the cost or replying to a classified advert

[clive f]

I recently purchased a car via the pstonheads classifieds, the seller had used the "phonesafe option" where his own mobile number is kept private, nothing wrong with that, I`ve used this service myself.

However, on receiving my mobile phone bill today, I was gobsmacked to see that I had been charged a fortune to phone this number to chat to the seller of the car about the purchase ect.

on my bill the number is shown, and is entitled BTone, and whilst all of my other calls are free as I am well within my monthly minutes limit to other mobiles and landlines, I was charged a total of £53.79, for 3 seperate calls lasting a grand total of 83.77 minutes, that equates to 64.21 pence per minute.

okay, if the advert is free then the prospective purchaser is paying every time he or she phones up to enquire about the item that is for sale on p/hds, but perhaps someone can show me where in the terms and conditions of advertising it states that you will be charged for calling over the odds for calling the phonesafe number supplied.??

perhaps it free to everyone who isn`t an Orange customer?

[Mazdarese]

clive f said:

that equates to 64.21 pence per minute.

Terms and Conditions said:

Day: 37.5p
Evening: 25.0p
Weekend: 12.5p

This is why I'd normally email the seller and ask for a normal number before calling them.

[clive f]

THANKS guys, lessonlearned the hard way,



note to self.............don`t get ripped off agin.

[pincher]

Mazdarese said:

clive f said:

that equates to 64.21 pence per minute.

Terms and Conditions said:

Day: 37.5p
Evening: 25.0p
Weekend: 12.5p

Terms and Conditions also said:

All prices are pence per minute fom a BT Landline and calls from a mobile or other operator may vary.

[Mazdarese]

[Mr Will]

pincher said:

Terms and Conditions said:

All prices are pence per minute fom a BT Landline and calls from a mobile or other operator may vary.

This is the problem, Phonesafe does not charge any more and we don't make any more money if you call it from a mobile, it is the mobile operators who use it as an excuse to ramp up charges (in the same way that mine charges 36ppm to call "cheap rate" 0871 numbers, or 21ppm to call 0800 numbers).

I am very sorry that you feel you have been ripped off, but we do feel that phonesafe is a useful option for sellers, which is why we continue to offer it.

[bennno]

clive f said:

I recently purchased a car via the pstonheads classifieds, the seller had used the "phonesafe option" where his own mobile number is kept private, nothing wrong with that, I`ve used this service myself.

However, on receiving my mobile phone bill today, I was gobsmacked to see that I had been charged a fortune to phone this number to chat to the seller of the car about the purchase ect.

on my bill the number is shown, and is entitled BTone, and whilst all of my other calls are free as I am well within my monthly minutes limit to other mobiles and landlines, I was charged a total of £53.79, for 3 seperate calls lasting a grand total of 83.77 minutes, that equates to 64.21 pence per minute.

okay, if the advert is free then the prospective purchaser is paying every time he or she phones up to enquire about the item that is for sale on p/hds, but perhaps someone can show me where in the terms and conditions of advertising it states that you will be charged for calling over the odds for calling the phonesafe number supplied.??

perhaps it free to everyone who isn`t an Orange customer?

Wtf spend 84 minutes on phone buying a car? Wtf didn't you ask the guy for his number the first time you spoke to him?

[clive f]

it was over 3 seperate calls, ok so I`m a numpty and lesson learned,point made!