Unknown landline call charges for 26p a minute (+ VAT). What are they for?

[Rob63]

My latest bill has an additional usage charge of 31p, which is shown under the "calls below 50p" heading as one call with a duration of 1.00 minute costing 26p (excluding VAT). My previous bill also had an additional usage charge, this time for 94p, which was shown as 3 calls with a total duration of 3.00 minutes costing 78p (excluding VAT). As the calls are less than 50p, my bills do not show the number called, so I'm trying to find out what the charges relate to, as I've never had them before. Does anyone know what calls were previously included in the unlimited minutes that are now subject to an additional charge of 26p per minute (excluding VAT)? A couple of months ago, my landline was unplugged from the wall socket and is now plugged into my broadband modem, and I don't know whether that could have something to do with it or whether that's just a coincidence. Any help would be appreciated, as I would like to be able to avoid these unknown additional charges in future if possible.     

[Cardiffman282]

I'm a celeb? https://www.itv.com/imacelebrity/articles/get-in-touch-with-us-now 

[Rob63]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't even watch I'm a celeb, let alone vote on it. 

[jb66]

House alarm?

[Rob63]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't have a house alarm. Apart from the fact that my landline is now plugged into my router instead of the phone socket on the wall, nothing else is different. I'm not calling any numbers that I wasn't calling before, and the only numbers I call are UK mobiles and UK landlines anyway. I'm totally stumped!

[Akua_A · Accepted solution]

Hi @Rob63 

Welcome to our community forums and thank you for your first post. Sorry to hear you are experiencing unexpected charges on your landline. We want to do our best to look into this. For this reason, we are sending you a private message. Please keep an eye out for an envelope at the top right corner of your Forum page. Let me know if you have any issues locating this
Thanks,

[COYP]

Had the same issue. Numerous charges for 26p plus VAT but don't even use the landline. VM were insistent that I made these calls. Transpired that I was receiving spam calls which were actually charging me! Eventually it was the VM Forum Team on here (NB Not VM Customer Services) that were great and we sorted it by restricting outgoing calls except for emergency calls. Hope you get it sorted as I only realised that it had been going on for a year!!

[Rob63]

I want to say thank you to Akua_A from the forum team for resolving this issue. In case anyone else has a similar problem, the unknown calls for 26p a minute (excluding VAT) on my bill were calls to 123 (the speaking clock). 

[Gareth_L]

Hi Rob63.

Thanks for the reply. We've passed your thanks onto Akua.

It's always good to know everything has been investigated and fixed.

Can we help with anything else at all?

Gareth_L

[Cardiffman282]

Glad you had a timely clarification.