SayNoTo1890.com

I thought I’d referenced this article before, but an interesting post which is worth a read is here from 2007 from David Behan. I’ll quote the ending here, but check out the interesting points in the full article:

Businesses… if you really want to save customers money, get rid of the 1850/1890 numbers and get 1800 numbers instead. Consumers… don’t be fooled by these numbers and save the regular numbers to your phone instead.

Why aren’t the 1890/1850 numbers included in the free minutes? Probably because there’s a nice sum of money being collected every month that no one is giving out about! Is ComReg aware of it? Who knows? Is it making that much money to be giving out about? Once again, who knows? I just felt like ranting about it this morning but I’d love to know how much they scim off the top using these numbers!

This was published recently in the You and Your Money print magazine, and it’s available here online also. This is only a subsection of the whole article - just the bits relevant to this website.

Beat the rip-off merchants! Brenda McNally rounds up the top ten rip-offs to watch out for.

From banking errors and dodgy billing practices to straightforward overcharging, big business has little hesitation about squeezing Irish consumers. Fortunately, industry watchdogs and consumer groups are flexing their muscles on our behalf.

But if you really don’t want to be ripped off in 2008, don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

Take a look at our list of the top 10 ways consumers were ripped off in 2007 and, if you think you’ve been overcharged, don’t just pay whatever price you’re asked: exercise your vocal chords, query the bill and complain.

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Locall and Callsave

Locall (1890) and Callsave (1850) telephone numbers look like a cost-saving option on paper, but that’s not the case for all of us. Irish consumers who are signed up to special telephone and mobile packages are needlessly paying up to €5 a time to ring ‘low cost’ telephone numbers.

This is because these numbers are excluded from the popular mobile and landline phone deals with exclusive minutes. The Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) has highlighted the issue, calling on phone companies to include 1890 or 1850 numbers in their deals.

It has also said that firms with 1850, 1890 and 0818 numbers should do more to make their customers aware of how to make their calls cheaper.

If you’re on a special telephone package, make sure to check how much Locall and Callsave will cost you – if they cost more, try to find out the ordinary number for whatever company you’re looking to call. Why hold…

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Alternative LandLine Numbers

You can beat the trap if you dial the ordinary landline numbers of companies: these should be listed on their websites or in telephone books alongside their 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers. You can take down these numbers for a start:

AIB Phone Banking: 1890 242424 – use 01 6670024

Bank Of Ireland Phone Banking: 1890 365 365 – use 01 4044470

Bord Gais Energy Supply: 1850 632 632 – use 01 8190395

ESB Customer Supply: 1850 372 372 – use 01 8529534

VHI: 1850 44 44 44 – use 056 7753200

VIVAS Call Centre: 1850 71 77 17 – use 056 7753200

Ticketmaster Ireland: 0818 719300 – use 01 4569569.

How does that all make sense??? It doesn’t really. I believe it is a nice little scam by the phone companies to extract an extra bit of money from the punter. How to combat it? Businesses… if you really want to save customers money, get rid of the 1850/1890 numbers and get 1800 numbers instead. Consumers… don’t be fooled by these numbers and save the regular numbers to your phone instead.

Have you found an original way of saving money?

Have you found an original way of cutting costs and saving money? Well its time to put your nose for a good deal to the test. Joe Duffy and a team of consumer experts: Ben Dunne, Conor Pope and Barbara McCarthy want to know the story behind these savings. With the help of the studio audience your deal will be scrutinised and challenged but if it stands up throughout the investigations and the panel are convinced it should be Highly Recommended, you will walk away with €2000.

Highly Recommended will look at a range of issues that impact on all our lives ranging from property, cars, health insurance, weddings and childcare. A fun way to encourage us all to shop around, Highly Recommended puts the everyday under the spotlight, imparting valuable consumer advice along the way.
The Highly Recommended Experts are:

Ben Dunne
Ben Dunne has been one of the most controversial figures in the Irish retail industry. He now runs a chain of low price fitness centres throughout Dublin and is a well renowned advocate of the concept of consumer value for money.

Conor Pope
Journalist Conor Pope is responsible for the ever-popular Pricewatch, which has appeared every Monday in The Irish Times for more than three years. On the page he reviews products ranging from the most cutting-edge mobile phones and digital cameras to the cheapest pasta sauces and mouthwashes. He has been recently commissioned to write the ultimate bargain hunter’s manual for savvy Irish consumers.

Barbara McCarthy
Barbara is a freelance journalist who has written a range of articles on topics such as taxation, the global economy and consumer issues such as shopping in New York and property. Barbara is ably placed to comment on the importance of not only shopping around for a bargain locally, but also on where to look further a-field.
Are you clever with cash?

Have you found an original way of cutting costs ? Are you just the person to teach the rip-off merchants a thing or two? You could make a bundle out of a bargain on Highly Recommended, RTÉ One’s new lifestyle consumer show with Joe Duffy.

If you’d like to tell us about the cash you’ve made on car purchases, the dosh you’ve saved on dentists or doctors, the healthy cut backs you’ve made on health insurance, online earnings, holidays, or electrical goods - anything at all - we want to hear from you.

Also, if you just want to be a member of the audience, contact us:

Email: highly.rec@gmail.com or phone: 0818 270 941 (note the use of a free web mail here)

Calls charged at national rate. Network charges may apply.

Here’s our tip on saving money, as per a reader of Value Ireland, don’t call their 0818 number. This is one of the numbers that may cost you more than you think as per our www.saynoto1890.com website. RTE, or Vision Independent Productions - help us poor consumers save money - give us a regular 01 number to call you on.