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Getting charged for a Call to HSE but the Phone was only Ringing

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  • 12-01-2010 1:51pm
    #1
    pprendeville
    Registered Users Posts: 2,896 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I've been trying to get through to the HSE Medical Card division (HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service, Exit 5 M50 , North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 - callsave 1850 24 1850). Unsuccessful however a nd was getting through to a voicemail saying if I hold the line a telephonist will be with me shortly. Waited about 5 minutes anyway and hung up. Checked my creidt (or my wife's credit i should say as I'm on 3pay best of both and I can't call this number unless I top up even though I still have 46 out of 100 of my units left) and as expected I was down about a euro or more for the five minute call.

    So I decided to call back and let the phone ring about 5 times in the hope that someone would pick up. If not, I'd hang up so I wouldn't be charged. But when I checked my credit again I'd been deducted another 30 cents. I thought if you didn't actually get through to a person or answering machine, if the phone was just ringing, you wouldn't be charged for the call. Am I wrong in this assumption?

    Also what exactly does call save mean?

    Cheers.


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    #2
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    pprendeville wrote: »
    I've been trying to get through to the HSE Medical Card division callsave 1850 24 1850. Unsuccessful however and was getting through to a voicemail saying if I hold the line a telephonist will be with me shortly.

    I thought if you didn't actually get through to a person or answering machine, if the phone was just ringing, you wouldn't be charged for the call. Am I wrong in this assumption?

    Most of these lines answer and then put you in to a hunting group for the next available person to talk to. So, technically, your call has been answers, and you're then in an internal queue.

    That message that says "all our operators are busy and someone will be with you shortly" is an internal system, so your call was actually answered (by that system).

    It's not the same as dialing another phone (phone to phone).


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    #3
    emanresu
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭emanresu


    Paulw wrote: »
    Most of these lines answer and then put you in to a hunting group for the next available person to talk to. So, technically, your call has been answers, and you're then in an internal queue.

    That message that says "all our operators are busy and someone will be with you shortly" is an internal system, so your call was actually answered (by that system).

    It's not the same as dialing another phone (phone to phone).

    Your reply refers to the first call, but the OP's question was about the second call where he didn't let it ring long enough to go to voicemail.
    pprendeville wrote: »
    Also what exactly does call save mean?
    Cheers.

    Callsave 1850 is a fixed charge per call, not per minute.
    I don't know how much it costs, but it could cost more from a mobile than from a landline.


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    #4
    eden_my_ass
    Registered Users Posts: 594 ✭✭✭eden_my_ass


    emanresu wrote: »
    Your reply refers to the first call, but the OP's question was about the second call where he didn't let it ring long enough to go to voicemail.

    I think what Paulw was suggesting was that the second call was picked up straight away and passed on to an internal system which continues to ring itself, so it sounded like its just ringing away, but actually its a connected phonecall.


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    #5
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    eden_my_ass wrote: »
    I think what Paulw was suggesting was that the second call was picked up straight away and passed on to an internal system which continues to ring itself, so it sounded like its just ringing away, but actually its a connected phonecall.

    Exactly. Most of these systems don't "ring" per se. They "answer" straight away and pass you through to an internal system, which rings.


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    #6
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    nice of the HSE to be charging people to listen to nothing! wouldnt it be more productive for them to actually answer the calls?


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    #7
    eden_my_ass
    Registered Users Posts: 594 ✭✭✭eden_my_ass


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    nice of the HSE to be charging people to listen to nothing! wouldnt it be more productive for them to actually answer the calls?

    As painful as it sounds I imagine theres a good logistical reason for accepting the call immediately and feeding it into the internal phone system....I don't know that reason but I actually don't think its a money making exercise or unique to the HSE but more of a generic solution for heavy use phone services.


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    #8
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,317 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    eden_my_ass wrote: »
    As painful as it sounds I imagine theres a good logistical reason for accepting the call immediately and feeding it into the internal phone system....I don't know that reason but I actually don't think its a money making exercise or unique to the HSE but more of a generic solution for heavy use phone services.
    Well for starters they would no idea if 1 or 1000 calls where waiting with out "answering" the call into their system.


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    #9
    TeaServer
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭TeaServer


    emanresu wrote: »
    Your reply refers to the first call, but the OP's question was about the second call where he didn't let it ring long enough to go to voicemail.

    Callsave 1850 is a fixed charge per call, not per minute.
    I don't know how much it costs, but it could cost more from a mobile than from a landline.

    Locall is a fixed price per call. Just stay on the line, as it costs the same to be in the queue for 5 seconds as it does for 5 hours. Its not a money making scheme for sure.
    3's website wrote:
    Certain kinds of calls within Ireland fall outside the main price levels.
    Charges for these calls are shown in the following tables.
    Please call Customer Services for details of specific numbers.
    1850 (per call), 0818, 1890 (LoCall), 0700 - 30 cent

    eden_my_ass wrote: »
    I think what Paulw was suggesting was that the second call was picked up straight away and passed on to an internal system which continues to ring itself, so it sounded like its just ringing away, but actually its a connected phonecall.

    It was probably automatically answered once it is connected. Otherwise you would not actually be in a 'queue'.


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    #10
    emanresu
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭emanresu


    emanresu wrote: »
    Callsave 1850 is a fixed charge per call, not per minute.
    I don't know how much it costs, but it could cost more from a mobile than from a landline.
    TeaServer wrote: »
    Locall is a fixed price per call. Just stay on the line, as it costs the same to be in the queue for 5 seconds as it does for 5 hours. Its not a money making scheme for sure.

    Just to clarify, CallSave (1850) is a fixed price per call,
    LoCall (1890) is the price of a local call from anywhere in the country and the cost of the call depends on the duration.


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    #11
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    meteor charge 30cent per call for 1850 numbers regardless of duration


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    #12
    pprendeville
    Registered Users Posts: 2,896 ✭✭✭pprendeville


    Paulw wrote: »
    Most of these lines answer and then put you in to a hunting group for the next available person to talk to. So, technically, your call has been answers, and you're then in an internal queue.

    That message that says "all our operators are busy and someone will be with you shortly" is an internal system, so your call was actually answered (by that system).

    It's not the same as dialing another phone (phone to phone).

    Just to clearify, I called up. The phone was ringing but I hung up before the automated machine answered and I was still deducted credit. To me this is unfair.


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    #13
    pprendeville
    Registered Users Posts: 2,896 ✭✭✭pprendeville


    Paulw wrote: »
    Exactly. Most of these systems don't "ring" per se. They "answer" straight away and pass you through to an internal system, which rings.

    So even though it's ringing, it assumes the person will stay on the line until they hear someone/something but deducts the charge for the call even though it's only ringing. Seems sneaky.


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    #14
    pprendeville
    Registered Users Posts: 2,896 ✭✭✭pprendeville


    Anyone know why 3pay best of both don't allow people to make lccall or callsave calls? They never told me that when I was signing up although I'm sure it's in the small print no doubt.


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    #15
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    pprendeville wrote: »
    Anyone know why 3pay best of both don't allow people to make lccall or callsave calls? They never told me that when I was signing up although I'm sure it's in the small print no doubt.

    Because they have to pay the "low call" or "call save" operator. It would be specified in the contracts though.

    Most adverts which give such numbers generally say that "operator charges may vary".
    pprendeville wrote: »
    So even though it's ringing, it assumes the person will stay on the line until they hear someone/something but deducts the charge for the call even though it's only ringing. Seems sneaky.

    Yes, even though you don't hear a person/answer service, etc, the call has actually been answered straight away (even before you hear the first ring).That's just how the technology works.


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