HELPLINES run by Britain’s phone companies are slow to answer, provide a
confusing maze of recorded options and give wrong advice even on simple
questions, according to a report from the Consumers’ Association. And inquiries
by New Scientist show that poor helplines are not only infuriating:
they can compromise security as well.
If you have a BT Cellnet mobile phone, you can pick up voicemail messages by
calling your mobile number from a fixed-line phone, and hitting the * key. Some
phones then immediately play the owner’s messages to whoever is calling. Others
require a PIN code, but this is set…
