Expensive Customer Service

Be careful when dialling 131 and 1300 numbers as you might be in for a nasty shock when the phone bill arrives.

These numbers have been around for years and were initially set up as an easy way for customers to contact a supplier. The problem is they seem to have snuck under the regulatory radar and come with hefty price tags of up to a couple of dollars a minute. Which can really add up if your query is taking a while to resolve.

Consumer groups want regulators to crack down on these rip offs and warn customers. Beware.

Comments

0 #7 2011-06-26 20:31

Thanks Kochie
I just checked my phone bill and i called jetstar twice, once last night and I hung up after 50 minutes, and today for an hour.... all because they had offered a $100 voucher to compensate for flight delays 6 months ago and the online voucher was not issuing even though i provided the correct booking reference number etc...

13 15 38

01:02:03 $57.05
00:52:22 $48.05

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0 #6 2011-06-01 13:51

You'd upset people less if you gave them all of the details ... instead of just some information that might make them panic.

If you dial a 13/1300 number from a landline, it will cost you the same as a local call (whatever your provider charges, but typically under 30 cents). It doesn't matter where in Australia you're located, a call to a 13/1300 number from a landline is ALWAYS the cost of a local call (the business who owns the number picks up any additional cost for long distance calls).

If you dial a 13/1300 or 1800 number from your MOBILE, it will cost whatever your mobile carrier decides to charge you. This is where the high costs can come in, because some mobile carriers are greedy.

The ACCAN is currently lobbying the big three telcos to try and get them to lower their rates for 13/1300/1800 calls made from mobiles. You can find out more here: http://accan.org.au/

No sneakiness going on here. Just greedy mobile carriers.

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0 #5 2011-05-19 15:56

How can you tell? If it's a well-known company, is that a guarantee the number is only charged at local rate? Is there more info somewhere about this situation?

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0 #4 2011-05-19 13:20

I've rung a few numbers with 131 and or 1300 and run out of phone credit half way through the phone call, it's very frustrating and can be very expensive.

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+1 #3 2011-05-19 13:02

I'm sorry but I believe you are thoroughly incorrect. The main purpose of these numbers is for customers not to pay STD charges for out of district calls. In other words, a 13 or 1300 number is always billed to the customer at local call rate except when they are calling from a mobile.

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