Hi Everybody
I never use the operator call connect service because I class it as a premium rate service and unnecessary. As you can imagine I was horrified when I received my last bill from Virgin Mediato find that I had been charged in excess of £3 for a call to a hotel in Scarborough.
Yes I do admit that I called to operator and yes they did connect the call but only because I was unable to make contact via a direct dial call because there was a fault at their end they did not replace that hand set correctly.
The morel of this story is always be diligent when asking for operator assistance because YOU WILL be charged even if you are unaware of it. I am a stickler in regard to ringing the correct FREE number and I was caught out
The operator should inform the caller if there is an additional charge. Can anybody let me know why telcom  companies are able to connect a call, charge the caller for the privilege  and not inform them that there is an additional charge.

It used to be the case that if you called the operator because you were having trouble, the charge wouldn't be too much different from a dialled call.

On the other hand, if it's Virgin, you never know! I would certainly query it.

This is off topic in regard to the original thread but relevant, my wife rang 118118 by mistake she meant to ring 118180 the virgin FREE 118 service the call cost us £3.00 and to ad insult to injury she was ringing as a favour for a neighbour :( not to worry, we all make mistakes

Why not use any of the free on line number searches, like www.118.com ;  www.bt.com etc. etc.?

I have not used directory enquiries for years or the phone directories.

Got to be easier and costs you nothing.

Hi Sherbert - I had never used a 118 service until Virgin offered the service included within their call unlimited package at no additional charge. I told Steph - my wife that we could use 118180 for free which is great if the correct number is used. The problem is that the rang 118118 and the call cost £3.52.

Advertising does work after all, I bet over 70% of the population would also ring 118118 to.

You mean 70% of people who would call a directory enquiries service at all would call 118118. I agree with Sherbert, I have never phoned directory enquiries in my life, and can't see any reason why I ever would, any more than I'd dial one of those 09 services for a weather forecast.

jrawle wrote on Dec 12^th, 2011 at 1:43pm:

You mean 70% of people who would call a directory enquiries service at all would call 118118. I agree with Sherbert, I have never phoned directory enquiries in my life, and can't see any reason why I ever would, any more than I'd dial one of those 09 services for a weather forecast.

Nor I; however clearly there are people who see a reason to do so. I am not prepared to simply dismiss them as fools, and disregard their interests.

jrawle wrote on Dec 12^th, 2011 at 1:43pm:

You mean 70% of people who would call a directory enquiries service at all would call 118118. I agree with Sherbert, I have never phoned directory enquiries in my life, and can't see any reason why I ever would, any more than I'd dial one of those 09 services for a weather forecast.

I to have never paid for the service, I am now in the process of claiming a refund, after contacting Payphoneplus. They have informed me that if the search was unsuccessful and the correct information was not given then 118118 "The Number" have to give a full refund, I am going to contact them later today in this regard.

bazzerfewi wrote on Dec 13^th, 2011 at 4:29am:

I to have never paid for the service, I am now in the process of claiming a refund, after contacting Payphoneplus. They have informed me that if the search was unsuccessful and the correct information was not given then 118118 "The Number" have to give a full refund, I am going to contact them later today in this regard.

PhonepayPlus states:


Quote:

4. Refunds to consumers 4.1 Where a consumer has provided relevant information, but was not provided with the requested number, and where a complaint has been made to the provider and upheld, the provider should give a refund to the consumer for the full cost of the initial call made, and for any subsequent calls (such calls are limited to those made to the provider in respect of the initial request for information) and those made during the complaint process. 4.2 For more information in relation to consumer refunds, please see the General Guidance Note on ‘Consumer refunds’.

118 A bit of good news,  I have rectified an error that my wife made when she rang 118118 instead of the Virgin Free Service 118180. I contacted Pay Phone Plus and they informed me that if a 118 search had not been carried out successfully the caller was entitled to a full refund.

I trawled the 118 site for a free phone number and then contacted them for no charge as I did not trust them to refund the call charge. Anyway the upshot was – the operator said I will refund you this time as a good will gesture (what a load of rubbish) little did he know that I had been in contact with Pay Phone Plus and I knew that he was bound by their regulation to reimburse me in full.

I contacted them via the following 0800 3891 118 number if any member has a similar problem I urge you to do the same.

bazzerfewi wrote on Dec 14^th, 2011 at 8:16am:

118 A bit of good news,  I have rectified an error that my wife made when she rang 118118 instead of the Virgin Free Service 118180. I contacted Pay Phone Plus and they informed me that if a 118 search had not been carried out successfully the caller was entitled to a full refund. I trawled the 118 site for a free phone number and then contacted them for no charge as I did not trust them to refund the call charge. Anyway the upshot was – the operator said I will refund you this time as a good will gesture (what a load of rubbish) little did he know that I had been in contact with Pay Phone Plus and I knew that he was bound by their regulation to reimburse me in full. I contacted them via the following 0800 3891 118 number if any member has a similar problem I urge you to do the same.

According to the PhonepayPlus Guidance Note I linked to quoted above in reply #8 says that directory enquiries providers are only bound to give a refund to a customer where:

• a consumer has provided relevant information, but was not provided with the requested number;
   
  
• and where a complaint has been made to the provider and upheld.

Clearly if there is no number to be given (either because the party is ex-directory or because the customer supplied incorrect information) then there are no grounds for a refund because the DQ service has fulfilled its service obligation. The only circumstances where a refund is where an incorrect number was provided (or perhaps where the customer was informed that there was no number when in fact there was).

In order to get a refund, then not only must it be demonstrated that the incorrect number was provided, but that the complaints process be followed and for the complaint to be upheld.

Thus, it follows that a provider is not duty bound to provide a refund where the complaints process has not been followed.

Companies do not usually uphold a complaint without having investigated it first. However, it may be easier (for want of a better word) to offer a refund as a gesture of goodwill, thereby accepting no liability and also removing the need to spend time carrying out an investigation.

Where the customer has spoken to PhonepayPlus beforehand, this does not mean that the complaints process can be bypassed, irrespective of whether the representative was aware of this fact or not.


How can a customer source evidence to demonstrate that an incorrect response was given? Does this require a search using another provider (at cost!)? How does the customer know whether one or both are incorrect, particularly if they survey a different database?

You are correct in pointing out that the provider is not duty bound to give a refund unless it is proven that incorrect information was given. But as you suggest how can this be proven. I am not at all sure if this is possible as there are millions of searches a year within the 118 industry.

Maybe they give a refund as a goodwill gesture