BT launches campaign against mis-selling

BT has launched a campaign, supported by Trading Standards Institute, calling on Ofcom to take action now to put an end to the mis-selling misery caused by telecoms companies, who hijack consumers' phone lines.

The campaign is pushing for a new process to prevent customers becoming victims of fixed-line phone mis-selling scams as well as providing advice on how consumers can protect themselves from the scammers.

Alongside this, TSI and BT have also created the free, straightforward guide for consumers called ‘Talk to the Hand’ that explains how people can protect themselves from landline mis-selling. This is available from www.bt.com/misselling.

The dodgy sales techniques used by some agents to switch consumers to their company against the customer’s wishes include “slamming” where the customer is switched to the company without their knowledge, as well as more subtle tactics, such as getting the customer’s signature or agreement by falsely claiming to be “part of BT” or getting them to agree to sign their name for “more information”.

The campaign proposes a new system to protect people from being scammed, based around a simple consumer pin code. If you wanted to switch phone companies, you would ask your existing supplier for a pin code, which you would then give to your new supplier. The new supplier can only give you service if they have the code. This will provide certainty that the consumer has clearly chosen and consented to change companies.

Ron Gainsford, chief executive of Trading Standards Institute (TSI), said: “We’re very much in favour of the telecoms industry adopting the consumer protection pin code system. We believe that it will stamp out at source the sort of rogue trading practice that has been plaguing telecoms consumers for more than five years.”

Latest news