BATAVIA, Ohio — A Batavia couple says switching cellphone providers left them unable to call certain businesses, friends and even their financial institution, all because their number was marked as spam.
Jim Bellman and his wife signed up with T-Mobile in early June. Shortly after, they lost the ability to call or receive calls from AltaFiber landlines. After months of back and forth, Jim says he was told his number was flagged as spam in AltaFiber's system. When he tries to make one of those calls, it ends immediately.
"Call ended, and that's it," Bellman said.
Three months later, the issue remains unresolved.
WATCH: After switching phone carriers, couple can't make or receive calls from Altafiber landlines
More than an inconvenience
For the Bellmans, this is not just a frustrating technical glitch. It is a safety concern.
"The real concern, though, is with my wife, with her medical condition, that she may need something and we go to make a phone call, and it won't go through," Bellman said.
The spam flag has cut them off from:
- Certain businesses they rely on
- Friends who use AltaFiber landlines
- Their financial institution
Caught in the middle
Jim says he has contacted both companies repeatedly, with little to show for it.
"Have you told the companies your concerns about this? Yes. What do they say? Nothing," Bellman said.
Now, Bellman says each company is pointing to the other:
| Company | Their Position |
|---|---|
| AltaFiber | Says T-Mobile needs to remove the spam flag |
| T-Mobile | Says they don't know how to remove it and it's up to Jim to work with AltaFiber |
"AltaFiber says that T-Mobile needs to remove this spam. And T-Mobile says they don't know how to remove it, and it's up to me to get with AltaFiber to remove it," Bellman said.
"Very unhappy, needless to say. And we need to get something resolved," Bellman said.
Jim's ask is simple: "Flag off our number so we can call again!"
What the companies are saying
I reached out to both AltaFiber and T-Mobile for answers. Here is where things stand:
AltaFiber provided this statement:
"Protecting consumers from unwanted and fraudulent calls is something altafiber takes very seriously. To help protect customers, carriers and call analytics providers use tools that identify potentially suspicious calling activity. Phone number reputation can be influenced by a variety of factors and, in some cases, legitimate numbers may be incorrectly identified or receive a lower reputation score.
Once this issue was identified, we investigated its potential impact on call delivery, took steps within our network to help ensure calls could continue reaching their intended destination, and worked directly with the individuals to test calls and confirm they were completing successfully. The issue has been resolved.
Because mobile phone number reputation is managed outside our network, these individuals, and others experiencing similar issues, may need to work with their mobile carrier to address the reputation associated with their mobile phone numbers and help ensure reliable call delivery across networks."
Don't waste your money: What to do before and after switching carriers
If you are planning to switch cellphone providers, or just did, here are steps to protect yourself:
- Test calls immediately to the numbers you rely on most, including doctors, banks and family
- Document everything by screenshotting error messages and noting dates and times of failed calls
- Report problems right away and do not wait, hoping the issue resolves on its own
- Contact both carriers and get responses in writing when possible
- File a complaint with the FCC if neither carrier resolves the issue
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