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23% of oreillycom customers pay twice as much for Line rental as they spend on calls?

Ripwave · 2004-01-20 00:39:38

I was just reading the ComReg document annoucing the Vulnerable User Scheme that they published at the beginning of May last year. There's one statistic in it that is pretty stunning: That seems to mean to me that up to one quarter of all residential customers make less than €10 of calls per month on their phones, and they…

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20-01-2004 1:39am

#1

Ripwave

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I was just reading the ComReg document annoucing the Vulnerable User Scheme that they published at the beginning of May last year. There's one statistic in it that is pretty stunning:

The main aim of the “Vulnerable Users Scheme” is to limit any increases in the size of telephone bills for all customers who have a relatively low level of usage. This could potentially benefit up to approximately 23% of eircom’s residential customer base.

That seems to mean to me that up to one quarter of all residential customers make less than €10 of calls per month on their phones, and they will be paying up to €34 per month for this facility from February 4th. (Plus €2.50 "comfort rental" and €1.50 for call answering, in many cases!)

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#2 20-01-2004 2:27am

De Rebel

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Less than 10% of my bill is calls..............

Rental                   37.18
DSL                      90.00
Calls                    16.36
Discount (joke)           0.21-
VAT                      30.09

Total                   173.42

Calls as a % of total bill = 9.4%

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#3 20-01-2004 2:46am
Ripwave

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Originally posted by De Rebel
Less than 10% of my bill is calls..............

Rental 37.18 DSL 90.00 Calls 16.36 Discount (joke) 0.21- VAT 30.09 Total 173.42

Calls as a % of total bill = 9.4%

Line Rental as a % of total bill = 26%. You don't have all that much to complain about - the recent increase will increase your bill by about 2%, to be followed on by a massive decrease of 16%. You won't get many calls to Joe Duffy commiserating with you, Rebel.

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#4 20-01-2004 10:21am
spongebob

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Originally posted by Ripwave

That seems to mean to me that up to one quarter of all residential customers make less than €10 of calls per month on their phones, and they will be paying up to €34 per month for this facility from February 4th. (Plus €2.50 "comfort rental" and €1.50 for call answering, in many cases!)

The document mentions €11 and not €10 Ripwave. (its only a page long ) . Comreg saw fit to add a €5 step billing threshold as well so it could mean that the bulk of the 23% who are low users ...and intended as benificaries of the VUS..... use €5 or less.

As Comreg allowed a line rental increase to €22.50 for the rest of us after agreeing the VUS scheme it appears that they have linked the VUS threshold at approximately 50% of Line Rental , thereby creating a non-virtous push mechanism in the overall €ircon pricing.

As you yourself have some hard stats on the matter , could you publish the Department of Social welfare figures in here again. ISTR that 300,000 out of 1.6 Million ANALOGUE lines are subsidised by the department of Socaial Welfare, or 18.75% of all analogue lines.

Has anybody noticed that €ircon are now charging approx €1.50 more than the subsidy amount for these lines and that the pensioners who are the main beneficiaries of this Social scheme will have to pay the differential in future? I suspect the government will not make up the shortfall in the short term.

Finally, why should pensioners not have the option of a subsidised mobile phone instead of a land line. €20 (ish) could get you a nice bundle of minutes every month , especially if the department of Social welfare was haggling a bulk discount for itsc customers.

M

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#5 20-01-2004 10:35am
eth0_

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Who are 'Oreillycom'? Is it a new telecoms company?

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#6 20-01-2004 10:52am
tomk

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Originally posted by eth0_
Who are 'Oreillycom'? Is it a new telecoms company?

Oreillycom, €ircon, Errorcom, etc - all one and the same.

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#7 20-01-2004 12:15pm
eth0_

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Originally posted by tomk
Oreillycom, €ircon, Errorcom, etc - all one and the same.

Never heard or seen the Oreillycom one before. Perhaps you should stick to 'errorcom', Oreillycom is...****.

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#8 20-01-2004 12:23pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by Muck
The document mentions €11 and not €10 Ripwave.

You pay double for all calls between €5 and €11. By the time you get to €10, you've paid for your "free" calls, and are paying more than you would be if you weren't on VUS. So the 23% of people who might benefit refers to those making less than €10. 100% of people are "eligible", in that there's nothing to stop anyone signing up, but only 23% would benefit (at the time the press release was issued).

What isn't clear is what will happen on February 4th - will the cost of VUS increase?

As Comreg allowed a line rental increase to €22.50 for the rest of us after agreeing the VUS scheme

Are you sure? I thought the €22.50 price was agreed in April for impementation in June? (My bill from 12 June included Line Rental for the period of 16 June to 15 July of €18.59 plus VAT, which was the increased price. So the €22.50 price was already agreed when the VUS was announced).

As you yourself have some hard stats on the matter , could you publish the Department of Social welfare figures in here again. ISTR that 300,000 out of 1.6 Million ANALOGUE lines are subsidised by the department of Socaial Welfare, or 18.75% of all analogue lines.

I think you mean EUR 5,851,118.39 per month (excluding VAT)

Has anybody noticed that €ircon are now charging approx €1.50 more than the subsidy amount for these lines and that the pensioners who are the main beneficiaries of this Social scheme will have to pay the differential in future? I suspect the government will not make up the shortfall in the short term.

I think there were some mutterings about this over the weekend, but I didn't pay much attention. Certainly, most people are under the impression that they are getting a "free phone", not that oreillycom are being subsidised (at the full retail rate, with no bulk discount!).

Finally, why should pensioners not have the option of a subsidised mobile phone instead of a land line. €20 (ish) could get you a nice bundle of minutes every month , especially if the department of Social welfare was haggling a bulk discount for itsc customers.

Apparently, the Department have changed the way the scheme operates to introduce some flexibility (and even to permit some competition, if and when WLR is introduced). I think someone would have to approach the Department with an appropriate proposal, though, to make this happen. They aren't going to take the initiative.

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#9 20-01-2004 12:47pm
dahamsta

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Originally posted by Ripwave
I think you mean EUR 5,851,118.39 per month (excluding VAT)

Has this figure been used in an IrelandOffline press release? If it hasn't it should be, the press love stuff like this. Dammit, I'd make up a reason for a press release to get that out there.

adam

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#10 20-01-2004 12:48pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by eth0_
Never heard or seen the Oreillycom one before. Perhaps you should stick to 'errorcom', Oreillycom is...****.

Never? Then someone else has been using your account!
"Oreillycom" isn't meant to be a "joke" or disparaging. It's meant to carry a message. A message that lots of other people seem to have little or no difficulty picking up.

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#11 20-01-2004 12:53pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by dahamsta
Has this figure been used in an IrelandOffline press release? If it hasn't it should be, the press love stuff like this. Dammit, I'd make up a reason for a press release to get that out there.

The phrase "the eircom dole" has a nice ring to it. Maybe that could be used as the subject of the press release.

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#12 20-01-2004 1:16pm
eth0_

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Originally posted by Ripwave
Never? Then someone else has been using your account!
"Oreillycom" isn't meant to be a "joke" or disparaging. It's meant to carry a message. A message that lots of other people seem to have little or no difficulty picking up.

Yeah whatever. Seems to me like you're the only one who uses your self-coined term. It's not really catching on, is it (((

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#13 20-01-2004 1:39pm
dahamsta

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Try searching on the term before opening your mouth eth0. Alternative, open it a little wider, you might get both feet in.

adam

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#14 20-01-2004 1:50pm
Occidental

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Originally posted by eth0_
Yeah whatever. Seems to me like you're the only one who uses your self-coined term. It's not really catching on, is it (((

Neither is fake ignorance or bitchiness.

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#15 20-01-2004 2:35pm
BendiBus

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How about ESOPcom? Don't they own way more than Sir Anthony? When did he become a 'Sir' anyway?

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#16 20-01-2004 2:50pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by eth0_
Yeah whatever. Seems to me like you're the only one who uses your self-coined term. It's not really catching on, is it (((

Well, as you can't even remember your own posts, I suppose it's not surprising that you can't remember other peoples. It has been used a couple of times by other people, but not everyone cares about the message - they want to disparage the company, rather than remind people that it's not "our" telecom company any more.

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#17 20-01-2004 2:57pm
dahamsta

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Originally posted by BendiBus
How about ESOPcom? Don't they own way more than Sir Anthony? When did he become a 'Sir' anyway?

Uh-huh, about five times more. Tone was knighted in late 2000.

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=%22tony+o'reilly%22+knighthood

adam

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#18 20-01-2004 4:18pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by BendiBus
How about ESOPcom?

It doesn't have the same "propaganda" effect.

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#19 20-01-2004 5:47pm
dahamsta

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UnionCom doesn't have the same ring to it either.

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#20 20-01-2004 5:52pm
jesus_thats_gre

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Originally posted by eth0_
Yeah whatever. Seems to me like you're the only one who uses your self-coined term. It's not really catching on, is it (((

And she called me a Troll. To think :rolleyes:

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#21 20-01-2004 7:20pm
bealtine

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quote:
Originally posted by eth0_
Yeah whatever. Seems to me like you're the only one who uses your self-coined term. It's not really catching on, is it (((

Silly old us leaving off the sir...
siroreillycom

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#22 20-01-2004 11:19pm
Ripwave

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Originally posted by bealtine
Silly old us leaving off the sir...
siroreillycom

Last I checked, this is still a republic. If he wants to hand in his Irish passport, then he can ask to be referred to as Sir over here (as if). Otherwise, he's plain old Mr on this side of the water.

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#23 20-01-2004 11:27pm
seamus

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Back on topic. I'm pretty sure they'll let you call them whatever the hell you like. I know if someone was giving me shedloads of money, and basically bending over and taking it, I'd let them call me whatever they want.

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#24 21-01-2004 10:38pm
gurramok

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My last calls bill was 3.85 with Utv, previous months it has varied between 6 and 14 euro.
This vulnerable user scheme is hardly helpful unless you want to be clock watching your calls like 56k modem dial-up to prevent you getting overcharged once you go over the call limit?

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