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1890 1850 and Inclusive/Premium minutes

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  • 19-05-2010 9:39am
    #1
    cormie
    Registered Users Posts: 20,790 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi,
    I'm not sure if this is the right place to discuss this issue but as a business owner who signed up to an 1890 number thinking it would be a great advantage for anyone wanting to ring me from a mobile to keep costs low, it's very disappointing to know that calling 1890/1850 numbers are not taken from inclusive minutes on call plans, in fact, they are considered premium numbers and what has shocked me even more and I just found this out in the last week, is that VodaFone when you sign up to them disallow calls to these numbers by default :eek:

    You actually have to ring up VodaFone customer care to get them to lift the bar on calling these numbers!

    This means that people who come to my website and try to call me, will not be able to get through and they won't know why. If they try the 1890 number and it fails, will the bother to try the 01 number or will they have closed the website and tried another one by this time? This is very worrying for me and to be honest, I don't see why numbers designed and advertised as saving the caller money, are barred and rated as premium numbers :mad:

    With sites like saynoto1890.com who are against businesses only providing an 18XX number to be contacted through and it would appear they are against 18XX numbers in general, it's not what I want to hear as an owner of an 1890 number.

    I pay quite a high price for this number and to find out, only after I've got business cards, van signage, websites etc printed and designed with the number as a main focal point, that it has all these restrictions is not fair really.

    The numbers are intended to save the customer money, not to make them pay more. Why is this allowed? Who is in control of the way these numbers are regulated and why are they not allowed in the inclusive minutes and why are they barred?

    Surely there are many more in my position, probably unaware as I was that prospective customers are trying to ring them and the call isn't being completed with no indication as to why.

    If anyone has any insight to this or what can be done about it, please share.

    Any feedback appreciated :)


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    #2
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    cormie wrote: »
    Hi,
    I'm not sure if this is the right place to discuss this issue but as a business owner who signed up to an 1890 number thinking it would be a great advantage for anyone wanting to ring me from a mobile to keep costs low, it's very disappointing to know that calling 1890/1850 numbers are not taken from inclusive minutes on call plans, in fact, they are considered premium numbers and what has shocked me even more and I just found this out in the last week, is that VodaFone when you sign up to them disallow calls to these numbers by default :eek:

    This is understandable. Mobile networks always charged a high rate to ring them.

    Furthermore they cannot be rung from outside Ireland save for the 0818 range introduced for that purpose. I would force mobile operators to cap charges to 0818 at 10c a minute but otherwise caveat emptor.


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    #3
    Tom Young
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,338 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tom Young


    Mobile Access Levies - MAL, has always been problematic to 1800/1850 and 1890.

    In saying that I don't think that ComReg's own numbering conventions assist matters much.

    It is a case of caveat emptor

    Tom


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    #4
    Ian010
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Ian010


    Fast forward several years and there was a real opportunity to sort this mess out once and for all. The EU Consumer Rights Directive comes into effect on 13 June 2014. Article 21 requires post-sale customer helplines to be charged at no more than "basic rate".

    Unfortunately, the Irish legislators blew it. See
    www~boards~ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057224206


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