[LINK] Telcos still charging for 1800 calls

[Stephen Loosley]

Telcos still charging for 1800 calls

By Paul Purcell  AAP  February 18, 2015 2:50PM


HOLD the phone, your telco may be ripping you off.

Millions of Australians are still being billed for calls to 1800 numbers after a group of 13 companies, including telecommunications giant Vodafone, missed the January 1 cut-off to make mobile calls to those numbers free of charge.

The industry set its own deadline to implement the changes in July 2014.

Many essential service providers including Centrelink, Medicare, the Domestic Violence Crisis Line as well as drug, alcohol and mental health support services use 1800 numbers to encourage callers to contact them for free.

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin says it is unfair some Australians are still paying for mobile calls to 1800 numbers.

"Recent statistics show that consumers are increasingly reliant on mobile phones for communicating."

"Now that mobiles are the dominant form of communication we're just asking that these free calls be extended to mobile."

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network said some customers with Vodafone are being charged 98 cents per minute for calls to a 1800 number, plus an extra 40 cents connection fee.

This means a two-minute call would cost $2.36.

Vodafone had an estimated 5.2 million mobile phone customers in July 2014, accounting for 17 per cent of the mobile phone market in Australia.

Financial Counselling Australia executive director Fiona Guthrie said it was hugely concerning some Australians can not afford to ring for help.

"The cost of calling a 1800 number from a mobile is really prohibitive for many low-income consumers," Ms Guthrie said.

At June 2014, Australia had 31.01 million mobile voice and data services in operation.

There are roughly 115,000 different 1800 numbers.

A Vodafone spokeswoman told AAP that customers wouldn't pay out of pocket for 1800 calls until they exceed the cap on their plan.

"We're confident that Vodafone offers market-leading plans that meet a broad range of customer needs," the company said in a statement.


TELCOS STILL CHARGING FOR MOBILE CALLS TO 1800 NUMBERS

* Vodafone

* TPG

* Dodo

* Vaya

* Yatango

* Cmobile

* Live Connected

* Jeenee Mobile

* Bendigo Bank Telco

* Hello Mobile

* GoTalk

* Lebara Mobile

* Aldi Mobile

Source: Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
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Cheers,
Stephen