Got charged an extra £50

downuno

I'm the sort of person who always is aware of ALL my expenses, I always try to cut unnecessary costs as much as possible. It is really frustrating that these companies can cheat you and steal from you. I know about and regularly use SayNoTo0870 but I still got charged an extra £50 for dialing 0800 numbers.

Now the reason I was charged was because of the immensely misleading word 'freephone'. Surely, freephone means you DO NOT pay but yet I got charged, and not just small amounts. I found out the hard way that it is only free if you dial from a land-line phone. If I had known this in advance I would never even think about dialing these numbers from my mobile. In fact I was at home when I made most of these 0800 calls from my mobile. And there was no mention of the mobile/landline difference next to the numbers I dialed. On top of all this, my network charges for itemised bills. Its ridiculous and disgusting.

Is there anyway to get this money back?

DarkConvict

Mobiles are not free to call 0800 numbers, only landline calls, the terms clearly state the price of 0800 numbers, so you won't be able to claim it back. Some operators like Vodafone will warn you before connecting to a 0800 number that it is not free or included in your inclusive minutes.

Some 0800 numbers are free, such as 0800 1111 for childline. Your operator should be able to provide you with a list of free to call 0800 numbers.

Example.

Orange Dolphin 35
http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/plans/planDetails.jsp?id=sku330019


Calls to 08 numbers are charged at the rates below, except for calls to charity helplines, which are free.
Find out more about charity help lines.

Number prefix Cost per minute
calls to 0800, 0808, 0500 (except charity helplines) 14.7p
calls to 0845 19.6p
calls to 0870 19.6p
calls to 0844 up to 53.8p
calls to 0871 up to 53.8p

M4RKM

No, because on your contract when you signed, it details exactly what calls are free, or included in your bundled minutes.

Because you didn't read the small print, is that the networks fault. Most phone contracts I see detail that your bundled minutes are for numbers beginning with 01, 02, 03, and mobile numbers beginning with 07 (and exclusions apply)

at no point in any standard network terms that I've seen will it state that all 0800 numbers are free.

Orange also state they charge before connecting you
O2 state that they are not free, and you must drop the first 0 to be able to dial the number

now, the term freephone/freefone has been around since the days BEFORE mobile phones, so in no way I can see that a marketing terminology is misleading

Snakeeyes21

I thought every mobile company plays a little message before they connect the call to non geographic numbers, saying you will be charged for this call etc
Well i know 3, orange and O2 do

M4RKM

so, 3, o2, orange, vodafone all play a message... anyone on t-mobile?


M

Mr_Rossi

downuno, I know this is a case of 'shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted' but at least you can have a look at this for the future..http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cut-cost-0800-mobiles

had-enough-now

T mobile play a message saying 'please note, calls to this number are not free from mobiles'.

robt_2

markymoo wrote: »

so, 3, o2, orange, vodafone all play a message... anyone on t-mobile?


M

had-enough-now wrote: »

T mobile play a message saying 'please note, calls to this number are not free from mobiles'.

So OP, what network are you on, and if on one of the afore mentioned, did you decide to ignore warnings that the call wasn't free?

DarkConvict

I would be surprised, that is all the major networks, any other operator just uses a combination of those masts, so i would assume plays the message too.

Ypaymore

If you have inclusive geographical minutes their are a number of suppliers that provide geographical access to call 0800/0808 numbers,out of your inclusive minutes.

EG: http://www.qxcall.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=111

downuno

robt wrote: »

So OP, what network are you on, and if on one of the afore mentioned, did you decide to ignore warnings that the call wasn't free?

I heard the warning say that the call "MAY" be chargeable but I thought this was standard procedure for all 0800 calls, freephone or not. Then when I got to an operator, I specifically asked them, "Will I get charged for this phone call?" The reply I got was NO because it is a freephone number.

I understand that there are both chargeable and freephone 0800 numbers, I just expected the freephone numbers NOT to charge me. Who is to blame here? My network or the company I called?