Isle of Man Phone Charges

samwardill

I'm trying to start a bit of a campaign on Isle of Man phone charges. If anyone is willing to join me please write to your MP via https://www.theyworkforyou.com. I suggest text below:

"Please can you raise the following issue with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

I have recently discovered that my mobile phone provider is charging me international rates for telephone numbers starting 01624. These are calls made to the Isle of Man.

I am quite sure that most consumers have, like me, a reasonable expectation that they will not be charged a premium for all telephone numbers starting 01.

Ofcom have just championed a major initiative headlined UK Calling that sought to deliver "CLEAR CALL RATES FOR EVERYONE". I think that it is appalling that, even after this major transformation we are still left with an anomaly that allows phone companies to retain an opaque call charging structure.

I have spoken to Ofcom about their position on this. Their view is that the charging is acceptable because it is contained in the phone company terms and conditions. This is, in my view, totally unacceptable.

I would ask the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to address this with Ofcom urgently."

Tony5101

But the Isle of Man isn't part of the UK - so why would you think that the UK government would legislate on call charges to or from there?

samwardill

Tony5101 wrote: »

But the Isle of Man isn't part of the UK - so why would you think that the UK government would legislate on call charges to or from there?

If phone companies want to charge international rates to call IOM then they should, in my view, not use a number starting with 01

Tony5101

samwardill wrote: »

If phone companies want to charge international rates to call IOM then they should, in my view, not use a number starting with 01

Sorry - but I'm really not understanding your argument.

The IOM and Channel Islands are probably too small to get an ITU country code of their own..and a lot of the reasonings behind why they don't have them are probably historical.
They're part of the Brisith Isles, but not the UK.

However

This does not and should not stop people reading the Ts and Cs before they purchase an airplan, to see what is included and what isn't.
I've just done a "test purchase" on EE, and the Ts and Cs are at the very top of the information about what and isn't included.

If anything - you should campaign to the Education department, so that geography can be better taught in schools, and better reading skills so that people can read the contracts that they're signing up to.

Your monthly payment is for using mobile internet on your phone for checking voicemail (including visual
voicemail if you have an iPhone) and an allowance of minutes and texts to customers of UK mobile networksand UK landlines starting with 01, 02 & 03. Your inclusive minutes and texts do not include 01, 02 & 03 landline numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man and numbers starting with 08.

samwardill

Tony5101 wrote: »

This does not and should not stop people reading the Ts and Cs before they purchase an airplan, to see what is included and what isn't.
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My wife's contract (on which she incurred these charges) is with Tesco Mobile. The Ts & Cs are here http://www.tescomobile.com/about-us/terms-and-conditions/pay-monthly. They state:
"2.1 Your Inclusive Allowance can be used to make calls in the UK to:
a) Standard UK landlines (numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 only)."

The Ts & Cs later mention calls from Isle of Man being charged at International rates but there is nothing about calls to Isle of Man.

It appears Tesco Mobile can't even get to grips with this. How can Ofcom expect your average consumer to?

boundy

samwardill wrote: »

My wife's contract (on which she incurred these charges) is with Tesco Mobile. The Ts & Cs are here http://www.tescomobile.com/about-us/terms-and-conditions/pay-monthly. They state:
"2.1 Your Inclusive Allowance can be used to make calls in the UK to:
a) Standard UK landlines (numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 only)."

The Ts & Cs later mention calls from Isle of Man being charged at International rates but there is nothing about calls to Isle of Man.

It appears Tesco Mobile can't even get to grips with this. How can Ofcom expect your average consumer to?

But the Isle of Man isn't part of the UK

Tony5101

samwardill wrote: »

My wife's contract (on which she incurred these charges) is with Tesco Mobile. The Ts & Cs are here http://www.tescomobile.com/about-us/terms-and-conditions/pay-monthly. They state:
"2.1 Your Inclusive Allowance can be used to make calls in the UK to:
a) Standard UK landlines (numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 only)."

The Ts & Cs later mention calls from Isle of Man being charged at International rates but there is nothing about calls to Isle of Man.

It appears Tesco Mobile can't even get to grips with this. How can Ofcom expect your average consumer to?

But you're saying that it states Standard UK Landlines..which clearly the IOM and the C.I's aren't UK?
I'm not really seeing the ambiguity? They've already told you in 2.1 what is included in the package.
Section 2.3 has a link to everything that's not included - and there's a whole list specifically about IOM and CI.

samwardill

boundy wrote: »

But the Isle of Man isn't part of the UK

My wife is from Zimbabwe. I think the technicality that an Isle of Man telephone number is not a UK telephone number even though it looks just like any other telephone number is a little obtuse to expect her to pick up on! I was born and raised here and I would not pick up on this.

This is all a bit academic. There is a generally accepted principle (enshrined in the unfair terms in consumer contracts law) that burying things in Ts & Cs is bad practice and not enforceable.

Ofcom recognized an issue with the clarity of pricing relating to UK call charging and they decided to do something about it. Unfortunately they failed to resolve this particular discrepancy.

samwardill

Tony5101 wrote: »

Section 2.3 has a link to everything that's not included - and there's a whole list specifically about IOM and CI.

Whoops! It appears I missed this. I think this is what I mean by 'buried' in terms and conditions.

simax

I think the fairest thing would be to make IOM and CI prefixes begin 04xxx or 06xxx (the prefixes currently unused). Job done.

Have a look at the IOM mobile networks pricing for roaming in Europe... Takes me back to the nineties lol!

pepdavies

I wouldn't have known that 01624 was an IOM number, even though my geography is pretty good. I agree that they should use a different prefix to avoid confusion