I have used my business telephone number for the past 12 years. Around five years ago, I moved the number to a BT Business Cloud Digital Line.
Around two months ago, my business number was transferred to a newly opened business without my knowledge or consent.
Before the transfer, I did not receive any notification from BT by email, text message, letter, or phone call. I did not authorise the transfer and did not provide my account details or identity to anyone.
Even after the transfer, BT continued billing me for the service. When I contacted BT Business, many members of the billing team believed the number was still with BT. This suggested BT’s own records were inconsistent.
I spent many days speaking to different BT departments. The faults team even tried to divert calls to my mobile number, but this failed because the number was no longer under BT’s control.
Eventually, I was transferred to my local BT Business team. They told me they would arrange for my number to be recovered and signed me up to a new contract. I was told the number would be returned within two weeks.
After three weeks, I contacted them for an update because nothing had changed. I was then told the number could not be recovered. Nobody contacted me to explain this beforehand.
During one call, a BT Business manager accused me of allowing someone else to transfer the number. He also claimed I had a business partner who had taken the number. This is completely false. I have never had a business partner and believe he confused my case with someone else’s. When I asked to speak to his manager because of his behaviour, he raised his voice and then ended the call.
I called BT again, but although another adviser answered, the manager never returned my call.
I have since been told that only the local BT Business team has the authority to raise an order to recover the number. They have now informed me they cannot do this. No one else at BT is willing to take ownership of the issue, and I have been told to take my complaint to the Ombudsman.
This number has been my business identity for 12 years. It appears on my shop front, window signage, advertising, business materials, and approximately 60,000 flyers that have already been distributed.
The number is now being used by a newly opened business. Customers calling my long established business number are reaching another business instead. This has caused serious disruption, customer confusion, loss of business, and financial damage.
My question is simple. Is there any way to recover my original business number, and if so, who has the authority to make this happen?
