118 247 - Have they ripped me off?!

zippybungle

A few weeks ago, my Husband was assaulted and I needed the phone number of the local police station. I didn't want to ring 999 as it wasn't life or death situation, but was still quite an unpleasant incident.

I rang 118 247 from my landline (talk talk landline) and was given the number I needed, they asked if I wanted to be put through to the number for a charge and I said yes (now I can't remember the exact cost, mainly because I was in a very shocked and shaken state, BUT i am sure it wasn't more than £1.

Just checked my talktalk phone bill today and I have been charged £8.54 for a phone call lasting 9 mins to 118 247. Does this sound right?

Zippy x

TadleyBaggie

Sounds about right, calls are charged at 70p/minute + £1.50 connection charge.

beeg0d

for future reference the non-emergency number for the police is 101 and would have cost a TOTAL of £0.15 no matter how long it lasted

www .police.uk/101 (had to de-link the url)

zippybungle

beeg0d wrote: »

for future reference the non-emergency number for the police is 101 and would have cost a TOTAL of £0.15 no matter how long it lasted

www .police.uk/101 (had to de-link the url)

Thanks. I eventually found out the non emergency number, but at the time I had no idea who to ring as have never had the need to do so.

Zippy x

maginot

Hopefully this post will help others, you should never say yes to being connected with any of the direct enquiries providers.

The call per min is already very expensive. You could have been given the number and then rung directly and charged at your normal rate instead of being charged a connection fee and then also still being charged the expensive per min. Yes very expensive and I would not use them, but not a rip off as their costs are available to you before continuing with the call.

Lesson learnt.

Leo2020

Sad that you were charged so much under the circumstances - but as said by other posters the costs are available before going ahead.

Is you husband OK?

charlie3090

It is a huge amount but this is about right,
I called 118 500 for the rspcas number for an injured deer,
I didnt have a pen so they put me through,
the call was over £15 !.
What made it worse was I kept getting marketing calls from the rspca
trying to sign me up and they never did tell me if they managed to save the deer.
C x

System

charlie3090 wrote: »

It is a huge amount but this is about right,
I called 118 500 for the rspcas number for an injured deer,
I didnt have a pen so they put me through,
the call was over £15 !.
What made it worse was I kept getting marketing calls from the rspca
trying to sign me up and they never did tell me if they managed to save the deer.
C x

They almost certainly shot that deer!

Lip_Stick

goater78 wrote: »

They almost certainly shot that deer!

They should have gone back to the OP to ask if they fancied a nice bit of venison then, a bit like when you find some cash and it goes unclaimed, you can keep it.

Flat_Eric

Sorry OP, I don't have anything useful to say. You would think however that the fees and costs to this number would be free. I recall in work certain staff would use directory assitance/please connect me until we received a stern e-mail from management.

It also reminds me of when my parents blocked their house phone from calling mobiles only for my siblings to phone the operator instead and ask them to ring the mobile for them! end result - even bigger phone bill!

zippybungle

Thanks all.

My Husband is just about recovered thanks.

In normal circumstances, I would have just looked on the internet for the number, but due to the circumstances I rang 118 247 as I thought it would be quicker and when they offered to put me straight through to the number I wanted I said yes as I was in such a panic. Lesson definitely learnt though!

Zippy x