topic Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this? in Mobile Services

I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Sai2019 — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 07:09:09 GMT

Please help

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Jon_K — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 10:26:28 GMT

Hi @Sai2019.

Welcome to the community.

The merge call option will be a handset feature that is built in, as long as the network supports 3-way-calling.

EE no longer supports 3-way-calling.

You can use our group call feature to hold conference calls.

Jon

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Make-ex2-better — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 13:15:18 GMT

During the coronavirus outbreak / lockdown can merge 3 lines using handsets built in functionality be reinstated with some urgency.

Isolated patient call1, Close relative call2, Doctor/ambulance call3.

Also can you post a link to the news brief explaining why merge was cancelled/removed by ee and only Group Call is now available which cannot be executed immediately while on a crisis call. Various pre planning needs to be done which is not immediate enough in a covid-19 crisis don't you think!!????

Btw the functionality just needs switching back on but I also need to read the thought process/news brief to users why merge was removed. Please provide a link. Making ee Better for all. Forward this to the we CEO. I'm ready for the robot style answer unfortunately.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

__A — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:15:16 GMT

It is actually very shameful that network providers remove features like this that many customers need and they implement a very inefficient alternative that’s not easy to use nor get help using at times where support is limited.

Removing features without letting customers know is insulting. When I joined EE I did it based in the features that are available when a customer of EE. Other network providers offer this as part of there basic packages with no premium and are overall a more cost effective provider to be a customer of.

Will be cancelling my contract with you as the service and features I was offered at the time of taking my package has now changed. If I had called EE up and said I want less data 6 months into my contract you wouldn’t allow me to as this will lower my monthly amount due, but that’s exactly what you’re doing to your customers.

It’s one rule for EE and another for the customer. Not equal terms for the parties of the contract, bad ethics!

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Fri, 01 May 2020 19:03:41 GMT

I couldn't agree more. I've actually had this feature active on my line for the past 6-8 years! They always said that as an existing user of it, it could be reapplied after doing an upgrade by speaking to a manager who could authorise it. I had exactly this happen thru 3 upgrades it was just a matter of finding the person who knew which box to tick. This time I did my upgrade and they say the option has totally been removed (archived) and put it down to some rubbish about fraud (again). What's worse is even if I return my upgrade and go back to previous plan i'm told 100% the option will still be gone, with no way to put it back on now (but they never told me this when upgrading).

Apparently it's a fraud risk that you can ring someone and secretly have a 3rd party on the call listening in and they had lots of "scams" involving this. I did push for how that was anymore risk than say, ringing someone and recording the call, or ringing someone and having it on speakerphone with 10 people in the room and the poor guy literally couldn't elaborate on it anymore than this. I say couldn't rather than wouldn't because, we had a very long chat about it and all the scenarios he could give me were nothing to do with actual 3 way calling. Most of it involved if a friend called you on their called ID and you gave them personal information because they are a friend, they could have a 3rd party listening in... Thing is, if you have a friend that is willing to stitch you up like that what's to just stop them doing it without 3 way calling?!

I say it was a useful feature that should be reinstated ASAP. 1: If you were victim of a scam call, you could actually ring someone else and merge the call and have them witness/deal with it on your behalf (if you were vulnerable for example). 2: It was just plain useful for if you were already on a call talking to family and one of the kids rings through on call waiting, answer, merge call, continue. I bet someone high up at EE got caught out doing something naughty via a 3 way call and pulled the plug on it!!! I imagine it would be quite funny merge call with lying person #1 while talking to truthful person #2. Nothing to do with scams more likely to catch out a liar, not that any of them work at EE!

They will tell you the network doesn't support 3 way calling anymore, but it does if you keep it active on an existing line. They never removed it off people until you do a upgrade so the risk can't be that big?

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Chris_B — Fri, 01 May 2020 19:16:57 GMT

@mdc1983uk It’s a device feature that the networks have a choice to support if they choose to. Just because a device can support the feature it doesn’t mean the networks have. Other networks don’t support other features like EE does or they charge you to have that feature when it’s the device that supports that feature.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Fri, 01 May 2020 19:31:16 GMT

@Chris_BI fully understand that. The point is they DO support it, if you are on a existing contract which had the feature. They sneakily remove it when you do an upgrade without telling you it will be gone. As I said for the past 2 or 3 upgrades, i've managed to get that feature re-enabled, but this time the supervisor point blank told me the option is no longer there. He even went into details about how he had put it on for people before after reviewing their account but the option just isn't there anymore apparently. I said I will revert my upgrade to previous plan and he told me it will still be gone and not able to be reactivated this time now it's gone. I really don't see what their problem is with it! They blame fraudulent use and underuse at the same time, implying that anyone who was using 3 way calling was using it for scams. But i've yet to find any evidence of anyone ever being scammed through 3 way calling.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Chris_B — Fri, 01 May 2020 20:38:06 GMT

@mdc1983uk If EE have now removed this feature even if you had it before than that is up to them. It’s was service provided by EE and it did not form part of any contract. Basically it wasn’t a paid service and EE only implemented the service to allow you to use the feature on your device.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Fri, 01 May 2020 20:50:31 GMT

Yes @Chris_B

But the least they could do is be honest about it. One, tell people they will lose the service if they upgrade otherwise they can keep it. Two, don't palm it off for fraud reasons when clearly there isn't much fraud that can be done via a 3way call. In fact, the only 'fraud' I can really see is helping a friend with no credit on their prepay phone to make a call by merging for them? And that isn't a fraud if you have an unlimited call allowance. Sure, if you spend 24hrs a day on the phone and were running some gateway service for people to make free calls.... But i'm sure that could easily be covered by a fair use policy of say, X hours merge calls a week... I don't think we have much more to say on the matter, you are clearly on the EE side of this argument.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

__A — Fri, 01 May 2020 23:15:01 GMT

The point is that they use all these wonderful features they give customers to advertise their service to potential customers. If those features can be taken away mid-contract (as was done in my case) those features should not be advertised.

One person commented that EE let’s you do things other carriers wouldn’t, well that no good if those features could be take away at a finger click. It’s just pure and simple bad conduct and bad faith, they don’t expect customers to act like this so don’t treat us the same. Actually amazed EE a company priding itself on customer service would do such a thing.

Well I’ve heard that o2 still offer this function, so will be moving to them once my contract is over.

There are many features that carriers provide that are essential to someone’s needs and saying that it’s not apart of the contract is all very well but it’s breaks down an image of what a customer has of a brand and ultimately it will be to EE’s detriment when they lose customers over it.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Fri, 01 May 2020 23:28:12 GMT

@__A EE don't give a damn about their customers is the whole point of it. Any normal company would work around possible fraud issues and their evidence to give to authorities as an advantage. Just to stop the 3way calling says hey we don't care, we just block the issue like crime doesn't happen but we won't be implicated in it. In reality they could give a nice hefty database of people who abuse 3way calling to action fraud and probably shut down some numbers from it. But it's easier to close ones eyes and move one eh?

But, you shouldn't have had 3way calling removed mid-contract? It was still on my plan until I upgraded a couple of days ago. They don't sell it as a feature so we don't have much of a leg to stand on. It really is a case of go somewhere else and they don't care!

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

__A — Fri, 01 May 2020 23:26:53 GMT

I’m sorry but this is an awful answer to a question that has clearly annoyed customers.

It doesn’t form part of the contract so it can be removed any time.

Accessing Google doesn’t form part of it either does that mean they could just remove it, probably yes.

Maybe not a good example but you get the point. These companies offer us many features without which you wouldn’t be able to use your phone. Every user has there own essential needs and it right to say this is variable. So EE has to be accommodating and provide all of these. But when it doesn’t suit there monetisation framework it has to be scrapped.

Enough of a rant from me, let’s think of a solution- fine a carrier that offers the feature and join them leave EE!

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Sat, 02 May 2020 00:01:40 GMT

@__AAre you actually trying to say it costs EE money to run 3way calling? Its a network inherent feature that has been around since the days of 2G GSM. In fact, it was a selling point of mobiles over landlines back in the 1990's along with caller ID. It probably actually costs them money to have that feature took off their systems rather than they gain from it.

In fact they have turned a secure system into unsecure! Whatever fraud or the heck they talk about with 3way calls at least we had the option to merge the call or not. Ok the 3rd party maybe didn't but you can be listened to on speakerphone, or streamed live on youtube on a call anyway.... Big deal?

Taken from EE webpage https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/general/plans-and-features/group-call

So now to conference call you must just guess a PIN but not use anything easy like 111111 or 123456. I'd rather just be able to merge my own calls thanks!

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

alexexinor — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:11:06 GMT

My advice to you is settle up and go where this facility is enabled as it should be - Vodafone

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

alexexinor — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:13:37 GMT

I agree I'm off to Vodafone!

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Tkaz — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:48:58 GMT

I think it's high time EE allowed/ reestablished 3 way calling without hassle of setting up an I'd for group calling. Its very annoying

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

Chris_B — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 13:14:30 GMT

@Tkaz It was removed because it’s not secure,

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

__A — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 13:37:19 GMT

@Tkaz as @Chris_B stated the official line is that it was removed because it was insecure. This is a typical response many companies give just to skip the criticism, they haven't actually given a reason for why it's judged to be insecure.

They have said people can impersonate or have other people on the call without everyone's knowledge. This is not actually ee's concern as this can happen without the use of 3-way calling. Interesting enough this is being treated similarly to recording calls, which is always a controversial topic, but people are allowed to do it in a personal capacity as allowed in the UK under Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

In simple form, ee did not see any profitability in keeping the feature so removed it. Many post's claim it's ee decision, yes that it is but they removed the feature without informing customers and made an alternative which you have to pay for. It's like you just buy a new home and when you move in the person took the carpet with them.

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

mdc1983uk — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 15:26:24 GMT

It's been a while since I left EE now, but the line I was spun was that it
was deemed a fraud risk. Apparently merging calls without someone's
knowledge is worse than being put on speakerphone in a room full of people
or recorded. Possibly they just wanted to prevent people giving out free
calls to people without credit on prepay or something. Either way, they
completely took the ability to add 3way calls from the backend systems so
it won't be coming back ever. They used to be able to get a manager to
readd the feature if you'd had it before but that's impossible now.

If it's a feature you really want or need I recommend Vodafone. Been having
upto 6way calls on inclusive minutes with them for months now and it's dead
easy to setup. Good for family get togethers, online gaming with friends or
helping someone sort out a problem with a call centre they are getting the
run around from. All calls may be recorded or monitored and all that...

Re: I have the option to merge calls but it’s not working. How do I fix this?

STAUN — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:23:00 GMT

I just signed up to EE and went to add a call as I frequently do as part of my work to quickly get someone involved to solve a problem. I had no idea that EE didn't offer this like all the other networks do, I was on BT mobile - they offer it. My wife is on Vodafone - they offer it. etc etc. If I had known about this I would have gone with a different provider now I have to wait 23 and half months to get the feature back by moving provider.

Adverts for EE contracts should come with a warning - "EE Doesn't offer the BASIC facilities that OTHER suppliers provide, Good luck finding out what they are BEFORE you sign up"