Slamming: switched to another provider without your consent and how to undo it

Slamming: switched to another provider without your consent and how to undo it

One day a welcome email arrives from a phone company you've never dealt with, or a text confirming a number port you never asked for. Your service still works, but you're no longer with the provider you thought you were. That has a name: slamming, moving your phone, internet, electricity or gas account to another provider or retailer without your consent. No company should switch you without your agreement, yet slamming happens more often than you'd think, and it can be fixed if you act fast.

How do they switch my provider without me noticing?

It almost always starts with a pushy sales call. The usual pattern:

1. They call pretending to be your current provider ("we're calling from your phone company to upgrade your plan") or posing as an independent comparison service.
2. They ask you to confirm details "to lock in the offer": your name, date of birth, address, driver licence number, sometimes your bank details or a code that has just arrived by text.
3. With those details and a recording of you saying "yes" to vague questions, they lodge a sign-up or a port to another company, which then presents that recording as your so-called consent.

Sometimes there isn't even a call. If your details have been circulating (data breaches, online forms, directories), an unscrupulous salesperson can push the switch through and pocket the commission. That's why slamming often goes hand in hand with the "say yes" scam: a recorded one-word "yes" doesn't sign any contract, but they use it as window dressing to pretend you agreed. You'll find more on phone scams like this on our blog.

How do I know I've been slammed?

The warning signs:

• A welcome letter or email from a company you never signed up with.
• A porting or sign-up text you don't recognise. Don't ignore it: it's proof that something is moving.
• Your provider stops billing you, or you get a final bill with an early termination fee.
• Changes in your online account, or you suddenly can't log in with your usual details.
• Your service works but the provider has changed: on a mobile you can see it in the network settings; for electricity and gas, on your next bill.

Golden rule: any message about a switch you didn't ask for deserves an immediate check. Call your provider (on the official number you've looked up yourself, never the one in the suspicious message) and ask whether anything is in progress on your number, your account or your property's electricity or gas connection.

How do I reverse it?

Work through these steps in order, and in writing wherever you can:

1. Contact your original provider and explain that you never authorised the switch. Ask them to stop it if it's still in progress: a mobile number port can go through quickly, so call straight away.
2. Complain to the company that signed you up, in writing, and ask for a complaint reference number. Demand that the sign-up be cancelled with no fees and that everything you've been charged be refunded. Ask them to show you the consent they claim you gave: the call recording or the signed contract. If they can't produce clear, informed consent, your complaint stands on solid ground.
3. Don't pay fees for a sign-up you never made. If they threaten to list a default on your credit report over a bill for a contract you never agreed to, say so explicitly in your complaint. An incorrect listing can be disputed with the credit reporting bodies (Equifax, Experian, illion).
4. If they don't reply or they reject your complaint, escalate. For phone and internet services, complain to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO); for electricity and gas, go to your state or territory energy and water ombudsman; for other services, contact your state or territory fair trading or consumer affairs office. Keep all your paperwork and reference numbers.
5. If they used your driver licence or other details to impersonate you, report it to your state or territory police as well, and contact IDCARE (1800 595 160) for free identity support. A police report strengthens any later complaint.

If a company mishandled your personal information to make the switch, the privacy regulator, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), takes privacy complaints; complaints about spam and telemarketing go to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). And if the switch came with charges on your bank account, contact your bank straight away to dispute them; our blog has more on what to do after a phone scam.

How do I stop it happening again?

• Don't confirm details to anyone who calls you. Not your name, date of birth, address, licence number or bank details. If they say they're your provider, hang up and call the official number yourself.
• Answer with "hello?" rather than "yes", and don't give one-word answers to closed questions from strangers.
• Check your bills every month: electricity, gas, phone, internet and bank statements. Slamming shows up on the bill before anywhere else.
• Lock down your account: ask your provider what security it offers, such as a PIN or password on your account, or alerts about porting and changes to your service.
• Add your numbers to the Do Not Call Register. It only covers legitimate telemarketers, and scammers ignore it, but it makes an unexpected "sales" call easier to spot.
• Report the number that called to sign you up: these campaigns target thousands of people, and the number usually builds up reports in the spam numbers directory that warn the next person.

Frequently asked questions

Is slamming the same as a switch I agreed to and then regretted? No. If you agreed to the switch and changed your mind, you may have a cooling-off period, depending on how the sale was made: ask the company or your state or territory fair trading office. Slamming is a switch you never asked for: it's not about changing your mind, it's about challenging a contract you never consented to.

They say they have a recording of me agreeing. Am I bound by it? Not automatically. They need to show informed consent: a clearly identified caller, clear information about what you were agreeing to and an unambiguous acceptance. Ask for the recording and listen to it: many fall apart because the information was misleading or the "yes" was ambiguous.

Can I go back to my previous provider? Yes. Ask for it explicitly in your complaint, and ask the company that switched you without consent to cover the cost of putting things back the way they were.

How long does it take to sort out? Dealing directly with the company can take weeks; an ombudsman complaint can take months. That's why you should start as soon as possible and keep every document: time is only on your side if there's a paper trail.

In short

Slamming feeds on two things: your details and your inaction. Deny it the first by confirming nothing over the phone, and the second by acting the moment you see a sign: stop the switch, complain in writing and ask the company to prove your consent, and escalate to the TIO, your energy ombudsman or your fair trading office if you need to. Check your bills every month and report sales numbers in the NoCall spam numbers directory. You'll find more step-by-step guides in our situations section.