“Sorry, but your call cannot be completed,” then, “This number is not accepting calls at present

[Figgis]

Last week I phoned a large London company and kept getting the same result. The calls were not connected and instead I kept getting the same voice saying “Sorry, but your call cannot be completed,” followed by, “This number is not accepting calls at present.”  I tried three different numbers with the same result. I emailed the company and they said their phones were working as normal.  I called the same numbers using my mobile and got through to a person straight away. The next day I reported the problem to TalkTalk and the person I spoke to said he would run a line test and he changed some setting & that should sort it. I tried ringing the same numbers and got through straight away. 

Today, I had to phone a hospital about an appointment and the same problem occurred.  I don't have the problem with friends and family numbers I phone regularly.  My tel number starts with 0208. The problem numbers started with 0207, and 0204. I don't know if that is relevant.  I blocked premium numbers years ago. I unplugged the phone from the power and telephone line today for over an hour as last weeks CS assistant said that may work. It did nothing. I tried reporting the problem again today but that was a fiasco. In the end we were trading text messages.

Any ideas on what is happening?

[Philile-TT]

Please do check your inbox. 

[Philile-TT]

@Figgis I am sorry to hear that you still having issues despite the engineer visit. Please have a look at your private messages I have sent you a message. 

[Figgis]

The engineer did not find the cause of the problem but indicated that using redial on the landline appeared to be the problem.  The property management, the hospital & local supermarket branch numbers were input by me as they were not in my phone directory. It connected straight away when I used the mobile. All the numbers I phone regularly are in the phone directory of my landline.  The numbers i had problems connecting to were not the regularly used numbers so I had to dial them. 

When i first reported this problem, the Agent I spoke to seemed to know what caused it. He changed some setting and it worked for several days. That is what I expected from my Telecom provider. I did not expect it to turn into this saga. 

This has not been solved but I don't want any more questions or test instructions. I will live with the likelihood of it recurring and will use my mobile on any problem numbers.  

[mandisa1-TT]

Thank you for the support @Gliwmaeden2 

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Figgis, I was asking whether you had actually phoned the Talktalk number, 03451 720088, from a mobile rather than your landline  

You didn't previously specifically say that you had.

But if it works like the calls to hospital numbers (so, fine from your mobile) and no strange messages, there's nothing wrong at the Talktalk answering end regarding the Fidelis message - lots wrong calling from your number, so that's what needed clarifying. 

Yes, unique and hopefully resolved by the engineer's visit on the 13th!

Do let us know how it goes.

[Figgis]

My mobile connects to all problem numbers without a problem. I reported that in this topic and direct to the telephone support agents.  I posted on here because I thought someone else would have had the same problem but no one replied and it seems this problem (Title of Topic) is unknown to Talk Talk staff. 

I'm so unique I will have to buy a lottery ticket.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Have you tried calling the Talktalk support number from your mobile phone, @Figgis ?

Opening hours 9am - 7pm on weekdays. If you don't get that same weird message by ringing from your mobile that's worth reporting - it's almost like there's some crossed wire thing going on. So also report, please, if you do get the message read to you if you phone from a mobile.....

[Figgis]

Hello Ferguson.

I contacted Talk Talk support after Philile-TT  suggested it & they told  me to plug the phone into the master socket and to use a microfilter.  I did that, tried the hospital number that last demonstrated the problem and got the same error message instead of a connection. When the Openreach Mk 4 master socket was installed, the engineer told me that it had an inbuilt filter so attaching a separate microfilter was unnecessary.  Is it?

I had a few disconnections when I was on the phone to TT yesterday PM. I also had a couple of strange replies on dialling 03451720088 on Mon PM and yesterday PM.  Instead of thanks for calling TT, the greeting was from Fidelis UK auto attendant. I redialled a couple of times yesterday to check and note the message. 

A Talk Talk engineer is coming tomorrow to check my wiring/connection. It seems that a line test detected a problem.  I tried phoning the hospital just now, and instead of connecting, I received the same message, “Sorry, but your call cannot be completed,” then, “This number is not accepting calls at present" 

The phone is still connected to the master socket through the filter.

Ferguson Nambuso-TT  Any ideas about the problem in bold,  Fidelis UK auto attendant?

[nambuso-TT]

@Figgis as mentioned above there is a Brightspark engineer booked for you for the 13-Nov-25 12:00:00 - 15:00:00. Should you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

[ferguson]

@nambuso-TT You have nothing to apologise for!  🙂

[nambuso-TT]

No worries, and I do apologize for that @ferguson.

[ferguson]

Thanks @nambuso-TT, they belatedly told me that! 

[nambuso-TT]

Hi there

@ferguson Looking at the customer's account I can see that there is a Brightspark engineer booked for the customer. The appointment is booked for the 13-Nov-25 12:00:00 - 15:00:00. 

[ferguson]

It seems that @Figgis is having trouble posting here for some reason, so they have messaged me personally. They have tried the test socket:

"I have the separate filter connected to the single test socket and the phone and internet connected to the socket. It has made no difference."

As they have done all they can internally it seems that the next step will be to arrange an Openreach engineer visit. 

[Figgis]

Hi Ferguson

I have written and posted replies to you, and when I realised the first reply did not appear, I wrote and posted a second reply. Neither of them is shown now.  After posting the first reply, I used Chat to query a billing item and when I tried to eXit the message box it would not let me.  So I'm going to give you a brief reply.

My OPenreach Mk 4 socket has an inbuilt filter according to the engineer who installed it. Yesterday, on the instructions of the TT phone agent I connected a microfilter and connected the phone to it.  I then phoned the hospital number that demonstrated the fault last and it did not connect. The same message was played.  

I had to speak to 3 TT agents yesterday as the connection kept dropping. 

When I dialled  03451720088 , instead of the usual Talk Talk greeting I heard Fidelis UK auto attendant. That happened twice on Monday PM and a few times Tuesday PM. I redialled so I could note the details. Was that a wrong number or a system message? 

I tried dialling the same hospital number just now, and instead of connecting, I heard the same message:  

"Sorry, but your call cannot be completed,” then, “This number is not accepting calls at present".  If I use my mobile to call I connect straight away.  

[Figgis]

Hello Ferguson

I called Talk Talk support yesterday PM, explained what was happening and they ran a line test. A problem showed and they are sending a TT engineer tomorrow.  I spoke to three different agents as the call disconnected a few times. 

I have an Openreach Mk 4 socket which has an inbuilt filter, according to the Openreach engineer who fitted it, so a separate filter is unnecessary. Is that the case?  Talk Talk CS phone support told me to connect the phone through a separate microfilter to test it. I did so, dialled the hospital number that last demonstrated the problem and I received the same error message instead of being connected. The phone is still connected via the filter, and I tried the same hospital number with the same result just now. If I call the number using my mobile, it connects straight away, as with all the problem numbers. 

On Monday PM and yesterday PM, when I dialled 03451720088 instead of hearing the usual Talk Talk greeting I heard "Fidelis UK auto attendant" I redialled the number a few times in succession so I could take a note of the greeting.  Is that the TT equivalent of Heuston, we have a problem?

[Figgis]

Hello Ferguson.

I contacted Talk Talk support after Philile-TT  suggested it & they told  me to plug the phone into the master socket and to use a microfilter.  I did that, tried the hospital number that last demonstrated the problem and got the same error message instead of a connection. When the Openreach Mk4 master socket was installed, the engineer told me that it had an inbuilt filter so attaching a separate microfilter was unnecessary.  Is it?

I had a few disconnections when I was on the phone to TT yesterday PM. I also had a couple of strange replies on dialling 03451720088 on Mon PM and yesterday PM.  Instead of thanks for calling TT, the greeting was from Fidelis UK auto attendant. I redialled a couple of times yesterday to check and note the message. 

A Talk Talk engineer is coming tomorrow to check my connection. It seems that a line test detected a problem.  I tried phoning the same hospital number just now, and instead of connecting, I received the same message, “Sorry, but your call cannot be completed,” then, “This number is not accepting calls at present" . If I call on my mobile, I get through straight away.

The landline phone is still connected to the master socket through the filter.

[ferguson]

You could try connecting at the test socket as previously requested, all you have to do is remove the faceplate on the master socket as shown here:

https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Manage_my_network_and_devices/Your_guide_to_main_phone_...

[Figgis]

Does that mean I have to go back to the beginning after all the questions you asked and I answered.  Have you checked if anyone else has the same message when trying to connect to a number?

Is Fidelis UK auto attendent the new TalkTalk greetng on 03451720088?

[Philile-TT]

@Figgis can I ask that you please call in using the customer service number 03451720088 during these hours Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm; Saturday - 9am - 6pm; Sunday - Closed.