Vodafone, TalkTalk and BT among firms ‘failing to close accounts’ after people die

Customers have alleged that household providers have sent debt collectors to recover costs from deceased loved ones

Telecoms firms have been criticised for not doing more to help (file image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Phone, TV and broadband firms have been accused of not doing enough to help grieving relatives close the accounts of dead loved ones.

Vodafone, TalkTalk and BT are amongst providers facing criticism for being ‘unsympathetic’ to bereaved family members and sending bills and debt recovery companies to deceased customers.

Customers have described their experiences as “appalling” and are urging providers to show more compassion.

According to Settld, a bereavement admin service, people have an average of up to 20 utility, banking, mobile, broadband, TV subscription and other household accounts which need to be closed when they die.

Have you experienced similar problems? If so email furvah.shah@independent.co.uk

A recent survey by YouGov found that four out of five people want companies to comply with rulings that make closing accounts easier for families who have been bereaved.

Many have taken to social media to share their experiences with various providers when trying to close accounts.

Guardian writer George Monbiot posted: “Four months after my mother passed away, Vodafone still won’t cancel her account.

“Our calls, when we finally get through, have been met with extreme rudeness and aggression, and demands that my frail, confused father answers impossible, irrelevant questions.”

He claimed the mobile phone provider appointed a debt collection agency to seize money from the family despite attempts to close his deceased mother’s account.

Another Twitter user named Sandra also shared her negative experience with Vodafone. She wrote: “I had exactly the same issue with my husband’s account after he passed away.

“Cancelled it twice but never happened. They also sent a debt recovery firm. Only after I complained publicly on Facebook did someone sort it out.”

And Dr Chris Gale said he is having a similar experience with TalkTalk while trying to close the account of his seriously ill father-in-law.

He wrote: “He is getting continuous bills and debt collection agencies hounding him for an account at a property he has long moved out of, it is disgraceful.”

Vicky Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Settld, said: “Many service providers say that they prioritise bereaved and vulnerable customers, but in reality a worrying number of them still do the minimum necessary to offer support.”

Settld are now calling on the government to introduce a new Bereavement Standard service for providers to adhere to in order to make admin processes easier for bereaved people.

Ms Wilson said: “The British public have had enough of bereavement bureaucracy and want companies to improve their treatment of grieving families and to speed up and simplify their processes.

“We urge the government to listen to the public and to back our calls, which are supported by dozens of organisations, regulators, companies and charities, for a new Bereavement Standard.”

In response, A BT spokesperson said: “We know how important it is to get it right during this difficult time and this why we have invested heavily to make sure bereaved families and friends are given a prompt, simple and empathetic service from our dedicated, specialist bereavement team.” 

A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We know bereavement is a difficult time for families. We have processes and policies in place to help customers who have experienced bereavement, including a dedicated team that customers can contact directly here.

“We are committed to treating all customers with respect and supporting them in difficult times.

“We realise that we have fallen short of our high standards with some customers recently, which is why we are conducting a full-scale review and have refreshed the training we provide to our customer care colleagues.”

TalkTalk say they understand the difficulties in handling the affairs of deceased of seriously ill loved ones and have dedicated teams and processes to handle such requests.