Telephone slamming
An enquiry from a member regarding telephone slamming caused me to do some research. This was not something that I had heard of before, but on investigating it is a scam to be wary of.
Our member was a victim of slamming and lost the use of his land line for more than 10 days. Slamming
is an extreme form of mis-selling, which attempts to switch telephone or broadband services without the user’s knowledge or consent. Sometimes, the first you know about it is when you receive a bill from a new company out of the blue. Alternatively, you may receive a telephone call asking you to transfer your services, and if you say no, your services are cut without notice. That is what happened to our member.
While slamming is unacceptable and Ofcom has introduced tough rules to clamp down on it, any telecom firms found breaching Ofcom rules can also face fines of up to 10% of their turnover.
How you can help us tackle slamming
Unfortunately individual cases are not currently being investigated, but the more complaints received, the more likely they are to lead to intense investigations and ultimately appropriate action.
By working with Ofcom to tackle slamming, you can help bring about much wider benefits for millions of consumers and ensure that others don’t fall victim to this form of mis-selling.
What to do if you’re being ‘slammed’
Contact your current provider and get them to cancel the unwanted move.
If the service has already transferred, ask your original provider to transfer you back to them.
If you’re aware of the ‘new’ company involved and want to take the matter further, you should follow its official complaints procedure and make a complaint to Ofcom here.