0871 number - hit with a big charge!

Mattthetat

Hi,

This is my first post here, though I have stalked these forums many times for advice! I hope I'm posting in the correct place.

Today I have spent a total of approximately 1 hr 15 minutes on hold to a football club trying to purchase match tickets. I have gift vouchers to use which cannot be used online. The only phone number advertised on the website for the ticket office is an 0871 number. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get through to anyone this morning, and when I checked my vodafone account, saw that I have been hit with £44.59 of charges. Now, the club do state at the beginning of the call that there is a charge of 13p per minute, plus any network charges. But, where I am informed when calling an 0800 number that it is not free, there was no message from Vodafone to say there would be extra charges for this call.

So I have beef with Vodafone for, in my view, not being clear enough that there would be significant charges for calling that number; I also have issue with the club, as, after a bit of googling, they seem to be breaking rules by only advertising an 0871 number. The question is, who do I complain to/have a case with for cancelling or getting a refund for the charges, if I do at all?

Thanks!

theonlywayisup

Personally I think anyone calling an 0871 number would know it is going to be costly, but from a mobile, it's just plain crazy.

The reason you get a warning on an 0800 number from your mobile, is that it is widely known that 0800 numbers are free, the mobile operator is reminding you that it isn't free from a mobile.

It's a premium number and the message from the football club merely confirms you will also be charged by your network. What you should have done then is find out the cost and made a judgment based on that.

neilmcl

You have no cause for complaint. You knew there would be network and call charges yet you spent an hour and 15 minutes using your mobile!

Whilst they were right to tell you up front how much the call charge (per minute) is it's not up to the club to tell you how much the network charge is, that's for you to find out for yourself.

photome

Mattthetat wrote: »

Hi,

This is my first post here, though I have stalked these forums many times for advice! I hope I'm posting in the correct place.

Today I have spent a total of approximately 1 hr 15 minutes on hold to a football club trying to purchase match tickets. I have gift vouchers to use which cannot be used online. The only phone number advertised on the website for the ticket office is an 0871 number. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get through to anyone this morning, and when I checked my vodafone account, saw that I have been hit with £44.59 of charges. Now, the club do state at the beginning of the call that there is a charge of 13p per minute, plus any network charges. But, where I am informed when calling an 0800 number that it is not free, there was no message from Vodafone to say there would be extra charges for this call.

So I have beef with Vodafone for, in my view, not being clear enough that there would be significant charges for calling that number; I also have issue with the club, as, after a bit of googling, they seem to be breaking rules by only advertising an 0871 number. The question is, who do I complain to/have a case with for cancelling or getting a refund for the charges, if I do at all?

Thanks!

not sure they are breaking the rules, I believe business have to provide a lower cost number for customer complaints.....just realised while posting that they may be should have another number for you to complain to

which football club

unholyangel

photome wrote: »

not sure they are breaking the rules, I believe business have to provide a lower cost number for customer complaints.....just realised while posting that they may be should have another number for you to complain to

which football club

Not for complaints exactly, its if they advertise a phone number for the purpose of consumers contacting them about goods they have bought/contracts they have entered into.

Sales lines can legitmately be 0871 but if the phone number serves a dual purpose, then it would not comply.

However I don't think that would necessarily entitle OP to a refund - the club could still offer 0871 for sales and a compliant number for aftersales.

George_Michael

Mattthetat wrote: »

So I have beef with Vodafone for, in my view, not being clear enough that there would be significant charges for calling that number; I also have issue with the club, as, after a bit of googling,

A bit of googling which took about 5 seconds (using vodafone uk call charges as the target words) gave this page:
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/explore/costs/call-charges/
which clearly shows a 45p per minute charge from Vodafone as well as a charge from the number you are calling.

photome

unholyangel wrote: »

Not for complaints exactly, its if they advertise a phone number for the purpose of consumers contacting them about goods they have bought/contracts they have entered into.

Sales lines can legitmately be 0871 but if the phone number serves a dual purpose, then it would not comply.

However I don't think that would necessarily entitle OP to a refund - the club could still offer 0871 for sales and a compliant number for aftersales.

think thats what I meant, you are better at expressing it than me,

my last point was that they should have another number for aftersales and maybe if the OP had googled he could have tried that number and been transferred,

but no i dont think he is entitled to a refund...most know not to call an 087 number from a mobile

harrys_dad

Just put the number into https://www.saynoto0870.com

DCFC79

harrys_dad wrote: »

Just put the number into https://www.saynoto0870.com

Or use the weq4u phone app.

shaun_from_Africa

Mattthetat wrote: »

there was no message from Vodafone to say there would be extra charges for this call.

No message from Vodafone (apart from on their website) but you were informed that there would be extra network charges on top of the cost charged by the football club.

Mattthetat wrote: »

Now, the club do state at the beginning of the call that there is a charge of 13p per minute, plus any network charges.

Ian011

theonlywayisup wrote: »

The reason you get a warning on an 0800 number from your mobile, is that it is widely known that 0800 numbers are free, the mobile operator is reminding you that it isn't free from a mobile.

Since 1 July 2015 calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free from landlines and from mobiles.

Calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers are premium rate with an additional Service Charge paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider.