Hi Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I'm happy to say that it all appears to be sorted now. I contacted the next of kin and they were extremely helpful in getting the talktalk line cancelled. I'm amazed talktalk reacted as quickly as they did.

Stephanie - thanks for the offer of help. I wonder if you can provide some further advice for me. Before the move I arranged with BT to have my account/line moved over to the new flat. As mentioned above there were issues with this so while waiting for the talktalk line to be cancelled (being aware of how long the broadband/new line order would take) I contacted BT again to get the line activated at a later date and to add broadband to it. I found out after placing the order that the broadband/phone order was under a different account number to the one i've had for 2 years. I asked why the order could not go onto the existing account and the lady said that there was an order pending on that one so she could not add the new order to it. She said to contact BT once the broadband is installed to get the existing account moved to the new account.

The broadband was successfully installed today (yay! relieved that the dates worked out as they did). However, on having internet access again I find that BT have billed me on the existing/old account number. I called to cancel this one and have the credit transferred to the new account but was told that there will be a 14 day notice period (for a line I don't have on an account number I was later told was closed as the move was unsuccessful). I was told that a new 12 month contract had started on the old account number - I don't even have a line with this account!

So now I've arranged for the old account with my old telephone number to be cancelled. I made sure she would cancel the old account and not the new account that my broadband is with. I really hope they don't mess this up and cancel the wrong one.

I wonder how I ended up having two account numbers in my name, paying line rental for 2 lines at the same address and being entered into a 12 month contract for a number I don't even have. I've been told I may have to pay cancellation charges for the phantom line but have to wait and see. My problem is I keep getting through to someone new who I have to explain the situation to again and again. In hindsight, I wish I had just cancelled my BT account with the move and then opened a new one after the move. Oh well, I now know better for next time.

mic274:

This is not a BT or a TalkTalk issue. The solicitors you used for the house purchase will know who the seller's solicitors were who will know who wound up the estate......(probably the seller's solicitor)

We've just moved into a flat that we bought. The previous owner passed away and we only have her next of kin as a point of contact for matters concerning the flat.

I've been a BT customer for over 2 years. I informed BT of the move and arranged for my BT line to be transferred to the new address for when we moved in. Well, we moved in and there was a dial tone on the line so thought everything was fine. O2, our broadband provider, called to get information about the move as they needed to move our account to the new number. After some investigation we discovered that the line at the flat was an active talktalk number from the previous owner who is now deceased! Talktalk won't talk to me as I'm not the account owner so I have no idea if the account has been cancelled etc. I called BT after this as they didn't even bother to let me know that they were unsuccessful in getting my line moved over! They've said that the connection fee will be £125 odd and that they will only be able to do this once the active talktalk account is cancelled. I have since had to cancel my O2 broadband account as we could not supply them with a BT telephone number. At the moment I am stuck in a new home with a phone line I can't even use, need the internet urgently for work and am not seeing light at the end of this dark tunnel. I have no idea how to get the talktalk line ceased - have read loads of bad things about talktalk so won't even consider staying with them. I want BT but don't know how to get it. Does anyone have any advice please.

Thanks.