Dodgy sales patter from Talk Talk

My doorbell rang this afternoon and I was greeted by a smartly dressed lady of Indian subcontinent lineage, saying those dreaded words "It's alright, I'm not selling anything". This is nearly always a sign that they are selling something.

She started by saying that she was just checking I'd got my letter from BT stating the exchange had been upgraded and I could now claim free calls. Now I know we had received no such letter, but I replied that I had received a letter from BT (we had received a bill) , and she seemed slightly confused. I asked who she was calling on behalf of, she replied she was just calling to check that we were getting our free calls. After further discussion, she mentioned that as BT customers we could stay signed up with BT and also sign up for Talk Talk, and she could do that on the doorstep if I simply signed up there and then.

I pointed out that I am in an Internet contract with BT and I am happy with my service, but she persisted that I was entitled to my free calls with Talk Talk and that BT had arranged this service with Talk Talk.

I then said quite clearly that I wasn't interested and closed the door. But I am extremely disappointed that Talk Talk seem to be using very underhand methods in trying to get people to sign up to their services under the pretence that it is something to do with BT, which clearly as a separate company, a competitor of BT both in home phones and internet, BT are not working with Talk Talk.

A letter will be going to Talk Talk to explain how concerned I am about their sales methods, and I might contact BBC Watchdog too.

Update: Carphone Warehouse/Talk Talk have contacted me about this and are pledging action.

Update 2 : I have been very impressed with the line Carphone/Talk Talk have taken with theis, keeping me advised by email of developments and the action they have taken. All I can say is that they have dealt with this in a way that shows thhey do not accept this sort of behaviour from agents acting on their behalf.

Not the perfect Christmas present for the people of Horsford from BT

I thought I'd phone my brother earlier and was slightly surprised that I got the wrong number, especially given the fact that I have his number programmed in to my mobile phone. So I left it half an hour and phoned again, only to get the same unusual voice answer the phone. I explained that I had got the wrong number. She interjected to say she had had a few wrong numbers to day and could I explain what number I had phoned. It turns out her phone number shares just two digits with my brother's number, but she is receiving all his calls.

At this point she started to show some concern and asked if I could phone her real number. I did this for her and got an elderly gentleman who believe that his phone number is significantly different to the number I phoned. Now having spoken to my brother I learn that to phone him up I have to phone up a completely different number again to be able to be put through to his house.

In short, BT seem to have swapped and muddled up dozens of phone numbers of people who live in the Norfolk village of Horsford. It's just what you need before Christmas, your family completely unable to speak to you. Merry Christmas BT.