Premium Rate Mobile Telephone Numbers

loveandlight

Apologies if this is the wrong discussion area to post this but wasn't sure where else to put it.

Not sure what I can do about this so would appreciates others thoughts.

I have just received my mobile phone bill (I'm with Three) and was horrified to see that unbeknown to me I have gone way over my usual bill due to one call I made. I am on the One Plan and pay £36 a month. When I called Three they say one phone call alone has cost me £60.00 as it was to a premium rate mobile number at 86p a min:mad:

The premium rate number belongs to an individual and the person concerned had called me for some personal advice. How are we supposed to know we are calling a premium rate mobile number when it's to a private individual? I feel like I've been robbed as I never go over my limit usually

Silk

loveandlight wrote: »

The premium rate number belongs to an individual and the person concerned had called me for some personal advice. How are we supposed to know we are calling a premium rate mobile number when it's to a private individual? I feel like I've been robbed as I never go over my limit usually

You would know from the dialing code ...although some are scams such as getting you to call an 070 number which looks like a mobile number for example
What was the dialing code of the number you rang ?
Was this someone you know that you rang ?

grumbler

loveandlight wrote: »

...
The premium rate number belongs to an individual and the person concerned had called me for some personal advice. How are we supposed to know we are calling a premium rate mobile number when it's to a private individual?

You see Three Price Guide.
I guess you are talking about 'personal', not 'private', numbers starting 070, that are very easy to distinguish. If so, the person owing this number knew well that it costs a fortune to call them because they make money from the incoming calls.

Personal numbering (070) – Band 1 25.5p per min No
Personal numbering (070) – Band 2 86.8p per min No
Personal numbering (070) – Band 3 £1.02 per call + 71.5p
per min**

There are some other problematic numbers that are more difficult to distinguish, but they don't cost that much and just don't come out of the allowance:

Non Standard 07 numbers –
074060 / 074061 / 074062 / 074067 / 074176 / 074181 / 074182 /
074185 / 074187 / 074189 / 074411 / 074413 / 074414 / 074515 /
075200 / 075201 / 075203 / 075204 / 075205 / 075206 / 075207 /
075208 / 075209 / 075370 / 075371 / 075373 / 075375 / 075376 /
075377 / 075378 / 075379 / 075580 / 075581 / 075582 / 075590 /
075591 / 075592 / 075593 / 075594 / 075595 / 075596 / 075597 /
075598 / 075599 / 075710 / 075718 / 075890 / 075891 / 075892 /
075893 / 075898 / 075899 / 077000 / 077001 / 077442 / 077443 /
077444 / 077445 / 077446 / 077447 / 077448 / 077449 / 077552 /
077553 / 077554 / 077555 / 078220 / 078221 / 078223 / 078224 /
078225 / 078226 / 078227 / 078229 / 078644 / 078722 / 078727 /
078730 / 078744 / 078745 / 078920 / 078922 / 078925 / 078930 /
078931 / 078933 / 078938 / 078939 / 079111 / 079112 / 079117 /
079118 / 079245 / 079246 / 079780 / 079781 / 079782 / 079783/
079784 / 079785 / 079786 / 079788 / 079789
International 07 number prefixes for Isle of Man and Channel
Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark):
074184 / 075090 / 075091 / 075092 / 075093 / 075094 /
075095 / 075096 / 075097 / 07624 / 077003 / 077007 /
077008 / 047781 / 077977 / 077978 / 077979 / 078297 /
078298 / 078299 / 047839 / 078391 / 078392 / 078397 /
078398 / 079240 / 079241 / 079242 / 079243 / 079244/
079247 / 079248 / 079370 / 079371 / 079372 / 079373 /
079374 / 079375 / 079376 / 079377 / 079378 / 079379 / 07781

For this mess you can thank our beloved Ofcom.

loveandlight

Hi guys,

Thanks for your response. I have to pay my mobile bill on Monday so have had to borrow the extra money to pay it. My bill should have been £36.00 but I've got to pay £99.00.It makes me feel sick just thinking about it. The number began with 07010. The person I phoned was asking for some advice from me but i don't know them personally. I had no idea this could happen.
I do have this person's email address and I can easily get their address. I am so tempted to write and complain to them. I feel like someone has stolen from me. I wonder how many other people they are doing it to. At least I know what numbers to look out for now.

john1

Don't know if this helps, dated 01 June 1997



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/01/personal_number_warning/

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has ordered that from September, callers to so-called "personal numbers", which start with the digits 070, must hear a warning on the call's cost for free before being connected if the call will cost more than 20 pence.


May be worth a call to three if you did not receive costing info

jhp

Ofcom banned revenue sharing on 070 ages ago,so its possible he is not getting a revenue share in this case.If it is being used as a premium rate service Phone Pay Plus are the people to talk to.

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/For-the-Public/Make-a-complaint.aspx

Buzby

Hang on - YOU dialled the number! Why should they have any responsibility for a tariff they have no influence over.

If you are admitting that you dial numbers first, then worry about the costs later, you need to chill - and learn what numbers are inclusive.

grumbler

Buzby wrote: »

...you need to chill - and learn what numbers are inclusive.

Surely. All of them. All 300 in the second quote in my post above. You must know all of them my heart. And until you know all 300 refrain from using your phone for making calls to any numbers that even remotely resemble UK mobile numbers.

Buzby

grumbler wrote: »

Surely. All of them. All 300 in the second quote in my post above. You must know all of them my heart. And until you know all 300 refrain from using you phone for making calls to any numbers that even remotely resemble UK mobile numbers.

Nah - if it doesn't start with 01,02 or 03 then it is fair game. You wouldn't dial a number that starts 00 without finding out a little more, so why be laid back about 07 (or indeed 08) without checking first?

All that is required is a little common sense, a degree in numerology is not required. Just your network's tariff sheet.

grumbler

Buzby wrote: »

...so why be laid back about 07... without checking first?

Yes, that's what I suggested. Either know all 300 by heart or always have the 'tariff sheet' on you and check it every time before dialing any !!!!ing number starting with 07 that is not in your contacts list.

redux

grumbler wrote: »

Surely. All of them. All 300 in the second quote in my post above. You must know all of them my heart. And until you know all 300 refrain from using your phone for making calls to any numbers that even remotely resemble UK mobile numbers.

A fair proportion of them don't have any services using them, and some don't even exist, so you wouldn't be calling all of them.

But it really is about time these companies stopped advertising that Euopean mobiles can be called at reasonable prices like 15 pence a minute, and then they charge 50 pence a minute for Channel Islands and Isle of Man, many of which cost them under 10 pence wholesale to call

But it doesn't look like that was actually what this subject was about ...