Unitel Direct - A word of warning

[Jerry]

If you get a call from Unitel Direct, tell them to go away and hang up.

About 6 weeks ago they called and spoke to my mother who is in her 80's claiming they were "working with BT" and offered a new contract at "attractive" rates.

First thing I knew about it was a letter from BT with best part of £200 termination fees and a bill for the first month from Unitel. Unitel rates are far less attractive than those with BT.....

After numerous phone calls and stroppy conversations with them and getting no where I think I have finally kicked them into touch with BT's help and that from OFCOM. Im still out of pocket and have just billed them for the termination fees & 6 hours of my time at £100 an hour.

I have also sent a strongly worded letter to their chief executive about their under hand tactics and pressurized selling to a vunerable person, oh and the fact that if I wanted to lodge a complaint they would charge me for their time!

Whether that comes to anything I severely doubt.

If you get a call from them, steer well away.

 

[TheTallGuy]

My parents have strict instructions to never agree to anything over the phone - anyone making an offer must do so in writing. That usually puts the telesales operatives off as they won't normally be getting their commission....

 

[rob1]

My father had calls from similar people when he was still alive, luckily the post came to our house not his annexe so I was able to stop them , but I agree these people need stopping

 

[Boysground]

I get one of these calls most days. if I am in the house at lunchtime I wont answer the landline, anybody important has my mobile number. What annoys me is when they say they are BT when clearly they are not. Surely BT should be able to do something about this.

Bg

 

[johnspeehs]

Had them on recently and they definitely implied they were working with BT and they were getting me on a better tariff , took me a cpl of minutes to twig on as I thought I was dealing with someone from BT ,I just hung up the phone and reported them to Ofcom.

 

[Jerry]

OFCOM have today written me a long and detailed reply and asking for more details from my side of things.

Sounds like the buggers are not unknown for this and OFCOM will take things further.

My letter of compliant to the chief executive has been signed or so it is in his hands as of today.

I look forward to his reply and I will be speaking to the case officer at OFCOM tomorrow.

 

[Dry Rot]

Get a Truecall machine. Mine has now logged over 160 scam telephone numbers, including some area codes I am unlikely to receive calls from, but I look them up on Google before banning them just to check. Truecall's technicians can program the machines to deal with calls pretty much any way you want.

How many people might an 80 year old want to speak to? Those numbers could be "starred" and all other, excepting essential services, blocked.

The scammers are always up to new tricks. The latest are scam calls that apparently (according to caller display) originate from an international exchange. In fact, they are from a mobile number that is somehow programmed to appear as international. I have international calls banned already. A quick call to Truecall and their techies have now banned these fake international calls. Can't get better service than that!

When the police lied about calls to/from my number, I was immediately able to look up the log on Truecall and prove them wrong. They've gone strangely quiet about that!

I have no connection with Truecall except that I am a very satisfied customer.

 

[Sid]

Sorry to hear what you have been through Jerry but BT are just as useless shower of sh1t as well at times!

 

[phillipe]

If you get a call from Unitel Direct, tell them to go away and hang up.

About 6 weeks ago they called and spoke to my mother who is in her 80's claiming they were "working with BT" and offered a new contract at "attractive" rates.

First thing I knew about it was a letter from BT with best part of £200 termination fees and a bill for the first month from Unitel. Unitel rates are far less attractive than those with BT.....

After numerous phone calls and stroppy conversations with them and getting no where I think I have finally kicked them into touch with BT's help and that from OFCOM. Im still out of pocket and have just billed them for the termination fees & 6 hours of my time at £100 an hour.

I have also sent a strongly worded letter to their chief executive about their under hand tactics and pressurized selling to a vunerable person, oh and the fact that if I wanted to lodge a complaint they would charge me for their time!

Whether that comes to anything I severely doubt.

If you get a call from them, steer well away.

not just vunerable women ,my oh daughter got conned

 

[Jerry]

Get a Truecall machine. Mine has now logged over 160 scam telephone numbers, including some area codes I am unlikely to receive calls from, but I look them up on Google before banning them just to check. Truecall's technicians can program the machines to deal with calls pretty much any way you want.

How many people might an 80 year old want to speak to? Those numbers could be "starred" and all other, excepting essential services, blocked.

The scammers are always up to new tricks. The latest are scam calls that apparently (according to caller display) originate from an international exchange. In fact, they are from a mobile number that is somehow programmed to appear as international. I have international calls banned already. A quick call to Truecall and their techies have now banned these fake international calls. Can't get better service than that!

When the police lied about calls to/from my number, I was immediately able to look up the log on Truecall and prove them wrong. They've gone strangely quiet about that!

I have no connection with Truecall except that I am a very satisfied customer.

Trouble is this is the main farm number and we have a caravan site, caravan storage, meat box sales and other stuff that means it gets calls from all over the UK and abroad that I need to take.

I may divert the land line to my mobile but st the moment not ideal as father is home with terminal cancer and lots of calls each day from the care team and doctors

 

[Jerry]

Sorry to hear what you have been through Jerry but BT are just as useless shower of sh1t as well at times!

Funny enough I tend to agree, but this time they have been excellent and bent over backwards to help. Even backing up my OFCOM complaint.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Get a Truecall machine. Mine has now logged over 160 scam telephone numbers, including some area codes I am unlikely to receive calls from, but I look them up on Google before banning them just to check. Truecall's technicians can program the machines to deal with calls pretty much any way you want.

How many people might an 80 year old want to speak to? Those numbers could be "starred" and all other, excepting essential services, blocked.

The scammers are always up to new tricks. The latest are scam calls that apparently (according to caller display) originate from an international exchange. In fact, they are from a mobile number that is somehow programmed to appear as international. I have international calls banned already. A quick call to Truecall and their techies have now banned these fake international calls. Can't get better service than that!

When the police lied about calls to/from my number, I was immediately able to look up the log on Truecall and prove them wrong. They've gone strangely quiet about that!

I have no connection with Truecall except that I am a very satisfied customer.

I have True caller app on my mobile ,it instantly blocks the scam callers ,its brilliant

 

[Dry Rot]

Trouble is this is the main farm number and we have a caravan site, caravan storage, meat box sales and other stuff that means it gets calls from all over the UK and abroad that I need to take.

I may divert the land line to my mobile but st the moment not ideal as father is home with terminal cancer and lots of calls each day from the care team and doctors

I can fully understand that. You don't need more hassle. But I'd seriously suggest you speak to Truecall and ask them what could be done to help your situation.

As soon as I recognise a caller as unwanted, I simply press a button and the number is blocked. Numbers from people like care team and doctors can be star rated to get straight through, though it might be complicated if they regularly change numbers. All calls get through to my land line except the barred ones which, as I've said, now total over 160.

 

[Jerry]

The twunts have block the transfer back to BT again means at least 10 more days of messing about.

BT have now also reported them to OFCOM

Unitel have threatened to disconnect the line. They've received another ear full from me and another letter has gone to their chief exec.

The guy at BT dealing with it says they are not unknown to them!

 

[Sussex Martin]

The twunts have block the transfer back to BT again means at least 10 more days of messing about.

BT have now also reported them to OFCOM

Unitel have threatened to disconnect the line. They've received another ear full from me and another letter has gone to their chief exec.

The guy at BT dealing with it says they are not unknown to them!

I don't think they can disconnect the line Jerry as it is a bt exchange.

 

[Jerry]

I don't think they can disconnect the line Jerry as it is a bt exchange.

Yep. That's my understanding as well but it's a pressure technique from them.

Forgot to add, told them never to ring the land line as Mum would pick it and she is upset enough at present. Told them to ring my mobile.

But they rang the land line twice today.