Eircom Directory Enquiries Ripoff Continues !

Chalk wrote:

free directory enquiries

There is of course as well a phone book online on the eircom.ie website. Small text link "Phone book" in the top line of the pages.

Eircom and RTE are still advertising in breach of the Directory Enquiry regulation in force since October 2004. Despite a specific decision by the Broadcasting Complaints Board (a statuary body and not an industry fig leave like the ASAI) condemning Eircom's DQ advertising on Today FM, RTE/Eircom proceed to air a nearly identical ad on radio, knowing that it will take another BCC decision in April before their ad is condemned.

Instead of publishing the tariff for the DQ call as the law requires them to do since Oct 2004 (or at least making the listener aware "where the tariffs can be obtained, for no more than the cost of a local call" – a stupid loophole built in by ComReg's Mike and Bobby, but at least ComReg made it clear that the consumer has "to be made aware that tariffs apply"), the ad says only "more information available on www.eircom.ie/11811".
RTE claims that ComReg's Mr X and Mr Y had specifically allowed them to use this referring to the website, but is now nevertheless changing to naming a freephone number – but again not following the legal requirement of making the consumer aware "where they can obtain the tariff".

While RTE/Eircom are using the regulative procedures to the tilt to prolong evading the legal requirements the ODCA refuses to get involved to uphold the consumer interest.

P.

eircomtribunal wrote:

There is of course as well a phone book online on the eircom.ie website. Small text link "Phone book" in the top line of the pages.

Eircom and RTE are still advertising in breach of the Directory Enquiry regulation in force since October 2004. Despite a specific decision by the Broadcasting Complaints Board (a statuary body and not an industry fig leave like the ASAI) condemning Eircom's DQ advertising on Today FM, RTE/Eircom proceed to air a nearly identical ad on radio, knowing that it will take another BCC decision in April before their ad is condemned.

Instead of publishing the tariff for the DQ call as the law requires them to do since Oct 2004 (or at least making the listener aware "where the tariffs can be obtained, for no more than the cost of a local call" – a stupid loophole built in by ComReg's Mike and Bobby, but at least ComReg made it clear that the consumer has "to be made aware that tariffs apply"), the ad says only "more information available on www.eircom.ie/11811".
RTE claims that ComReg's Mr X and Mr Y had specifically allowed them to use this referring to the website, but is now nevertheless changing to naming a freephone number – but again not following the legal requirement of making the consumer aware "where they can obtain the tariff".

While RTE/Eircom are using the regulative procedures to the tilt to prolong evading the legal requirements the ODCA refuses to get involved to uphold the consumer interest.

P.

I take it you have complained again Peter?

I seem to be getting put on hold a lot these days.
Do they charge for the time you're on hold and not getting the service

Interesting article on the Register about DQ liberalisation in the UK:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/18/dq_ofcom/

By Tim Richardson
...
In a critical report, the National Audit Office (NAO) said: "A small minority of residential callers use directory enquiries frequently, but the average residential caller uses the services less than once per month. The average caller is unlikely to be motivated to find the lowest price so the market is not driven by price competition."

What's more, Oftel's successor Ofcom "cannot yet demonstrate that, overall, consumers have benefited from liberalisation", said the report.

It continued: "Most residential consumers are paying more for directory enquiry services while the absence of reliable accuracy data on the previous services means that it is not possible to show whether accuracy has improved."

With such a damning report people have been queuing up to have their say.

Edward Leigh MP, the chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, said: "Ignoring the wisdom of the phrase, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it', Oftel have made an unpopular and unnecessary change. Just because competition generally brings great benefits does not mean it always works. This is an instance where competition was not needed and is not helpful...."
"

The Eircom DQ price increases are quite hefty:

From the eircom press release announcing the DQ price increases:

"The cost of an average call to 11811 (number request only, without call completion) has been increased by 18.2 per cent (based on the average call time of 43 seconds).

The cost of an average call to 11818 (number request only, without call completion) has been increased by 24.2 per cent (based on the average call time of 75 seconds)."

Eircom then claim that by including the price reductions on call completion (they have no other choice, as they presumably took a big hit on this front since they have to inform their customers at point of offering the service about the per minute charges – since Oct 2004) the price of their DQ service would only rise by some 4% and 1%!

"The overall effect of this price restructuring will be a four per cent increase in the cost of calling the 11811 service and a one per cent increase in the cost of calling the 11818 service."


"This restructuring of directory enquiries further enhances the benefits for customers by increasing the number of enquiries per call from one to three."

Funny how they argued about their previous reduction to only one enquiry per call:

"Q. Why do we have one enquiry per call for national and UK enquiries?

We aim to provide information to our customers as efficiently as possible with prompt answering times and short as possible turn around of information. Additionally the vast majority of our customers only want to make one enquiry per call. (Last updated: Feb 25, 2004)"

P.