I have received a number of calls from people trying to use Talk Talk's International Access Code "18418".
Anything from one to ten calls per day are being received.

BT's response: "Change your phone number". How helpful is that?

Anyone suffering from the same problem?

Its cheaper to get caller ID and dont answer the ones you dont want to speak to.

I'd say it's very helpful.

What possible alternative would you suggest to stop you receiving calls from people who make a mistake when dialling?

Guys, thanks for taking the time to post replies.
Heinz, I can only assume that you work for BT
Why should I have to go to the inconvenience of changing the number that I've used for a number of years?

I would expect telecomm companies to be aware of this type of "accident", the nuisance that ensues and take more care when creating access codes.

No, I do not work for BT and never have worked for them or any other telecoms provider. I do not work for anyone in fact.

Your assumption that BT creates/allocates telephone access codes is akin to the standard (mistaken) British 'understanding' that satellite television=BSkyB. FYI, telecom companies do not create /allocate access codes (and certainly not for/to their competitors). The regulator, Ofcom, does.

However, if your assumption that telecomms companies do create/allocate their own access codes is correct, why are you complaing to BT about a code which you think Talk Talk (Carphone Warehouse) created/allocated?

I repeat, I regard BT's response to your query as very helpful - what possible alternative action would you suggest BT could take to stop you receiving calls from people (using another telecomms provider, not that that's relevant) who make a mistake when dialling?
Last edited by Heinz : 24-07-2006 at 20:59

Apologies, Heinz, if you took offence to my comment about working for BT. I was intended to be a joke.
My "understanding" of the allocation of access codes might be a little wide of the mark, but I never said that BT allocated them and I am informed enough to know that satelitte TV does not = BSKYB (yet ).
Having read your post, it would make perfect sense for such codes to be administered and allocated by a regulator. I'll do some homework to find out if this is the case.

It still doesn't help my plight when the phones ringing at 3.00 in the morning.

Should the volume of calls get any wosre, I'll have no option but to contact Talk Talk. The reason for the thread was to find out if anyone had a similar problem.
My phone service is with BT so it makes perfect sense that any complaint with the service should start there. Is it really unreasonable to expect to only receive calls from people I know?

Many people have experienced similar problems to yourself and the advice already provided to you by BT is the standard response that best resolves such problems.

Talk Talk will not be changing their access number because you are having problems - you are not even a customer of Talk Talk so why would they care?

Equally, is it reasonable to expect any telephone company to prevent its own or, in this case, another provider's customers misdialling?