Friday Ad - BEWARE

burfy1

Previously, I have been stung by paying £5 in phone charges for a hamster cage that cost me £10. And it happened again to me this month, when I purchased an electronic keyboard. Previously, I thought I had rang the guys mobile, but when I received my phone bill this time with another high charge, I checked into it. And the reason: Friday Ad has a policy for substituting the sellers phone number with their own premium rate tel no. So by the time you rang several ads (to find the items been sold) , got directions etc. you've spent a fiver already. As always they have covered themselves with a little note that you can click on, but it is not obvious. So beware!!!

Azari

Estate agent agglomeration sites do the same thing.

It's not unreasonable if you are using a landline to make the call as they use a 4p/Min number. (People who insist on using their mobiles because they think the calls are 'free' may get a nasty surprise.)

I can imagine scam artists using much more expensive numbers, though.

burfy1

But this was a landline, Friday Ad charge 37.5p per minute!!! This could effects millions of people. They are making a mint out of this. They should put a warning as you get through to explain that it is a premium rate number so your quick about it!

cool-dog

But the ad's are free to place and the Friday AD 'paper' is also free.

Azari

burfy1 wrote: »

But this was a landline, Friday Ad charge 37.5p per minute!!! This could effects millions of people. They are making a mint out of this. They should put a warning as you get through to explain that it is a premium rate number so your quick about it!

Yes, as I said, scam artists could abuse the system.

It's good that you posted a warning here.

burfy1

Yes it's free because they make their money from the buyers. Which is fine as long as your aware of that fact. I was not, and I want to warn other people of that fact. I also think it is wrong for having to pay a premium rate for a wasted phone call. eg. the items already sold!

System

It is not a scam. They warn you up front!

Phone: 0704********
*Calls to this seller are routed through a privacy number more info

More info

1. What is the Privacy Number Service?


The Privacy Number Service allows advertisers to keep their personal phone number hidden from other users of the website. This is done so that no one can abuse the information held on our system other than for contacting the advertisers regarding their advert. The advertisers phone numbers is replaced with our own 070 number, which when a user calls redirects them to the advertisers personal number


2. How much does the call cost me?


At Friday-Ad we place many private adverts free of charge, in order to continue to do so we make a small amount of revenue from the 070 service that we now offer. This has also been universally welcomed for the privacy that it now offers our Private advertisers. Calls to privacy numbers are charged at 37.5p per minute at peak times, falling to 25p per minute in the evenings and just 12.5p per minute at the weekends (BT landline customers). If you are not with BT, calls will be charged at your own operators rate. Calls from mobiles will vary depending on the rate charged by your operator.

Being incapable of reading all the information and assimilating it does not make it a scam

cool-dog

The premium rate number is placed there by the sellers, when you list an item for sale Friday AD give you the option of having a privacy number where your number is hidden by their number.

burfy1

I have not said it is a scam, It is just misleading. You should not have to click on another link to find out that you are ringing a premium rate number!

System

burfy1 wrote: »

I have not said it is a scam, It is just misleading. You should not have to click on another link to find out that you are ringing a premium rate number!

I admit that you didn't say it was a scam.

However it is in your interests to learn what a premium rate number is. They don't all start 09 or 087


I am not really sure what else they could do. You will only ever pay for the call to the privacy number regardless of the number behind it.

burfy1

cool-dog wrote: »

The premium rate number is placed there by the sellers, when you list an item for sale Friday AD give you the option of having a privacy number where your number is hidden by their number.

Thanks for that info, that's interesting. But as a seller, I would still like to think that the buyer knows that they are ringing a premium rate number.
I presume the the majority of sellers would opt for this (so their number is not published), which is what Friday Ad want....sorry I'm being synical.