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

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

One day an email arrives welcoming you to a phone or power company you've never dealt with, or a text confirms a number transfer you never asked for. Everything still works, but you're no longer with the company you thought you were. That has a name: slamming, moving your mobile, broadband, power or gas account to another provider without your consent. It's more common than it looks, and it can be undone if you act quickly.

How do they switch my provider without me noticing?

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

1. They call pretending to be your current provider ("we're calling from your phone company, we're upgrading your plan") or posing as an independent comparison service.
2. They ask you to confirm details "to check you qualify for the offer": your name, date of birth, address, driver licence number, and sometimes your bank account number or the account number from a recent bill.
3. With those details and a recording of you saying "yes" to vague questions, they sign you up or move your number or account to another company, which then presents that recording as your consent.

Sometimes there isn't even a call: if your details have been circulating (data breaches, online forms, directories), an unscrupulous salesperson can lodge the switch and pocket the commission. That's why slamming often goes hand in hand with the "say yes" phone trick: a one-word "yes" recorded out of context doesn't show that you agreed to anything, but they use it as window dressing to make it look as if you did.

How do I spot that I've been slammed?

The warning signs:

• A welcome letter or email from a company you never signed up with.
• A text about a number transfer or a new account that 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 can't log in with your usual details.
• Everything works, but the provider has changed: on a mobile you can see it in the network settings; for power and gas, on the next bill.

Golden rule: any message about a switch you didn't ask for deserves an immediate check. Call your provider (One NZ, Spark, 2degrees or whoever you're with) on the official number, one you've looked up yourself and never the one in the suspicious message, and ask whether anything is in progress on your number or account.

What do I do to reverse it?

Act in this order, and in writing whenever 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, and ask whether they can add extra protection, such as port protection or an account PIN, so your number can't be moved again without your say-so.
2. Complain to the company that signed you up, in writing, and ask for a complaint reference number. Ask for the account to be cancelled with no fees and for everything you've been charged to be refunded. The key point in your favour: it's the company claiming you agreed, so ask it to show the proof, such as the supposed recording or signed contract. Don't let them turn it around and make you prove that you never signed up.
3. Don't pay fees for a switch you never agreed to. If they threaten to send the bill to a debt collector or report you to a credit reporting agency, say clearly in your complaint that you dispute the debt. If your personal information was misused, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner is the body that deals with privacy complaints.
4. If they don't reply or they reject your complaint, escalate. For phone and broadband, if the telco's own complaints process doesn't sort it out, take it to Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR), the industry scheme for unresolved telco complaints. For power, gas and other services, get advice from Consumer Protection or the Citizens Advice Bureau, and report misleading sales tactics to the Commerce Commission. Keep all your paperwork and complaint numbers.
5. If they used your ID or details to impersonate you, also report it to NZ Police: call 105 or use the 105 online service. A police report strengthens any later complaint.

If the switch came with charges on your bank account, talk to your bank straight away about disputing them.

How do I protect myself so it doesn't happen again?

• Don't confirm details over the phone to someone who called 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 a stranger's closed questions.
• Check your bills every month: power, gas, phone, broadband and bank account. Slamming shows up on the bill before anywhere else.
• Use your provider's account security: ask about alerts for changes to your account and about port protection, so nobody can move your number without an extra check.
• 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 asked for and then regretted? No. If you agreed to the switch and then changed your mind, that's a question of cancelling: depending on how the sale was made, you may have a cooling-off right, and Consumer Protection or the Citizens Advice Bureau can tell you where you stand. Slamming is a switch you never asked for: you're not cancelling, you're disputing a contract you never agreed to.

They say they have a recording of me agreeing. Am I bound by it? Not automatically. Ask for the recording and listen to it carefully: did the caller say who they were, explain clearly what you were signing up to, and get an unambiguous yes? Many recordings fall apart because the information was misleading or the "yes" was to a different question. Misleading sales tactics can breach the Fair Trading Act, which the Commerce Commission enforces.

Can I go back to my previous provider? Yes. Ask in writing for the switch to be reversed at no cost to you and for any charges to be refunded, and keep the reply.

How long does it take to sort out? Dealing directly with the company can take weeks; a dispute scheme takes longer. That's why it pays to start straight away and keep every piece of paper: time is only on your side if there's a record.

In short

Slamming feeds on two things: your details and your silence. Deny it the first by confirming nothing over the phone, and the second by acting as soon as you see a sign: stop the switch, complain in writing and ask the company to prove you agreed, then escalate to TDR, Consumer Protection or the Commerce Commission if needed. Check your bills every month and report sales numbers in the NoCall spam numbers directory. You'll find more step-by-step help in our situation guides.