Premium rate call number 114

RugBeir

I was wondering if anyone has experienced this. My daughter accidentlyt rang 114 on her phone (meteor network). She noticed subsequently her credit had gone down significantly. When she got home she checked her Meteor online and found that she had been connected to the 114 number for 13 seconds and was charged €5.47! Ran meteor and after long chat and one bum steer I was told that the 114 is Eircom internationl Directory Assistance, Their charge rate is €6.35 per call. Apparently there is nothing she can do to get the credit back. This sounds very sharp practice to me, as anyone can hit these 3 digits on their phone by easily by accident. Reluctant to try the 114 myself as I dont fancy being charged another 5/6 euro.

ardmacha

The Meteor website http://www.meteor.ie/payg_calls.html
lists Eircom Intl Directory Enquiries as 11818 with ha charge of €1.80

No sign of a 114 charge. I'd ask them where this charge is published.

Eircom does have a International Operator Assistance (114).
The Eircom website says that

Please note that with effect from Monday 1st October 2007 the 114 access code for eircom will no longer be available.


so perhaps this problem will not exist shortly.

RugBeir

thanks Ardmhacha.

Hopefully that is the problem and others wont get stung that much for a 13sec call!

I wonder are there other expensive 3 digit phone numbers that one might accidently ring on a mobile phone. Seems to me that 3 digit numbers shouldnt be allowed as premium rate numbers as they would be regularly collecting mistaken calls - particulary numbers starting with 11.. !

Solair

I don't know why Meteor would even have access to 114, it's an eircom service number and wouldn't be even able to provide assistance to mobile users.

It should be blocked.

Random

Someone dialled a number on the phone - the price should be paid. People should use the keypad lock more or be careful what they dial.

However, I do believe people should have more control over their accounts in terms of limiting certain types of numbers, spend limits, etc.

ucdperson

Someone dialled a number on the phone - the price should be paid.

Yes, but the price should be published. Not sure if it was in this case.

Random

ucdperson wrote:

Yes, but the price should be published. Not sure if it was in this case.

It's hard to publish the cost of every single possible charge on their website. I agree it shouldn't have taken so long to get an answer on the phone with care though.

ucdperson

This is not a roaming charge, so is within Meteor's control. If they can enter it into their charging system then they can publish it. Comreg should require all charges in billing systems to be shown on the website. Of course this wouldn't prevent people dialling it by accident.

RugBeir

I accept that people should lock keypad etc.. but which of us has never forgot to lock the keypad at sometime or other and found rakes of odd nos on phone from time to time?

My main problem would be - is it possible for a premium service provider to set up a 3 digit number which inevitably gets called on purpose, but also by mistake, from time to time and then collect the sheckles for all the calls? Obviously Commreg have to authorise the new service numbers and assoc tariff but I think they should not permit 3 digit numbers for this.

Could be why Ardmacha above, found a notice on Eircom site to say the 114 number will not be in use from 1-Oct-2007? When I spoke to Meteor about the issue the guy there said they have had calls and complaints from other people about a 112 number also - whatever that is.

I did ring comreg and was told to ring regtel about premiium rate issues. When I spoke to Regtel the guy says we only regulate premium rate numbers that start with 1500! Therefore they have no authority over 114 number.

Tomorrow I think I will ring Commreg again and see if I can get anyone to talk to me about the 114 number.

Anyway, many thanks for all your comments.

Random

112 = emergency services. It's the new EU-wide version of 999.

I cannot believe there was complaints about this number that Meteor could not solve. Are you sure you have it right?

foggy_lad

premium rate numbers must be in the format 15xx xxxxxx and premium text codes are all 5digits beginning with 5xxxx. meteor should have this number listed in their charges as it is a service number the same as directory enquires but if that cessation date is correct meteor are obliged to return all monies charged after the service has ceased>

Solair

114 is most certainly not a premium rate number, it's the eircom international operator number.

114 = eircom international operator, it's of no use to a mobile customer or a non-eircom customer.

Contact Meteor and ask for an immediate refund.
If they don't play ball. Write to them heading the letter OFFICIAL COMPLIANT (this is important)

If they ignore that, contact Comreg.

It might also be worth contacting comreg anyway, just to let them know that the charge for 114 is unpublished and that it's misclassified on your bills as a premium rate number rather than Operator Services !!

turly

As for a previous suggestion of having Meteor display prices on their website, well, just try looking for roaming prices there. You end up having to select via clunky popup menus your current price plan, your destination, only to be told

"You can roam with Meteor in this destination. To get these roaming rates simply call 1905."

Of course, if you're already IN the country you're roaming in and you want to find out which mobile company to roam with, you're stuffed as 1905 won't work. I complained about this a year ago and they basically said "Tough".

Funny, all the other operators seem to manage this. Eircom all over again :-/