Helpzone

Telephone help

Need some help with your Unicom telephone service? Find the most frequently asked questions and answers below. If you are unable to find your answer please contact our Customer Service team on 0161 946 4444.

Do you offer any online tools?

Yes, you can take advantage of the online tools we offer by signing up to the Customer Zone. This will give you access to your invoices online, you can take advantage of the Total Recall call analysis suite of tools, you can test your telephone line for faults, and you can benefit from the ongoing introduction of new tools we are developing to manage your account.

What do I do if I have a telecoms fault?

If you are unfortunate enough to experience a telecoms fault, you can report the fault online by logging in to Customer Zone or by calling our customer service team. We will carry out live line tests and advise you on any simple equipment checks you can carry out yourself. Alternatively, to see if there are any major issues in your area that might be affecting services, use the below online checker by simply typing your postcode in to the box.  If a major problem has been identified in your area you’ll see what’s caused it, when it was reported and an indication of when it should be fixed.

If following these checks the fault is still present then, following time related charge confirmations, we will liaise with BT Openreach engineers on your authority to rectify the fault as soon as possible, keeping you fully updated every step of the way. On certain occasions it may be possible to offer you a temporary call diversion facility.

What is a temporary call diversion facility?

A temporary call diversion (TCD) is a facility where you may divert all your calls from your faulty line to a destination number of your choice until the fault has been resolved.

How much does the temporary call diversion facility cost?

The temporary call diversion facility has a set up fee of £8.00, and then the cost of all diverted calls received as detailed on your tariff pricing sheet. This will be discussed at the time of your time related charges agreement upon the logging of your fault with BT Openreach.

What are time related charges?

Time related charges (TRC’s) are possible charges we must inform you of before proceeding to log a fault with BT Openreach. If work of any kind is carried out by a BT Openreach engineer to rectify your fault, and the fault is found to not be the line, but with your equipment itself, you will be charged a call out fee of £120.00 inclusive of the first hour and £60.00 for every hour thereafter dependant on your line type. If the fault is found to be with the line itself, then these charges will not apply. It is therefore vital you fully test and check all onsite equipment thoroughly before proceeding with the logging of your fault.

Why can’t I contact BT Openreach myself?

BT Openreach support communication suppliers like Unicom by providing and maintaining the access network, allowing us to provide a service to you. BT Openreach provide this service to Unicom, BT Retail, and other suppliers in a like for like manner.

BT Openreach are unobtainable by end line users like you. By contacting Unicom, we will liaise with BT Openreach on your behalf to resolve the issue as a matter of priority based on your selected care level in exactly the same way as any other supplier. The advantage of reporting your fault with Unicom however, is that with no automated queues, you are able to come straight through to us, allowing us to log your fault with BT Openreach engineers immediately without delay.

What is a care level?

A care level is a level determining the speed in which your fault will be responded to by BT Openreach. Unicom offers four types of cover which are explained in more details here

How do I upgrade/downgrade my care level?

By calling our customer service line: 0161 946 4444, our advisors will be happy to discuss your requirements.

How long will my fault take to be fixed?

This depends completely on the nature of the fault. All faults will be responded to as priority according to your care level. Fault resolution times all vary depending on the necessary work required. We will however communicate directly with BT Openreach at regular intervals to seek a resolution as soon as possible, and keep you fully updated on the progress of the fault.

Once the fault has been resolved, can I seek compensation from Unicom?

Unicom do not offer compensation of any type. A fault can occur for no apparent reason or cause whatsoever at any time. We do however sympathise, and offer the best level of response to all our customers experiencing a fault, and endeavour to resolve the fault as quickly as possible, with minimal inconvenience and disruption.

What is the Telephone Preference Service?

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps to ensure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who contact you with offers you do not wish to receive. Registration is free and can be completed by visiting the TPS website: www.tpsonline.org.uk

How can I protect myself from phone scams?

Beware of recorded messages offering prizes or other incentives, claimable only by calling 090 numbers. These calls can be very expensive and there is no guarantee of a prize.

If you are unsure about a premium rate charge on your telephone bill you can check with PhonePayPlus, a telephone watchdog. For more information please visit: www.phonepayplus.org.uk.

If you have a telephone system there are a few simple steps you can take to protect your system from unauthorised use, potentially saving you thousands of pounds:

  • Check your monthly bill for any unusual charges
  • Ensure you change the default/factory password settings on the telephone system
  • Regularly change the Direct Inward System Access passwords and restrict access to these passwords
  • Do not publish remote access telephone numbers (numbers that connect callers to your voice mail system)
  • Remove/de-activate any functions you don’t need, especially un-required remove access ports
  • Deactivate access codes and voice mail passwords immediately when someone leaves your business
  • Clean up the number of mailboxes by removing redundant mailboxes
  • If possible, have your system programmed to reject access if three invalid attempts are made
  • Carry out a regular audit on the privileges and restrictions in place on the telephone system

What can I do about receiving calls from a withheld number?

If you have received a call from a withheld number, and upon answering there is no-one at the other end, the call is likely to be an automated competition or marketing call from other companies.

To block such calls you can request Anonymous Call Rejection to be placed on your line. This service rejects any caller who withholds their number when calling you. You are still able to receive calls from other networks that are unable to provide callers’ phone numbers, for example calls from abroad.

You can also see the number of the person calling you, providing they do not withhold their number, if you subscribe to the Caller Display feature. Please note you will require a Caller Display compatible handset.

To add either of the above features contact a Customer Service Advisor today on 0161 946 4444.

How do I withhold my number?

Dial 141 before entering the telephone number you wish to dial to withhold your telephone number.

Inform Unicom about your move

You can tell us about your move by signing up and logging in to Customer Zone and filling out our moving premises tool.

Once we have received this information our specialist Change of Address team can begin to plan how best to transfer your services and will call to confirm the details with you.

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*Working days only. Response time means the time taken to diagnose a fault, not repair a fault.