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Sky Talk problems.!!

On 11 Feb 2012 at 8:55am Nothappywithmyson wrote:

Hi eveyone, i have just spoken to sky and found out i am being charged £268.88 for a four and a half min call. Have spoken to my son and he has admitted to calling a premium rate number, i am not happy with him however i can not believe that the call charge is right. Sky are being useless and not helpful.
Has anyone else had problems with huge call charges with sky or any other provider.
Would be great to know what the outcome of your problems were.
I shall also be removing my sons fingers so he is not able to dial any more numbers.!!!!!
Only joking about that last bit.x

On 11 Feb 2012 at 8:59am DFL wrote:

Blinkin' 'eck, that's a whopping bill. Try locking the phone away ! I don't think any provider cares who dials what number, as long as they get their money !

On 11 Feb 2012 at 10:09am Southover Queen wrote:

Wow, that's astonishing!

Isn't there a way of blocking premium rate numbers so that no-one can dial them? I think I'd be asking that question of my service provider pronto, and moving if they don't provide it. I think I'd also be reporting it to Ofcom: it can't be right that just four minutes can cost that much.

On 11 Feb 2012 at 1:49pm Castle Gate wrote:

I'd like to say that there's a maximum call cost for premium rate numbers; and the industry has not corrected a number of writers who've said so. But the industry's Code of Practice says otherwise when the calls are to certain types of advice lines (as opposed to entertainment services).

In all cases, there is a maximum charge of £1.53 per minute (including VAT) to such numbers when called from a landline, though mobile service providers can charge more; and many types of service provider must terminate the call when a cost of £30 has been reached, or about 19 minutes at the maximum landline rate.

In short, the call causing the charge mentioned in the poster's original note must either have been to a particular type of advice line which is not required to cap its charges (though there is an advisory maximum call duration of one hour); or is a stinking great mistake by Sky.
The full code of practice, and the full guidance, is available from the PhonepayPlus website, which is the body now charged, by Ofcom, with regulating the premium rate number industry. Please see the link below.

Check it out here »

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