£183 Bill for using Cheapest calls TELEWEST CUSTOMERS

isayoldchap

utilitybroker wrote:

When BT say on their site G22 0.425 ex vat 0.50 incl vat. They mean half a pence a minute not 50p a minute.

I use a G6 0844 number a lot it comes up at 5p a minute on my BT bill .Your see that BT describe it as 4.255 ex vat and 5.00 incl vat .

The faults lies with Teleworst. Their are no 50p a minute 0844 numbers. If their were they would be prefixed 09 .

utilitybroker
Your totally right and this is Telewest's problem.Their software must be registering as 42.5p per minute plus vat.
I am speaking to them now to get an adjustment put on my account or at least they have another look at this.

Heinz

isayoldchap wrote:

utilitybroker
Your totally right and this is Telewest's problem.Their software must be registering as 42.5p per minute plus vat.
I am speaking to them now to get an adjustment put on my account or at least they have another look at this.

Encourage them - https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

isayoldchap

Heinz wrote:

Encourage them - https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

Heinz
It will be fair to allow cheapest calls to reply to my emails.I have also lodged another complaint with Telewest this evening however I am a little concerned they maybe passing the buck and that the supervisor is confused with the situation.I have to allow this to take the necessary time and course.
I am sure in time this will resolve itself even if I have to pay the huge bill just to receive a refund later,I hope.

Whilst I am constantly being advised by Telewest to approach cheapest calls
as Gerard is saying they don't regonise this company as being on their panel list,it is still unclear who programs the actual charges for the particular number called.He says Telewest just pass the money onto cheapest calls.

I will have to wait and see if cc do reply to my emails and whether a senior manager should now look at this at Telewest.

urbanfrit

I have had 2 calls back from Telewest totally washing their hands of any blame or responsibility.The question I wanted answering they simply would not answer-How much have Discountdial billed you? If they answered that the complaints process would be a lot easier.

I spoke to Ofcom and although helpful they have about as much power as The Queen.

Waiting for Discountdial to reply to my email but not holding my breath.

Heinz

I am lucky enough never to have had anything to do with NTL/Telewest but, having been reading this and other forums for a while now, I continue to be astonished that they have any customers at all.

BT have their faults but, if you need to escalate a complaint, the Chief Executive reads his own e-mails and gets things put right in no time at all (yes, recent, personal experience).

urbanfrit

Just phoned Telewest to cancel my phone service.
When asked why I told the chap about the saga with the overcharging.
He went away for a few minutes then said he is refunding me the charges and is going to get the IT dept. to check where in the system this discrepancy has occurred-something which I have been trying to get actioned for 2 days.

Amazing what you can achieve when using the (only) power you have-the power to take your business elsewhere.

Heinz

urbanfrit wrote:

Just phoned Telewest to cancel my phone service.
When asked why I told the chap about the saga with the overcharging.
He went away for a few minutes then said he is refunding me the charges and is going to get the IT dept. to check where in the system this discrepancy has occurred-something which I have been trying to get actioned for 2 days.

Amazing what you can achieve when using the (only) power you have-the power to take your business elsewhere.

Did you get his full name and direct line number? Are you sure he will actually do anything - are you sure he didn't just tell you what he knew you wanted to hear?

urbanfrit

Heinz wrote:

Did you get his full name and direct line number? Are you sure he will actually do anything - are you sure he didn't just tell you what he knew you wanted to hear?

I got his full name and he told me the exact amount that will be taken from my direct debit next month after the refund had been applied.
I will have to wait til my next bill to get it confirmed but I have no reason to doubt him.If he isn't true to his word he knows what I will do-what I phoned him to do today-take my business elsewhere.

isayoldchap

urbanfrit wrote:

Just phoned Telewest to cancel my phone service.
When asked why I told the chap about the saga with the overcharging.
He went away for a few minutes then said he is refunding me the charges and is going to get the IT dept. to check where in the system this discrepancy has occurred-something which I have been trying to get actioned for 2 days.

Amazing what you can achieve when using the (only) power you have-the power to take your business elsewhere.

urbanfrit
I have pm you also but congratulations on your result.I have this afternoon contacted at my own expense the chief executive office at Telewest
01483 750900 which puts you to the switchboard and they direct the call to the office.I spoke to someone called Frazier who has taken the details and
will contact me later.As yet no call yet.

I wonder if the staff at Telewest have been advised to give people full refunds,without question,if they have dialled 0844200.... numbers and have
been incorrectly charged.I guess Gerard at Telewest would have made contact with me though.I wonder if they will be so generous as to return
my huge overcharge and some compensation for the efforts I have had to make to put it right.Time will tell

star1_2

Intresting issue .... just to throw in my knowledge on the subject (I regularly apply for NGO's and some premium rate numbers for clients) - as a couple of people mentioned earlier there are no such things as 50p/min 0844 numbers. Anything charging this amount has to be and 09 prefixed number.

On a personal level - although Telewest have been ok to me as a customer, I remain disapointed how they hav'nt recognised this fundermental billing error with call charging.

:cool: