Telediscount 09xx telephone numbers

neil52

Hi,

my wife has used telediscount for 10 or 12 years. My daughter is now in Australia, and my wife used a number provided by telediscount to call Australia. It was an 09 number, and was 13p per minute according to Telediscount. However.........we have a virgin land line and 09 numbers are premium rate numbers, so it cost us £1.53 per minute. Virgin offered to reduce the cost of the calls by around 50% when I called them to try to deal with this problem. When i called Telediscount they were not interested, saying that they clearly state that people should check the numbers with their provider before using them. I did look and a lot of their numbers are 09, which, by the way is also a premium rate number with BT. Is this a con in which the telecommunications companies are all complicit? Does anyone have any suggestion as to what else I can do to help stop other people being 'hurt' in the same way - I have cancelled my virgin phone service.

Ypaymore

They do tell you to check with your supplier the cost of the call with your supplier before making it on their site.Virgin Media are notorious for charging more.But Telediscount are behind the times in so much as they still talk about NTL and Telewest and old prices.

You could complain to the ASA about the website having incorrect info not properly displayed.

http://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain.aspx

You could also complain to Phone Pay Plus http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/For-the-Public/Make-a-complaint.aspx that the cost of the call is incorrectly stated etc But you would need to try and sort it out with Telediscount first..

Whilst i am not a great fan of Virgin Media they are not conning as such, just charging you their going rate to call the number.

In future why not check the MSE Intl Call Checker. http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/australia-mobile/mobile/all their are numerous suppliers who charge less to call Australian Mobiles. Make sure you check the cost of the call from your supplier if its not listed.;)

System

Calls to 0911 922 numbers are 13p from a BT landline. The prices shown are the relevant BT rates. The caveat on the site is

Network extras may apply

Ypaymore

!!!!!! wrote: »

Calls to 0911 922 numbers are 13p from a BT landline. The prices shown are the relevant BT rates. The caveat on the site is

Network extras refers to call connection charge/ call set up fee..

From The Site Q and A.


"I am a NTL or Telewest customer, can I use Telediscount?
Our access numbers can be used from most landlines including NTL or Telewest. The billing process for our access numbers works exactly the same as with BT; the charges will simply appear on your NTL or Telewest bill.

NTL and Telewest should charge the same rates as BT for our access numbers. However if you would like to check their rates please visit the NTL or Telewest websites.

Should you have encountered a problem with your NTL or Telewest bill please contact them directly as they control the rates to our access numbers on their own billing systems.

Also

"How much can I save by using Telediscount instead of BT, NTL or Telewest?
Please click here to check the official BT pricelist to see how much you can save compared to BT tariffs.
For the NTL pricelist please click here.
For Telewest charges prices please visit the Telewest website."

So the site info is incorrect.

System

should but no requirement to. Its only a 6 letter word but very powerful

Ypaymore

!!!!!! wrote: »

should but no requirement to. Its only a 6 letter word but very powerful

Whilst the company indicate that its from a BT line their are grounds for complaint to the ASA and Phone Pay Plus.

Marketers should ensure that advertisements for premium-rate services are not misleading by omission and that they make clear the cost of calls

http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Premium-rate-Services-General.aspx


"PhonepayPlus has a Code of Practice that must be
followed by any company offering these services,
starting with the numbers 09, 118, 0871, 0872, 0873
and text shortcode numbers used on mobiles.
These companies must make sure customers
understand how they will be charged, and what
for, so they can make an informed decision before
using the service, and avoid stacking up a large bill
without realising it. The companies must also make
sure their advertising and promotions are both
accurate and responsible."


http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/~/media/Files/PhonepayPlus/Consumer/PhonepayPlus_About_us_Information%20Sheet.ashx

neil52

Hi,

a key point in this is that businesses set up 09 numbers, and the revenues split is agreed between the business setting up the number and the telecomms provider. So who benefits from the £1.53/min charge, which in itself is enormous? Is it only virgin, or is telediscount complicit in this in that they also benefit from the split of revenues on the 09 numbers - do they know that they are going to earn significantly more from the 09 call than their quoted charge rate? Can I find out from virgin how the money for the call is split? I suspect not. If I could show that telediscount earn much more than the quoted amount on the call, then I might be able to do something about this - at least I could let people know so that it stops happening in the future. It is painful to feel duped...........

neil52

Equally, if it is only Virgin who benefit, then I think that Ofcom should insist on a compulsory spoken warning when any call is made on an 09 premium rate charge number, so that Virgin cannot hide behind it being the users responsibility to check the website. Who is ever likely to suspect that a telephone number provided by a discount telephone service provider would be charged at premium rates? As i said - I feel duped by these telecomms service providers, and I would like to stop them doing it to anyone else. So thanks for the advice so far, and if there is anything else anyone can offer, i am all ears.

oldharryrocks

Get over it, you haven't got a case against Virgin you wife choose to call a premium rate 09 number from a Virgin Line thinking that she would pay the rate shown for a call from a BT line ,and the site advises her to check even though its a mish mash so your argument is with Telediscount if you feel the duff info confused her.

The provision of Cheap Call Services via a premium rate or a profit sharing non geographical is a legal valid service, provided the cost of the calls is made clear by the provider of the service .The provider has to pay to route the calls and make some profit out of his share.

Simple solution if you don't wanna pay Virgin,s more expensive rates to call certain numbers don't use them in the first place to make these type of calls.

Use an alternative service EG 18185 via the 0808 Freephone number pay 4p connection and 8p a minute.

http://www.18185.co.uk/mobilerates.php

neil52

Harry,

thank you for your comments.

Other people will unsuspectingly fall into the same problem unless someone does something about premium line calls on supposedly discount telecomms numbers provided by discount service telecomms providers. So, I have now put in a complaint to the body responsible for premium numbers, and if anyone has advice other than 'get over it', please continue to post it.

Heinz

oldharryrocks wrote: »

Use an alternative service EG 18185 via the 0808 Freephone number pay 4p connection and 8p a minute.

http://www.18185.co.uk/mobilerates.php

I won't say get over it.

Just make sure it cannot happen again.

oldharryrocks may not have read 18185's site correctly. I make is 4p connection + 2p/minute via their freephone access number (0808 1 703 703) to call an Australian landline (the 8p/minute is to an Australian mobile).

That would mean Virgin could not charge her/you anything and you'd pay 18185 directly.

Sign up for a 18185 account online immediately.