Eircom phantom call charges 2

eth0_

If you're irresponsible enough to use the net without something like Norton internet security installed, you get whats coming to you. You've gone to a site (usually these are porn sites, i've also seen it on IQ testing sites) and probably clicked yes to a box asking if you wanted to install something or other. It then silently installs a 'porn dialler' which connects you to an ISP in some far flung corner of the world - or even a satellite number - costing you megabucks per minute.

Even without security programs, you can see the number dial up networking is dialling - did you not realise it wasn't an 1890/1891 number anymore?

Eircom will not refund you, nor should they. It's not their job to babysit customers and ring them if they're making phone calls they don't usually make.

If it's anyones place to warn customers, it's the ISP you normally use, not the phone company.

asmith

Bit harsh there eth0_. Not everyone is tech savvy enough to even know they need to have Norton or the like installed. A lot of people simply start their computer, start IE and then surf. They know nothing of these diallers, how viruses spread, etc. If anyone's to blame it's the people who write these programs to start with. After that you'd be looking at MS and the ISPs to educate their customers of these type of dangers.

eth0_

Yes, it is harsh but people really should educate themselves. I used to work in tech support for an ISP and we'd get quite a few calls from people with porn diallers. We used to joke that people should have to pass a competency exam before they're allowed to buy a computer or go online - and I was only half joking.

ISP's should warn users, perhaps a welcome mail warning about virus' and porn diallers, but you know how it is, most people don't read mails like that, just like they don't read manuals for TV's etc.

parsi

Originally posted by eth0_
If you're irresponsible enough to use the net without something like Norton internet security installed, you get whats coming to you. You've gone to a site (usually these are porn sites, i've also seen it on IQ testing sites) and probably clicked yes to a box asking if you wanted to install something or other. It then silently installs a 'porn dialler' which connects you to an ISP in some far flung corner of the world - or even a satellite number - costing you megabucks per minute.

Even without security programs, you can see the number dial up networking is dialling - did you not realise it wasn't an 1890/1891 number anymore?

Eircom will not refund you, nor should they. It's not their job to babysit customers and ring them if they're making phone calls they don't usually make.

If it's anyones place to warn customers, it's the ISP you normally use, not the phone company.

That's very harsh - some people are tech savvy and some people are not. Recently you had issues regarding IBANs etc and people gave you good advice and suggestions on what to do and informed you of methods that you hadn't been aware of.

You are tech savvy - so in this case in response to a help request you should give advice and not criticism. These dammed diallers are easy enough to downlaod if one isn't a paranoid surfer - we become paranoid surfers after seeing what happens to others or even adter experiencing the problem ourselves.

I believe that eircom should be flagging you if you're bill has had strange activity on it - a domestic phonebill for over eur1k is quite out of the ordinary !

eth0_

I didn't have issues with IBANs, I was complaining about AIB losing the transfer sheet and not alerting me to the fact it is faster to do the transfer via phone banking.

Eircom should have some sort of trigger, yes. I remember when I lived in Belfast BT rang my parents before to query calls being made which were out of the ordinary. Although this was 10 years ago. I've since heard they've stopped doing this as it's 'logistically impossible'. There have been cases where people accidentally changed the number their digibox dialls for Sky box office to 0000 (the speaking clock), and when the digibox tried to order and found it wasn't connecting to the box office server, it kept trying. And trying. The people didn't know about this until they got a phonebill with a £500 charge for calling the speaking clock!

Don't think BT refunded them either!

Sleipnir

Originally posted by eth0_
Yes, it is harsh but people really should educate themselves. I used to work in tech support for an ISP and we'd get quite a few calls from people with porn diallers. We used to joke that people should have to pass a competency exam before they're allowed to buy a computer or go online - and I was only half joking.

ISP's should warn users, perhaps a welcome mail warning about virus' and porn diallers, but you know how it is, most people don't read mails like that, just like they don't read manuals for TV's etc.

I'm sure you were an expert on all computer related products the moment your hand touched a mouse.

You worked for an ISP? that ain't tech support!

eth0_

Originally posted by Sleipnir
I'm sure you were an expert on all computer related products the moment your hand touched a mouse.

I don't think I said that? I took the time to educate myself. I also use a mac so i'm at minute risk of virus' and porn diallers :OP

You worked for an ISP? that ain't tech support!

I beg your pardon?

Ripwave

Originally posted by eth0_
If you're irresponsible enough to use the net without something like Norton internet security installed, you get whats coming to you

I suppose an apology is out of the question? (Knowing you, that's probably a stupid question).

The point that you have completely avoided, of course, is eircoms deliberate inflation of call charges to "certain pacific islands", to deliberately exploit those unfortunate enough to find themselves in this situation. I don't have much problem accepting that eircom is entitled to recoup it's _costs_ for connecting these calls. I have a big problem with them being allowed to make significant profits from these calls, over and above whatever termination charges they must pass on to the remote operator, without any effort by the regulator to do something about it.

HelterSkelter

Originally posted by eth0_
If you're irresponsible enough to use the net without something like Norton internet security installed, you get whats coming to you.

Don't be such an arrogant idiot would ya. Not everyone who uses the net is a computer expert. I know people who are only learning to use the net and have been stung with the same scam.

Get off your high moral ground would ya.

seamus

That's enough thanks.