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Can a normal Dublin type number be advertised as a contact and charge a premium rate?

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  • 26-11-2022 1:51pm
    #1
    swoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,494 ✭✭✭


    I ma trying to return an unrepairable item, made by INDESIT and confirmed by indesit that it cannot be repaired, its under 12 months guarantee still, got it from BuyItdirect. However trying to get either a replacement or refund from company is quite a struggle and to be honest I don't think I'll get my money back. Its quite difficult to contact them but on their site they publish a number along the lines 01 250 XXXX, to me that is a Dublin number but when its answered the auto attendant at the very end says " this is a premium rate number" It does not say the rate. When someone finally answered, and this is through, they did not understand what unrepairable meant but at the end I asked what was the rate and was told 13 pence a minute.

    Is this legal?

    I contacted COMREG , I wont say what the outcome was but it was not good.



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  • Options
    #2
    newirishman
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭newirishman


    Check your phone bill for the cost of the call, should be easy enough.

    As for the defect item - your contract is with buyitdirect. It is them that needs to honour the warrant.

    Did you try the return a faulty product process?

    https://www.buyitdirect.ie/content/aftersales#faultyappl



  • Options
    #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 266 ✭ [Deleted User]


    No. It can’t. The charging is always based on the number you dial. There’s no ambiguity.

    If it were premium rate it would be a 15XX number.

    It sounds like they have an old message or perhaps a UK message on the voice prompt. You’re just dialling a Dublin 01 landline and that’s what you’ll be charge for.

    It’s likely an Irish VoIP number just routing to a UK call centre, with generic UK messages coming up.

    Also, Irish phone number charging was drastically simplified a couple of years ago by scrapping 1850, 1890 and 076, the old shared cost, ‘non-geographic’ area codes. They used to often get charged outside of your bundled minutes, and it could cost a fortune because you were being charged at a per min rate, often at some standard mobile network rate.

    Landlines and 0818 are charged at landline rates, and will always be included in bundled minutes. ComReg has required that for a couple of years at this stage.

    1800 is always free, but if the receiver of the calls doesn’t want to pay for say mobile calls, you’ll get a “sorry, this service is not available to callers from your area code” type message.

    A lot of UK companies still print warnings that aren’t necessary in Ireland anymore - they still have a lot of complicated non-geographic codes in the UK that can run up huge bills if your operator excludes them from your bundle. That’s just not the case here anymore.



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    #4
    walterking
    Registered Users Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭walterking


    It's a local Dublin number that feeds into their UK number which is a premium rate of 13p.

    So for Irish numbers the call is to a Dublin line and is included in plans



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    #5
    swoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,494 ✭✭✭swoofer


    well that's a much better explanation than COMREG and I checked phone and was not charged.

    As for the return, it was a totally new process to me but I have now picked up a few pointers. INDESIT issued me with an UPLIFT code to quote to BUyit direct and advised me they will either issue a replacement or a refund. After ringing BUYITDIRECT and a long winded chat, the following day DPD turned up to collect item but I had no way of boxing it the DRIVER could not collect and as I had no return address either he left empty handed. Rang again and took ages to get it across that this item was not easy to package ie its quite tall and circular and the packaging was taken away when it was delivered. I got a call back from a manager to say it was sorted a different company would call and take it as is. The UPLIFT code is just a RMA form ie return of faulty goods. Needless to say I have heard nothing since Monday. I was also advised that they did not need the item to be returned to do a refund but next sentence said once collected etc.

    Just to add a bit after numerous emails and phone calls the spinner was collected today 30 Nov 22 AND started 17 Nov 22. and within minutes I got an email saying I would get a refund minus 15%. !!! I had a call from a case manager yesterday as I had raised a complaint and not once did they mention the 15% discount charge. They cant offer a replacement, none available, China etc. Can they charge? Its under guarantee but company is in UK. INDESIT wrote it off and I now realise fobbed me off. Supposed to have 10 year parts guarantee.

    Spent €245 inc delivery.



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