18185 charge 11p for unanswered calls to mobiles

themightyn

It seems like the are using what are known as 'grey routes'. They are using the cheapest providers possible.

Grey routes is a effectivily a machine with a few hundred sim cards in there which usually have a special bundle on etc. However alot of grey route providers purposely false answer their calls. Its not necessary the providers fault. But actually the provider who your provider is using to put phone calls through.

However YoungNick is slap on the mark. It is against strict regulation that calls are billed prior to true answer (either by human or a machine... i.e voicemail). However your provider replies on their provider to send them the answer tone at the correct time.

Trying calling your self several times and see if a) your caller ID gets delivered to your mobile b) if its answered. Try it 10 times using a tally chart and note what happens each time. If there is no CLI or a funny CLI then theres a high chance you may be billed incorrectly.

Best of luck

System

themightyn wrote: »

If there is no CLI or a funny CLI then theres a high chance you may be billed incorrectly.

Currently Finarea (at least via 18185) is correctly transmitting calling line identity, both (a) to my mobile and (b) to our BT landline. (b) is interesting, because (as I understand it) BT transmits only 'Unavailable' for incoming calls which present international CLI, on the grounds that BT has no positive evidence that the caller has consented to the release of their CLI. All this suggests to me that Finarea is currently using reasonably 'correct' network provider(s), or possibly a VOIP provider.
The Ofcom-ex-Oftel standards for telecommunications metering and billing systems
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/publications/ind_guidelines/mbst0102.htm#Chaptertwo
specifically mention (para. 7.3) that

An example of signalling error is a premature answer signal being transmitted.

The standards make clear that, if the terminating provider sends a premature answer signal, and Finarea therefore wrongly bills its customer, it's up to Finarea (a) to refund its customer; and (b) take it up with the terminating provider (in this case, O2).

Tan_Dee

I too have been charged for 2 calls to landline that did not get answered. I dialled as instruced but as I did not get the voice messaging confirming the call costs as you would normally I hung up, yet have been charged.

I am now pulling my hair out trying to find their email address on the website.

I see RatAtAt was successful in contact by email - would you be able to post the email address here for me?

Thanks

RatAtAt

Tan_Dee wrote: »

I too have been charged for 2 calls to landline that did not get answered. I dialled as instruced but as I did not get the voice messaging confirming the call costs as you would normally I hung up, yet have been charged.

I am now pulling my hair out trying to find their email address on the website.

I see RatAtAt was successful in contact by email - would you be able to post the email address here for me?

Thanks

I don't know of a direct email address, so you need to use the Report a Fault option at http://www.18185.co.uk/customerservi...vice_index.php

My complaint was about unanswered calls to a mobile, which are easier to spot (because they cost 11p not 5p, and are much less frequent for us), and 18185 eventually reported they have refunded me - which I was going to confirm once I have seen it soon on my next bank statment.

However, on looking again at 18185 call details, I suspect there are also calls to landlines which have been charged unanswered, but they are much less certain in retrospect, so we will be keeping a written record of unanswered calls in future.