# Virgin Media changing their telephone charges on 28th November, 2019 - reduction or not?



## Sue Ellen (18 Oct 2019)

It would appear that ComReg have made Virgin Media possibly reduce their phone charges but just wondering is it an actual reduction as I have not had time to compare it properly - see content of e-mail.  Wonder when they will do something about the dreaded charges on Golden Pages 






*CONTRACT CHANGE*​*Hello,*​





Calls to Non Geographic numbers will become part of your home phone bundle​





Following a regulatory change, calls to some Non Geographic numbers (those beginning with 1850, 1890, 0818 and 076) will become part of your inclusive home phone minutes. Currently calls to these numbers are not included in your home phone bundle. Out of bundle charges for calls to 1850 numbers will also change.

For more information on these changes and how to get in touch if you've got questions visit [broken link removed]. This change will take effect on 28th November 2019.​





The information in this communication is correct as of August 27th 2019 so if you have made any changes to your account since this date, this may no longer be relevant for you.​






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*Call rates to some Non Geographic numbers are changing on 28th November 2019.*

Non Geographic numbers are those used by many companies in Ireland to deliver helplines, public services and banking. From 28th November 2019 call rates to some of these will change. See below for how this might affect you:


*Got Home Phone?
I have a home phone bundle with inclusive minutes*

If you’re a home phone customer, the table below shows how the changes will affect you. Section A shows what you’ll be charged for calls to Non Geographic numbers up until 28th November 2019.
From 28th November 2019 calls to 1850, 1890, 0818 and 076 numbers will become part of your plan’s inclusive minutes (see Section B below) and when you go outside of your plan they will be charged at the rates in Section C below.
You will notice that for 1850 prefix numbers, the out of bundle call rates have changed from per call to per minute pricing.



*I have Basic Home Phone:*

The table below shows the connection fee and rates you pay if you have basic home phone, up until 28th November 2019 (Section A) and what you pay from that date (Section B).
You will notice that for 1850 prefix numbers the call rates have changed from per call to per minute pricing.



*Got Virgin Mobile?*
If you’re a mobile customer here’s how the changes affect you.
Section A of the table below outlines how you’re charged for Non Geographic numbers up until 28th November 2019. From that date calls to 1850, 1890, 0818 and 076 numbers will become part of your plan’s inclusive minutes and how you’ll be charged is outlined in Section B of the table. Section C shows how you will be charged from 28th November if you’ve used all of the inclusive minutes included in your plan.
You’ll notice that for 1850 prefix numbers, the out of bundle call rates have changed from per call to per minute pricing.



*Why is this change happening?*
The industry regulator Comreg has introduced a new regulation because there is a high level of confusion around the cost of calling some Non Geographic numbers.
From 28th November this change should help to simplify this for consumers and make the pricing more transparent.

*Will this affect calls to the Freephone number 1800?*
No, these numbers will continue to be free to call.


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## elcato (18 Oct 2019)

I got the same from tesco and I took it to mean that they used to charge a premium for those numbers previously and now have to reduce them to normal landline rates.


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## RedOnion (18 Oct 2019)

It's not just Virgin media. The regulator finally grew a pair and said calls to 076 (and other 'local rate') numbers had to be included in free minute bundles the same as any other national landline number.


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## Sue Ellen (18 Oct 2019)

So for people not on a plan the 1850 calls could actually cost more because they were a set rate before.


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## RedOnion (18 Oct 2019)

Sue Ellen said:


> So for people not on a plan the 1850 calls could actually cost more because they were a set rate before.


Yes, exactly.


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