For many years, consumers have complained about the excessive cost of calling 1850, 1890 and 0818 telephone numbers.
www~saynoto1890~com/faq/
These are generally non-inclusive in call bundles and expensive to call from mobile phones.
www~askcomreg~ie/_fileupload/Phone%20Numbers%20Explained%20Final%202011.pdf
Irish consumers recently had a chance to stop businesses using these expensive numbers for their customer service helplines when the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) was transposed into Irish law as the EUROPEAN UNION (CONSUMER INFORMATION, CANCELLATION AND OTHER RIGHTS) REGULATIONS 2013 (aka 2013/si484). These new regulations take effect on 13 June 2014.
Article 21 of the EU Directive requires post-sale customer helplines to be charged at no more than "basic rate".
eur-lex~europa~eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:304:0064:0088:en
This definition obviously includes ordinary geographic numbers and freephone numbers. The definition also allows mobile phone numbers in as much as they are often free to call from other mobiles and are the primary contact point for many small and independent traders.
This was Ireland’s big opportunity to have the various non-geographic "shared cost", "national rate"[sic], "local rate"[sic], and "lo-call"[sic] numbers excluded from the "basic rate" definition. While that wouldn’t have prevented these numbers being used for sales lines, it would have been the beginning of the end for this quite blatant rip off. However, and quite bizarrely, the Irish national legislation defines these expensive numbers as being "basic rate".
www~djei~ie/publications/sis/2013/si484.pdf#page=26
This appears to go against the basic principles of the EU Directive. Consumers will continue to be ripped off, but now with the apparent full backing of a "consumer protection" law that says it’s OK to do so. What went wrong at the consultation stage in May 2013?
www~djei~ie/publications/commerce/2013/CRD.pdf#page=53
How did this nonsense ever get through and into the published legislation? Were ComReg consulted on this? What was their advice?
It is worthy of note that the equivalent consumer protection legislation in the UK defines "basic rate" as geographic (01, 02), geographic-rate (03), standard mobiles (07) and freephone (080) numbers. The "basic rate" definition excludes various non-geographic numbers with a Service Charge (084 and 087). Some of these numbers were previously known as "national rate" (0870) and "local rate" (0845). The UK definition also excludes various "fixed fee" numbers and all Premium Rate numbers (090, 091 and 098). It also excludes various other numbers such as 055, 056 and 070.
www~gov~uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310044/bis-13-1368-consumer-contracts-information-cancellation-and-additional-payments-regulations-guidance.pdf#page=23
The UK government has also banned itself from using expensive and non-inclusive 084 and 087 numbers. Many departments have already moved to new 030 numbers or to replacement 034 numbers.
www~gov~uk/government/publications/hmg-guidance-for-customer-service-lines
www~saynoto1890~com/faq/
These are generally non-inclusive in call bundles and expensive to call from mobile phones.
www~askcomreg~ie/_fileupload/Phone%20Numbers%20Explained%20Final%202011.pdf
Irish consumers recently had a chance to stop businesses using these expensive numbers for their customer service helplines when the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) was transposed into Irish law as the EUROPEAN UNION (CONSUMER INFORMATION, CANCELLATION AND OTHER RIGHTS) REGULATIONS 2013 (aka 2013/si484). These new regulations take effect on 13 June 2014.
Article 21 of the EU Directive requires post-sale customer helplines to be charged at no more than "basic rate".
eur-lex~europa~eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:304:0064:0088:en
This definition obviously includes ordinary geographic numbers and freephone numbers. The definition also allows mobile phone numbers in as much as they are often free to call from other mobiles and are the primary contact point for many small and independent traders.
This was Ireland’s big opportunity to have the various non-geographic "shared cost", "national rate"[sic], "local rate"[sic], and "lo-call"[sic] numbers excluded from the "basic rate" definition. While that wouldn’t have prevented these numbers being used for sales lines, it would have been the beginning of the end for this quite blatant rip off. However, and quite bizarrely, the Irish national legislation defines these expensive numbers as being "basic rate".
www~djei~ie/publications/sis/2013/si484.pdf#page=26
This appears to go against the basic principles of the EU Directive. Consumers will continue to be ripped off, but now with the apparent full backing of a "consumer protection" law that says it’s OK to do so. What went wrong at the consultation stage in May 2013?
www~djei~ie/publications/commerce/2013/CRD.pdf#page=53
How did this nonsense ever get through and into the published legislation? Were ComReg consulted on this? What was their advice?
It is worthy of note that the equivalent consumer protection legislation in the UK defines "basic rate" as geographic (01, 02), geographic-rate (03), standard mobiles (07) and freephone (080) numbers. The "basic rate" definition excludes various non-geographic numbers with a Service Charge (084 and 087). Some of these numbers were previously known as "national rate" (0870) and "local rate" (0845). The UK definition also excludes various "fixed fee" numbers and all Premium Rate numbers (090, 091 and 098). It also excludes various other numbers such as 055, 056 and 070.
www~gov~uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310044/bis-13-1368-consumer-contracts-information-cancellation-and-additional-payments-regulations-guidance.pdf#page=23
The UK government has also banned itself from using expensive and non-inclusive 084 and 087 numbers. Many departments have already moved to new 030 numbers or to replacement 034 numbers.
www~gov~uk/government/publications/hmg-guidance-for-customer-service-lines