pose we'd better check, though!"

i worked for bt many moons ago and had several people complain about letters lke this. its rarely something sinister! i suspect they want to take over your phone line, not the actual number. lots of people who are moving get the wrong postcode, call bt and give them the (wrong) new address and to make sure the person at that address has no problem with them taking over the line they write to you to let you know. dont panic, it will just be someone getting a bit mixed up. often the person moving out does not get round to calling to get their line switched off so its not unusual to have to send the letter out.

I would deffo question it anner
doesnt sound right

Ah ah! Thank you GG. That would throw some light on it. We were just amazed that we had such a short window in which to object when they were proposing quite a drastic change!

Annner

We bought our number here & the one at our last house, but afaik they were 'vacant' numbers. We got them within a day or so of our requests so they couldn't have gone through all that process in the time.

how extraordinary

can you imagine coming back from holiday and finding out someone else has your number??!

I would definitely have a word with them!

..It could have caused a very sticky situation with the pezzers and outlaws - "no, of course we didn't know that BT was going to change our number. Honest!" "Yes, honestly".

Nice precedent for anyone planning to become less available, though!