118118 Scandal

[Billhook]

Just received my phone bill from Talktalk, a long way over the average.

My 90 year old mother is demented and has 24/7 care from an agency which employs women from Zimbabwe.

Their command of English is ok but not the greatest.

 

They are told to use their mobiles unless it is part of mother's care or an emergency.

One of them rang 118118 (she remembered the advert with the two David Bedford idiots) to find the number for UPS whose medical package was a week overdue.

"Would you like me to connect your call?" "What a nice lady" the carer thought.

 

UPS were 14 minutes and 43 seconds looking for the package before the line went dead.

The bill for that was £52.55!

 

Three subsequent calls each again cut off

 

1 minute and 5 seconds £8.99

1 minute and 59 seconds £11.87

1 minute and 24 seconds £10.00

 

Total cost just to find what had happened to the package

 

£83.41!

 

Just below my wife made a call to Denmark which lasted 37 minutes and 42 seconds total cost £0.99p!

 

The poor carer was in tears, as it was not clear to her that such charges could be applied.

I had to take it on the chin and have now blocked the number.

Spent over an hour on the phone talking to

Ombudsman (not interested, utility mate)

then Talktalk (it's what we charge mate)

then 118118 who backed down and took off £28-00

 

They said that they had charged Talktalk £39-00 for the £52-00 call so Talktalk had taken £13-00 out of it.

 

I am told by my garage mechanic that even a porn line does not charge this much!

Surely there must be some law against this kind of obfuscation, or at least the word "reasonable" must enter the equation somewhere. What if they charged me £1000 for the call, would I be expected to pay?

 

Anybody else been caught?

[jaime bray]

Yes. been caught, same company as your mechanic by the sound of it

[scraggs]

take your phone away from talktalk

Best thing I ever done years ago, they are beyond crap.

[AHPP]

Practical: It'll cost them more to chase you than what they'd get back (even if they could get it back).

Legal: Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. "Reasonable" is all over them.

Edited November 19, 2014 by AHPP

[skyhuck]

Just received my phone bill from Talktalk, a long way over the average.

My 90 year old mother is demented and has 24/7 care from an agency which employs women from Zimbabwe.

Their command of English is ok but not the greatest.

 

They are told to use their mobiles unless it is part of mother's care or an emergency.

One of them rang 118118 (she remembered the advert with the two David Bedford idiots) to find the number for UPS whose medical package was a week overdue.

"Would you like me to connect your call?" "What a nice lady" the carer thought.

 

UPS were 14 minutes and 43 seconds looking for the package before the line went dead.

The bill for that was £52.55!

 

Three subsequent calls each again cut off

 

1 minute and 5 seconds £8.99

1 minute and 59 seconds £11.87

1 minute and 24 seconds £10.00

 

Total cost just to find what had happened to the package

 

£83.41!

 

Just below my wife made a call to Denmark which lasted 37 minutes and 42 seconds total cost £0.99p!

 

The poor carer was in tears, as it was not clear to her that such charges could be applied.

I had to take it on the chin and have now blocked the number.

Spent over an hour on the phone talking to

Ombudsman (not interested, utility mate)

then Talktalk (it's what we charge mate)

then 118118 who backed down and took off £28-00

 

They said that they had charged Talktalk £39-00 for the £52-00 call so Talktalk had taken £13-00 out of it.

 

I am told by my garage mechanic that even a porn line does not charge this much!

Surely there must be some law against this kind of obfuscation, or at least the word "reasonable" must enter the equation somewhere. What if they charged me £1000 for the call, would I be expected to pay?

 

Anybody else been caught?

 

Yeah right :lol:

[Billhook]

Yeah right :lol:

 

 

Ok I admit it, sexy Sarah only charges half as much to give a mental massage!

[Billhook]

Purely in the name of scientific investigation I just googled "Sexy Sarah Phone"

and this was the result

 

AdultWork.com - Sexy Sarah.. 23yo Bi-sexual Female ...

AdultWork.com - Sexy Sarah.. 23yo Bi-sexual Female (Escort Webcam Phone Sex) Greenford Hanger Lan, Ealing

SEXY PETITE PLAY MATE FUN AND NAUGHTY / Cum & dirty talk with me only £2 P/M BOOK YOUR PHONE CHAT NOW ! Sexy Petite Sarah i'm a very naughty .

 

£2-00 per minute is a fifth of the cost of 118118!

[Goaty]

Workmate got a bill for over £1500 on top of his contract cost.

Ringing lady chat lines, what beats me this was a mainstream big network provider. Why didn't they send him a courtesy text or phone call. I was unimpressed at the time. I thought after going over a lower amount they would cut you off, instead they waited until it was in four figuresum?????!!!!!

 

By the way the lad has learning difficulties.

An hours call was £90 =£1.50 per minute!

[devon TWiG]

I think I know where Sexy Sarah may be hiding your package !!!!!!

[Billhook]

I think I know where Sexy Sarah may be hiding your package !!!!!!

 

Yeah yeah, I know, it's in my lunch box!