Billing nightmare is there any recourse?

mobilejunkie

You don't have to be terribly bright to realise that the companies spending a fortune on tv advertising aren't doing it out altruism. It has been the same for years so you don't have to be "young", either.

grumbler

wondermouse wrote: »

This appears to be the root of the problem. They don't warn or remind you that if they put you through they continue charging premium rate for the entire call.

It's Orange that charge you for calling 118. I think it's obvious that 'putting through cannot change the number your are physically calling to.

wondermouse

grumbler wrote: »

I think it's obvious that 'putting through cannot change the number your are physically calling to.

Obvious to you maybe, but to an average non techie person? Not so much.

wondermouse

mobilejunkie wrote: »

You don't have to be terribly bright to realise that the companies spending a fortune on tv advertising aren't doing it out altruism.

But it helps. Never overestimate the aptitude of a member of the public.

Rusty!

wondermouse wrote: »

So, on what grounds may I launch a complaint

None whatsoever.

redcard

wondermouse wrote: »

Not to excuse anything but The lady has been going through a highly stressful divorce, so checking her phone bills was not the first thing on her mind.

But she made time to make dozens of pointless calls to directory enquiries?

mum2one

wondermouse wrote: »

This appears to be the root of the problem. They don't warn or remind you that if they put you through they continue charging premium rate for the entire call.

unfortunalty I had the same issue with a landline my mum thought she was helping.... and the helpful staff at 118 number (different company than yours) put her through, apr £12 charge for 3 minutes... They dont tell you the cost.

I'm sorry your friend has had to go through this, it sounds like if she has been through a stressful time, that she has just rang directory for numbers rather than search. She's lucky to have a friend like you to help and even if you show her how to find the numbers, x

Earthworm

wondermouse wrote: »

For one thing, it's NOT clear that when you phone 118118 and they say offer to connect you, that the entire call is then chargeable at premium rates. No warning, nothing. I'm sure all of the bright young things round these parts know that already, but clearly some people don't.

Anyway thanks for the retrospective advice. If I had a time machine....

What is clear, however, is that the original call itself is charged. Even when I needed to ring an 0800 number on Orange an automated message would play telling me to check my plan for the cost of this call.

wondermouse

Earthworm wrote: »

What is clear, however, is that the original call itself is charged.

Exactly. There is nothing to indicate that the put you through service would be charged at the same rate.

One thing that's come out of my research so far is that 118118 run a cheaper alternative service charged at just 50p per call.

It's 118811 but strangely there's almost no publicity about this service. I wonder why...

tyllwyd

But it does seem a bit strange calling directory enquiries that many times - how often in a month do you call a number that isn't in your contacts? It makes me wonder if maybe instead of saving numbers to her contacts she was using 118118 as her address book.