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On the look out...
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The Consumer Spy
Becca Talbot
becca.talbot@consumerchoices.co.uk
I am the Consumer Spy, on the look out for hidden catches and dubious clauses, reading the small print so you don’t have to…....
High-cost helplines name and shame
“Don’t leave me hanging on the telephone” begs Blondie… and so say all of us. Queuing is no-one’s idea of fun; especially when it’s costing you 50p/min...
So being held on the line for forty five minutes listening to Green Sleeves and being told every three minutes that ‘your call is very important to us’ is definitely not music to anyone’s ears.
The price of companies’ telephone helplines has always been something we Brits have grumbled about, but it seems we are now starting to sit up and realise that there are ways to make the necessary calls and avoid the unnecessary costs.
Six weeks ago, following increased public concern about the lack of transparency over the cost of calls to non-geographic numbers 0870 and 0871, regulatory body Ofcom outlined proposals for greater consumer protection when calling these numbers, which are predominantly used by organisations or businesses for customer service helplines.
After investigating claims that some companies were still using phone helplines to make money at customers’ expense, despite Ofcom’s proposal, consumer group Which? published a list of more than 30 bodies who were using 0870, 0871, 0844 or 0845 numbers to profit from their callers.
Businesses that use these numbers can share the revenue from the call with the phone service provider, so the longer they keep you hanging on, the more you’re putting into their pocket.
The list, which named and shamed the high-cost culprits, included broadband providers Tiscali, Virgin Media and AOL, energy providers Npower, British Gasand Scottish Power, as well as Barclays, and Halifax.
Neil Fowler, Editor of Which? magazine said: “Why should you pay for the privilege of making a complaint or getting a problem fixed? It’s unacceptable that companies and government agencies can make big money from people calling helplines.”
So what can you do to avoid a hefty phone bill hitting your doormat?
You can always email the companies’ customer services department. Most companies have an email contact as well as a phone number, and contacting these will be absolutely free. This can be done through the company’s homepage after registering. However, this option doesn’t guarantee an immediate, if any, response.
Or you could try website www.saynoto0870.com, an alternative number directory that can save you loads on calls to 0870 numbers. For example, AOL’s helpline 0870 320 2020 can also be reached on the geographically coded (and bank balance friendly) 0117 919 1100.
Neil Fowler also suggests asking for your money back: “Check if there’s a cheaper phone number or ask the company to refund the call cost – it’s the least they can do if you’re calling about a faulty product or bad service.”
And if they don’t… In the word’s of an aging, yet still surprisingly flexible, Madonna: “I'm hung up on you.”
As always, Consumer Spy is on the look out for hidden catches and dubious clauses, putting you in know.
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