Changing Home Phone No.

williewisp

Hi,

So here's the thing. about 3months ago i got an eircom phone line in, mainly just for the broadband, but then i got a phone for it. funny thing, 2 minutes after i plugged it in i got a phone call (strange i thought as no one had the no..(little did i know)) the phone call was from someone looking for (i'll call it hotel X) hotel X, well i pointed it out that they had the wrong no, and then hung up. 5 min later same thing(another one ).

Now for Hotel X, turns out it was a hotel that closed down a while ago, and i got allocated their old no.

So needless to say i have the phone unplugged as every time its plugged in i get these phone calls from people looking for hotel X(5 calls 2day, and had it only plugged in for an hour), i've also checked the net and the phone no is still up there on a good few accomadation sites.

Anyway, i rang eircom(C.S) to see what can be done, explained the situation, and then got told if i want a new one, i have to pay €24 :eek:. just to get a new one... !!!! madness i thought, so i said i'll think about it, and left it at that.

i've been looking around and don't seem to be able to find any info on it.
i'd rather not pay €24 for a stupid mistake that they made. Would anyone have any advice on what too do? How to proceed?

One thing that gets me is, Why allocate a number belonging to a business to a home user...

thanks in advance for any advice.

Will

the groutch

pay the €24, then take them to small claims court for the €24 plus whatever you can get for the incovenience caused

dahamsta

I'm not sure of the details but I'm almost certain there are rules regarding the reallocation of numbers and a time they're supposed to remain dormant beforehand. The people to ask are ComReg.

(Although they'll probably just do a "consultation" about it and come back to you in 4 years.)

Cabaal

The mistake really isn't Eircom's though, the mistake is down to third party websites still listing the number....could try e-mailing them all asking for the number to be removed?

It might help

Did you try esculating your complaint to a supervisor when you called btw?

wmpdd3

Even the supervisors don't have money for credits in eircom anymore, even if they did say they'd cover the charge you'd probably end up being charged the fee as the credit would be overturned.

Strange situation though

MunsterCycling

Free new line installation at the moment IIRC so order a new line for free, get a new number then disconnect the old number.

Costs eircon more and then they might listen to you with more concern in the future

MC

Scottie99

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Free new line installation at the moment IIRC so order a new line for free, get a new number then disconnect the old number.

Costs eircon more and then they might listen to you with more concern in the future

MC

He's only 3 months into I presume 12 month contract, which means he'd be charged for the remaining.

Sponge Bob

When did the hotel close??

The number would have gone into "quarantine" then , a year is typical . If eircom reallocated that number less than a year later you would have some case .

Raise a formal complaint with eircom through www.eircom.ie > customer services instead of ringing the 1901 fuks! Eircom have 10 days to allocate you a safe number and if not you can go to Comreg .

MunsterCycling

Scottie99 wrote: »

He's only 3 months into I presume 12 month contract, which means he'd be charged for the remaining.

Let them try to enforce that one, they'd be and are a laughing stock

williewisp

thanks for the replys.

dahamsta wrote: »

I'm not sure of the details but I'm almost certain there are rules regarding the reallocation of numbers and a time they're supposed to remain dormant beforehand. The people to ask are ComReg.

(Although they'll probably just do a "consultation" about it and come back to you in 4 years.)

i've submitted a query with them, if they get back to me, i'll post the result. (hopefully it won't take 4 years!! :eek: )

The mistake really isn't Eircom's though, the mistake is down to third party websites still listing the number....could try e-mailing them all asking for the number to be removed?

its a lot of websites to email, the ones i could find. but was tempted to do it.

He's only 3 months into I presume 12 month contract, which means he'd be charged for the remaining.

Free new line installation at the moment IIRC so order a new line for free, get a new number then disconnect the old number.

Costs eircon more and then they might listen to you with more concern in the future

MC

its a 6 month one, but its a good suggestion. :rolleyes:

When did the hotel close??

not fully sure, its at least 2years i think(or more).
granted you'd think they'd have a better system for re-allocation of numbers. it'd be different if it was an old home no. that was re-allocated, to a home user, ya might receive the odd phone call or 2 but for a business No. to be re-allocated to a home user, that's a different story.

Cabaal

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Let them try to enforce that one, they'd be and are a laughing stock

True they would be, However the OP would loose his DSL which would be a bloody pain

Guy:Incognito

williewisp wrote: »

:

not fully sure, its at least 2years i think(or more).
granted you'd think they'd have a better system for re-allocation of numbers. it'd be different if it was an old home no. that was re-allocated, to a home user, ya might receive the odd phone call or 2 but for a business No. to be re-allocated to a home user, that's a different story.

Thats a fair amount of time in fairness. The mobile companies do the same or else about 18months.

We got our phone in the late 80's and it was the old number from a local printing company or something like that. We were getting calls for a while but it stopped eventualy.

williewisp

ok, comreg got back to me.

(not sure if i can re-produce here what was in the email, judging by their disclaimer)
basically they say, to go and log a complaint, getting a reference no, and what not, and then get back to them in 10days, if i haven't heard from eircom.

Getting somewhere now thats the next thing now on me list.

Thats a fair amount of time in fairness. The mobile companies do the same or else about 18months.

its just over 2 years, think it was, May/2007(or a bit later). thing is (only just checked 2day) Eircom still have the no in their directory(on-line) as that hotel as well!! so they even haven't it changed!

ok, going to log that complaint as soon as possible and we'll see how it goes. fingers crossed.

will keep ye posted.

Will

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Raise a formal complaint with eircom through www.eircom.ie > customer services instead of ringing the 1901 fuks! Eircom have 10 days to allocate you a safe number and if not you can go to Comreg .

Which bit of that did you not understand in the first place ???

williewisp

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Which bit of that did you not understand in the first place ???

that was posted after i had done the initial call.

and i was waiting for a response from ComReg first, besides, woudln't it be best to hear from other people, get feedback, then solve the prob. sure, it might take a bit longer, and at his point. an extra day or 2 or whatever, isn't going to make much of a difference.

phone is still unplugged!!