MSE News: 0845 & 0870 price hike warning as Ofcom changes rules on call pricing

simax

These are new charges from yesterday ..... Lebara are not allowed to have different access charges for different number types....

Based on the above, the £5 access charge per minute should also apply to 0845 for example (i.e. Ludicrous)

Ian011

Those erroneous rates won't persist. Ofcom are very keen for there to be Clear Call Rates for Everyone.

This has been five years in the making since the original call for inputs in May 2010.

SP1002

I've been charged 57p per minute for a call to an 0870 number.

How is this even possible? The table at gov.uk/call-charges says that the maximum allowed price is 40p per minute.

boatman

SP1002 wrote: »

I've been charged 57p per minute for a call to an 0870 number.

How is this even possible? The table at gov.uk/call-charges says that the maximum allowed price is 40p per minute.

The maximum for the service charge is 13p(range is 0p to 13p) a minute for 0870. You then need to add on the cost of your phone companies access charge, for example EE's access charge is 44p. This equals 57p!

http://www.ukcalling.info/cost-calling

Calls to 084 and 087 numbers incur both an Access Charge of up to 15p per minute from landlines or up to 45p per minute from mobiles and a Service Charge of up to 7p per minute for 084 numbers or up to 13p per minute for 087 numbers.

Always use 'saynoto0870'

Joantbak

I recently made several calls to a couple of 08444 numbers (hoover customer service) at no point in print or on the call was i notified of call charges. (I have the calls recorded as proof)
I now find the calls have now totalled £15.02
Can i claim ignorance and get this cost back as the company in question (Hoover) did not at any point advise of call charges?

oldharryrocks

Joantbak wrote: »

I recently made several calls to a couple of 08444 numbers (hoover customer service) at no point in print or on the call was i notified of call charges. (I have the calls recorded as proof)
I now find the calls have now totalled £15.02
Can i claim ignorance and get this cost back as the company in question (Hoover) did not at any point advise of call charges?

Did you get the numbers from Hoover ? They have have used 0344 and 01685 numbers for some time which are included in inclusive minutes .

See: http://www.hoover.co.uk/contact-us/

Ian011

Joantbak wrote: »

I recently made several calls to a couple of 08444 numbers (hoover customer service) at no point in print or on the call was i notified of call charges. (I have the calls recorded as proof)
I now find the calls have now totalled £15.02
Can i claim ignorance and get this cost back as the company in question (Hoover) did not at any point advise of call charges?

Where did you get the 0844 number from?

If you got it from a website that describes itself in the small print as a "call connection service" then you are the victim of a scam. These sites set up their own numbers and charge a premium rate to forward calls. Report the website to ASA as being misleading.

If you got the 0844 number from the official website or from paperwork that was sent to you after 13 June 2014, Regulation 41(2) of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 gives the right to a refund of call costs. These numbers should no longer be in use and there should have been a message on the 'old' number telling callers to hang up and re-dial the 'new' number.

There is no requirement to state the call costs at the start of the call. Since 1 July 2015 there is a requirement to state the call costs next to the number wherever it is advertised or promoted. Is the number on new paperwork, or on older paperwork printed some time ago? However, as already mentioned, an 0844 number should not have been in use since 13 June 2014.

[Deleted User]

Ian011 wrote: »

Where did you get the 0844 number from?

If you got it from a website that describes itself in the small print as a "call connection service" then you are the victim of a scam. These sites set up their own numbers and charge a premium rate to forward calls. Report the website to ASA as being misleading.

If you got the 0844 number from the official website or from paperwork that was sent to you after 13 June 2014, Regulation 41(2) of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 gives the right to a refund of call costs. These numbers should no longer be in use and there should have been a message on the 'old' number telling callers to hang up and re-dial the 'new' number.

There is no requirement to state the call costs at the start of the call. Since 1 July 2015 there is a requirement to state the call costs next to the number wherever it is advertised or promoted. Is the number on new paperwork, or on older paperwork printed some time ago? However, as already mentioned, an 0844 number should not have been in use since 13 June 2014.

I think we have a winner folks:-

http://www.hoover.co.uk/contact-us/

http://contactcustomerservice.co.uk/?page_id=4611

CCS are a scam company who openly advertise the cost as £1 a minute (actually 100p a minute because it looks cheaper) plus the access charge.

[Deleted User]

Joantbak wrote: »

I recently made several calls to a couple of 08444 numbers (hoover customer service) at no point in print or on the call was i notified of call charges. (I have the calls recorded as proof)
I now find the calls have now totalled £15.02
Can i claim ignorance and get this cost back as the company in question (Hoover) did not at any point advise of call charges?

Sounds like you used a call connection website rather than calling Hoover directly.

Basically they charge £1 a minute to "connect" you with the actual number you want to ring.

I think you'll be hard pressed to get a refund of the monies paid. In future, be careful not to click on the "sponsored" links which Google etc provide in search results...

Ian011

If you feel the website misled you into thinking the 0844 number provided was an "official" number, complain to ASA.

CAP "compliance note" on this topic: https://www.cap.org.uk/News-reports/Media-Centre/2015/Insight-Call-forwarding-services.aspx


See also:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5360819

Edited to add:
http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/icss-research.pdf