Tag Archives | Vodafone

What are 076 numbers? What’s the cost implications of calling 076 numbers?

saynoto1890_slider_1_faqIn my recent February 2016 – confirming the Geographic Alternative Numbers Updated Across the SayNoTo1890.com website, I indicated that there would be some follow ups to the issue raised by a number of users of this website regarding 076 numbers. As one correspondent said some time ago:

I have been lately waging my own battles with some government bodies over their use of non-geographic numbers and have come across the latest scam called 076 and 0761 numbers.

I’m not sure it’s a “scam” as such, but 076 numbers are now an issue for mobile phone users in the same way as 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers are. The costs are upwards on 30c per minute, but more particularly calls to 076 numbers are in most cases not deducted from minute bundles on mobile phone contracts. This is despite the fact that the introduction by such government departments was intended to reduce call costs for customers.

While there are a number of organisations who do provide an 076 contact number, it was likely when the Water Conservation Grant Section provided one last year that most people encountered an 076 number for the first time.

What is an 076 Number?

076 is the prefix originally by designated by COMREG for use when calling VOIP phones. VOIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol is effectively making telephone calls over the internet. You don’t have to be on the internet yourself when you’re calling a VOIP 076 number – you can call from any regular landline or mobile phone. And these days, you don’t necessarily need to be dialling an 076 number to call someone who’s using a VOIP service.

The key thing here is that given the distinction made by COMREG for the 076 numbers, mobile phone companies are using the number as a loophole (similar to 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers) to boost their earnings.

In most cases, you’ll see companies who use 076 numbers explaining that calling such a number will cost the same as a local call. In the same way that providers of 1890 LoCall numbers will say the same thing.

The key difference here, and what’s being left out, is “from an Eir(com) landline”. That’s how costs for 1890 numbers originated, and it’s now how 076 numbers are being priced.

Mobiles Are Different (as usual)

But as we all know, similar to calling an 1890 number from your mobile, you’re most likely charged the equivalent of a mobile to mobile call. And what’s of more pain and inconvenience, in most cases, calls to 076 numbers are not deducted from your minutes bundles on your mobile phone contract.

The mobile provider 48 is the most expensive for calling an 076 number, at 50c per minute. The cheapest that I can work out is with Meteor (either Pre-Pay or Bill-Pay). In both those cases, the cost is flagged as the same as their normal minute rate, which is 15c per minute. Similarly, Vodafone Pre-Pay and Bill-Pay price plans indicates that it’s the same cost as a normal call on a mobile to call an 076 number. Neither Meteor nor Vodafone deduct 076 minutes from your free minutes bundles.

As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s not always easy to find out this information given the variety of phone packages, and phone costs, and peak and off-peak – you’d almost think that your mobile provider didn’t want you to know. In fact, there is no information anywhere for any of the Three Mobile plans on how much it is to call 076 numbers.

Finally, Tesco Mobile will charge you 30c per minute to call an 076 number – on the more expensive end of the scale. But, but, on a more positive twist, they’re the only company to deduct 076 minutes from their free minutes bundles on Pre-Pay and Bill-Pay contracts.

What to do?

Basically we need to treat 076 numbers the same as 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers. That is, as much as possible, we need to hunt down and share geographic alternatives for 076 numbers.

But that’s easier said than done. I’ve today contacted these 4 government organisations who provide ONLY 076 numbers on their contact pages on their websites. The don’t provide any geographic alternatives, and they’re the most popular organisations for people to be contacting me here. These are:

  • Money Advice & Budgeting Service
    • MABS Helpline 0761072000
  • Insolvency Service of Ireland
    • Information and General Enquiries 0761064200
    • Case Management Division 0761064200
    • Bankruptcy Division 0761064232
    • Regulation Division 0761064234
  • Citizens Information
    • Phone Service 0761074000
    • Website Team 0761079000
  • Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
    • SUSI Support Desk 0761087874

So, if you have geographic alternatives for these numbers already, please let me know and I’ll update the website so others can benefit. Alternatively, if you know of other 076 numbers and other geographic alternatives, let me know and I’ll update the website.

 

LoCall numbers could cost you extra

It was this news article from Paul Kelly in the Irish Examiner that started my work on what eventually became the SayNoTo1890.com website. That’s 9 years ago now, and still nothing much has been done to alleviate the issue for Irish consumers (apart from this site obviously :-))

 

LoCall numbers could cost you extra - The Irish ExaminerLoCall numbers could cost you extra
By Paul Kelly, Consumer Correspondent
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
CONSUMERS are needlessly paying out up to €5 a time to ring “low cost” telephone numbers like those beginning 1890 — even though they could get the calls for next to nothing.

Banks, airlines, Iarnród Éireann and the Revenue encourage consumers to ring their LoCall 1890 telephone numbers at local call rates costing 4.9cent a minute in the daytime and 1.26c off-peak.

But dialling the numbers from a mobile phone could cost up to €4.90 for a 10-minute call while landline customers could similarly find themselves out of pocket. This is because popular landline phone deals like Eircom’s exclude LoCall 1890 numbers, Callsave 1850 and national 0818 calls from the offer of unlimited landline calls while mobiles have higher fees for “low cost” numbers.

Yet consumers can beat the trap if they dial the alternative numbers listed by many organisations on their websites or in phone books alongside their 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers.

For instance, customers on Eircom’s Talktime Anytime package, would pay 49c for a 10-minute call to the AIB phone banking 1890 242424 hotline as such numbers are not part of the offer of unlimited calls.

But if customers dialled the hotline on AIB’s alternative number of 01 6670024 then the call would be included in their €39.99-a-month fee for unlimited calls.

Similarly, an Eircom customer on the Talktime 15c package pays €25.99 a month for line rental and then 15c per landline call no matter how long they talk for.

But if they have to make a 10-minute call to Ticketmaster’s 0818 719300 number for booking a concert ticket then they will pay 82c for a daytime call or 49c in the evenings.

Had they telephoned the ticket company’s alternative number 01 4569569, then they would pay a standard 15c flat fee.

By dialling the national 0818 number customers are paying up to 81% more for the call than they need to as the Talktime 15c package only covers standard phone numbers.

From a mobile a 10-minute call to a Ticketmaster 0818 line costs up to €4.90 with Vodafone, €2.50 with Meteor and €3.10 with O2.

Subscribers to landline phone firms’ deals pay 6.35c extra every time they call the 1850 Callsave numbers used by the likes of Bord Gáis, ESB and the VHI.

But if they have all-inclusive packages then they can save by dialling standard numbers and avoid paying out extra.

Yesterday, the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) said that firms with 1850, 1890 and 0818 numbers should do more to make their customers aware of how to make their calls cheaper.

“More organisations are using these numbers as a convenient way for customers to get in touch yet these numbers can cost a fortune,” said CAI chief executive Dermott Jewell.

“Phone companies should include 1890 or 1850 numbers in their deals and should not be charging consumers extra as these are still landline calls,” he said.

Calling 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers from mobiles

HelpIn an earlier post, I wrote about calling 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers from Skype – basically the outcome was that you couldn’t and that you’d have to make use of the geographical alternatives provided here on SayNoTo1890.com.

When it comes to calling 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers from your mobile phone, the story is a little different. You’re perfectly free to call these numbers from your mobile, however, based on the information on the Call Costs page linked above, calling these numbers will cost you more than normal calls.

The first thing to note is that mobile calls to 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers do not get deducted from your inclusive minutes on your mobile contract package.

So, when you’re forced to pay for those minutes, you could end up paying between 3 and 6 times the cost of calling the same numbers from a landling. Check out the Call Costs page to see what it will cost you for the mobile package that you have.

However, if you use the geographical alternative numbers presented on this website instead of the 1890, 1850 and 0818 numbers advertised by many companies, then you won’t have to pay any extra to make those calls. The minutes, because they’re to geographical numbers, will be deducted from your minutes in your phone contract package.

So, if you know geographical alternatives to 1890, 1850 or 0818 numbers that you personally use, and you’d like to share them with everyone, you can mail us here to let us know.

V

  • Virgin Media – UPC / Chorus / NTL
    • Customer Care 1890940070 and 1890940251 and 1890940624 – Call Instead – 012458000
    • General Sales / Billing Call Instead – 1800234234
  • VHI Healthcare
    • Claims 1850444444 Call Instead – 0567753200 or 018724499
    • VHI Health Check (Harcourt Street) 1890444444 – Call Instead  018871709
    • Swiftcare Clinics 1890866966 Call Instead – 017994192
    • Call Centre 1890444444 – Call Instead 0567753000
    • Existing Members 1890866855 – Call Instead 0567753000
    • Corporate Plans 1850211558 – Call Instead 0567753000 and ask to be put through
    • 1890866822 – Call Instead 0567753000 or 0567753200
    • Nurseline 24/7 1850247724 – Call Instead 0469077375
  • Viking Direct Dublin
    • 1890818120 Call Instead – 018150600
    • Or try Freephone 1800709004
  • Vodafone
    • Business 1800308020 Call Instead – 012038232
    • Personal Pay as You Go Customer Care 1850208787 Call Instead – 012038232
    • Personal Pay Monthly Customer Care 1907 Call Instead – 012038232
    • Personal Sales Support 1800225588 Call Instead – 012038232
    • Vodafone At Home 1850995133 Call Instead – 012038232
    • Technical Support 1850995133 – Call Instead 012038445
  • VRT
    • 1890927787 – Call Instead 014135975 (as of 12/01/2016, previously 014135982)
  • St. Vincent’s University Hospital
    • Blood Test 1890253184 – Call Instead 012003928

P

  • Panda Recycling
    • 1850626262 Call Instead – 0469024111 or 018298988
  • Parcel Motel/Nightline
    • 1890241717 – Call Instead 018835400 or 018835442
  • ParkMagic (Limerick)
    • 0818220330, 0818221177 & 0818220107 – Call Instead 061311422
    • 1800303093 – Call Instead 061311422
  • Park by Text Customer Service
    • 0818444999 – Call Instead 016349805, then option 3
  • Payzone (Parking Tags)
    • 0818300161 – Call Instead 012076000, gets you through to reception, then you ask for Parking Tag customer support
  • PAYE South West Region
    • 1890222425 – Call Instead 0216027000
  • PayPal Customer Service
    • 1890943220 Call Instead – 014369001
  • Pensions Board
    • 1890656565 Call Instead – 016131900
  • Perfect Water
    • 1890989098 – Call Instead 06389290
  • Perlico Customer Service
    • 1890353535 Call Instead – 012933500
  • Permanent TSB
    • Automated Service Menu 1890241224 Call Instead – 012124299
    • Customer Service 1890500121 Call Instead – 012124101
    • open24 phone banking 1890500212 Call Instead – 012124101
    • 1890500172 – Call Instead 012124290
  • permaNET broadband
    • 1890818599 Call Instead – 0216010503
  • PetInsure.ie
    • 1890201201 Call Instead – 0212029119
  • Pierse & Fitzgibbon (solicitors for E-Flow / M50 violations)
    • 0818313100 Call Instead – 06850900
  • Pinergy Pre-Pay Electricity
    • 1850945020 and 1850945021 Call Instead – 02950830 (or try 0215002502, though this could be outbound number only)
  • Podiatry.ie
    • 1890253151 – Call Instead 0429334351
  • PoleStars
    • 1890882324 Call Instead – 045540045
  • An Post
    • Customer Service 1850575859 – Call Instead 017057600
    • Billpay.ie Customer Support 1890617171 – Call Instead 017057000
    • TV Licence Services 1890252749 – Call Instead 017058800
    • Savings 1850305060 – Call Instead 017057000
  • PostBank
    • 1890303040 Call Instead – 0906441930
  • PostMobile Customer Care
    • 1850 789 789 – Call Instead 051595169
  • PrePayPower.ie
    • Sales Team 1890987839 or 1890989536 Call Instead – 0212355909
    • Customer Service 0818323920 & 0818333180 – Call Instead 0212355909, and ask to be put through
    • Dedicated Top Up Line 1890987739 – Call Instead (freephone) 1800989570
  • Prestige Discounted travel insurance
    • 1890808666 Call Instead – 0494371505
  • Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB)
    • 0818303037 – Call Instead 0766887350 (note, 076 may be charged same as 1890 / 0818 / 1850, so please check before dialing)
    • Alternatively try 016353651 (provided 19/01/2016)
  • Prize Bond Company Administrative Queries
    • 1850671000 Call Instead – 0669761258
  • Property Tax Helpline (Revenue)
    • 1890200255 Call Instead – 017023049 (or possibly 014853695)
  • Perfect Water Systems Limited
    • 1890989098 – Call Instead 06389290
  • Public Services Helpdesk
    • 1890837000 – Call Instead 017043000 and ask to be put through
  • Public Services Card
    • 1890837000 – Call Instead 017043000 and ask to be put through
    • People have also succeeded by calling 0719672616
  • Pepper Customer Service (Danske Bank)
    • 1890923346 – Call Instead 061236852
  • Prima Finance
    • 1890456700 – Call Instead 0646630340
  • PhoneWatch
    • 1850211886 – Call Instead 012076100
  • Public Services Office (Carrick on Shannon) / (Free Travel)
    • 1890837000 – Call Instead 017043000
  • Primacare Medical Centre (Dundrum)
    • 1890703703 – Call Instead 012166960
  • PerfectCard.ie
    • 1850496496 – Call Instead 012557111
  • Public Services Card
    • 1890837000 – Call Instead 0719672616 or 0719672571 (or 017043281 or 017043000 and ask for card helpdesk)
  • Pure Telecom
    • 1890987550 – Call Instead 012895555
    • Residential 1850930580 – Call Instead 012469000

Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes

free hit counter