New Payg Virtual Network Offering 5p a min calls to UK Landlines and Mobiles.

OldGreyFox

avaish wrote: »

Is it a scam or something ??

I doubt it, they have a UK Partnership with T Mobile and over a million customers worldwide.

Poor Customer Service more like it.

wildmandy

I ordered a free sim 2 weeks ago and still nothing. But, my local newsagent has them for £1.99.

wildmandy

UPDATE:
Got one SIM today, added £5 and works fine so far.

Mandy

Muhammad_Ibrahim

Steve_xx wrote: »

It's also interesting to note that there is no mention of what the cost is to call 0800, 0808, 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871 numbers.

I found out recently that Vectone charges £2.35p per minute for calls to these numbers.

Don't believe me? Here's a transcript of the conversation I had with Vectone on 26 November 2009:

Note: When I called Customer Services, I was presented with an automated option-menu that didn't have "check call rates" as an option. After listening to the options several times, I selected option 1,1: "I'm having difficulty getting through to certain numbers", and eventually got put through to a customer services advisor.

Me: "I'd like to ask a question. How much do you charge for calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870?"
Vectone (India): "You wish to check the call rates?"
Me: "Yes, I want to know how much you charge for calls to numbers beginning with 0800, 0845 and 0870."
Vectone: (Short pause): "Which country please?"
Me: "UK".
Vectone: "Calls to UK numbers are five pence per minute"
Me: "Yes. How much do you charge for calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers in the UK?"
Vectone: "Calls to those numbers are charged at two pounds and thirty-five pence per minute."
Me: "WHAT?"
Vectone: "Calls to those numbers are charged at two pounds and thirty-five pence per minute."
Me: "Two pounds thirty five pence? Wow! Err... Thank you for telling me that."

Note that I had to use the well-known interrogation technique "broken record player" in order to get this information out of them. Maybe the real reason why the call rates are only up until 31 Dec 09 is that's how long it might take for the majority of their customers to discover how devious they're being in ripping people off.

Steve_xx

There's something odd about it. Why don't they simply state their tariff clearly for non-geographical numbers?

Muhammad_Ibrahim

Steve_xx wrote: »

There's something odd about it. Why don't they simply state their tariff clearly for non-geographical numbers?

There's nothing odd about it at all. It's just a trap that has been set up to rob the unwary customer of his money. Most customers would probably assume that because it's a Freefone number, calls to 0800 numbers from Vectone would also cost 5p/minute. How many unwary customers out there must now be wondering why that important call to an 0800 number was cut off in mid-sentence, with all the credit that was on their SIM card suddenly gone, and for no apparent reason?

Personally, I think that it's really unfair for a company like Vectone to prey on the most vulnerable members of society by withholding important information like this. I think that whenever we discover a company using devious tactics like this one, we have a moral duty to inform the general public about it in whatever way possible.

DarkConvict

Wouldn't call charges to those numbers be regulated? I thought the only unregulated costs nowadays were those outside the EU (Worldwide calls and Worldwide roaming)?

Looked over the website + terms and conditions and there is nothing about premium rate numbers. Surely by law they have to specify all possible costs and if it varies then a min/max range.

All i can see is everything is 5p per text or min, 1p international on weekends and free vector to vector calls. :S Nothing on premium numbers or non-geographic...

Muhammad_Ibrahim

Good news everyone!

Someone from Vectone must have worked out that their "unregulated call charges" for calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers are totally illegal. The highly-secretive "£2.35p per minute" call charges that I wrestled out of their guy from India have now been scrapped.

Vectone now advertise their call rates to these so-called "Premium Numbers" as follows:

0800 - 10p per minute
0844 - 10p per minute
0845 - 10p per minute
0870 - 20p per minute
0871 - 30p per minute

Source: Vectone Mobile Website

Steve_xx

Muhammad_Ibrahim wrote: »

Good news everyone!

Someone from Vectone must have worked out that their "unregulated call charges" for calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers are totally illegal. The highly-secretive "£2.35p per minute" call charges that I wrestled out of their guy from India have now been scrapped.

Vectone now advertise their call rates to these so-called "Premium Numbers" as follows:

0800 - 10p per minute
0844 - 10p per minute
0845 - 10p per minute
0870 - 20p per minute
0871 - 30p per minute

Source: Vectone Mobile Website

I'm not sure that their charges were illegal.

Also, the numbers you mention are not Premium Rated, rather they are classed as non-geographical. Premium Rated numbers start with the 09 prefix.

Muhammad_Ibrahim

Steve_xx wrote: »

I'm not sure that their charges were illegal.

Also, the numbers you mention are not Premium Rated, rather they are classed as non-geographical. Premium Rated numbers start with the 09 prefix.

Okay, we never really established whether those charges were illegal or not. I get the feeling that someone from Vectone may have been reading these posts though. The first person here to mention them as "Premium Rate Numbers" was DarkConvict. Vectone may have picked up on this idea because they have called them "Premium Numbers" on their website.

Of course, we all know that "Premium Rate Numbers" begin with "09". The use of the term "Premium Numbers" for calls to "08" numbers is still technically correct though, at least from Vectone's point of view, on the basis that Vectone were previously charging a very hefty premium for these calls.

I agree with you that they should be referred to by their correct name of "Non-geographic Numbers". Maybe we should ask Vectone to change this on their website, as the term "Premium Numbers" is confusing.