Hello....this is my first thead - oh nooo!!

[p!nkfan]

Hiya, sorry if you guys and gals think I'm silly but I have a question that I would love if someone could answer.

I could kick myself I was so stupid but here it goes.

I used to chat to someone online (cutting a long story short), she had a few family problems that she wanted to chat about. We used to chat online for over a year and eventually we exchanged mobile numbers. I live in South Wales, UK and she lives in Melbourne, Australia. On one occasion chatting online, she asked if she could ring me on my mobile for a chat. Of course, I said I didn't mind and she rang me and we spent a few hours on the phone about different things.

I remember thinking to myself but of course didn't say that "she must be made of money to keep me on the phone for so long" but didn't say anything about it. Anyroad, she needed my advice and I never minded chatting to her making her feel better about things.

After her ringing me on mobile quite often then during that month, I received my next month bill from Vodafone for the amount of £800.00!!!!

I couldn't believe it. When I rang Vodafone, she said that as she lives in Australia, even though SHE rang me, I received the calls and as such, billed for all of those calls. Everytime she rang me though, there wasn't any notification of any recorded voice message indicating that I would be charged for receiving this call and having never received any telephone calls from anyone living so far away ever before, I just didn't know and assumed that if she made the calls, she would be charged for them.

This is going back 18 months ago now and of course, I couldn't afford to pay £800.00 in one go. They said that they could only spread this amount over a maximum of 4 months and as I couldn't afford £200.00 a month, Vodafone transferred me to Debt Collecting Company and I'm now paying this amount off. I now owe just over £500.00 and will continue to pay it until this amount has cleared.

I have never sought advice in relation to this as after speaking to friends, family and work colleagues, they seemed surprised that I wasn't aware that I would be billed for receiving such calls. I have been far too embarassed to ask others what their thoughts are on this but every now and again, I do wonder whether a Mobile Phone Company should allow some recorded voice message when a call is being received from outside of the UK warning the phone user that if the call is received, the receiver will be left responsible for paying for the calls?????

I know I was silly for accepting all those calls. I actually assumed this person from Melbourne must have been made of money to chat for so long so many times.

I just wonder, I'm sure there are others who wouldn't have just known about this and please could you give your thoughts on it??????

Many thanks x

[5layer]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

I have friends and relations overseas and they all phone me on my mobile, for many years now and with different mobile companies. I have never been charged in any way for Incoming calls to my mobile.

I can only think that your Australian friend had perhaps reversed the charges and why Vodafone never alerted you to this.

Good luck with this and perhaps some one else on the forums knows more.

[sortingitout]

Same as the above poster, i receive calls from India twice a month to my mobile and have never been charged for these (I am with 02)

Hopefully more knowledgeable folk will be along shortly.

[OrangePrimate]

Hi

So sorry you got landed with this bill, and even more sorry that you have even paid a penny of it!!

No Network here charges a Uk customer for recieving calls on their mobile while in the UK. The only time you would be charged for an incoming call to your phone (without any warning/notification messages either) would be if you were abroad yourself.

I think it may be too late to challenge those charges, but i would certainly still challenge vodafone and get a reasonable explanation from them as it is very possible that the person you spoke to at the time was confused and thought YOU were roaming in Australia at the time the calls came through.

please let us know how you get on (I will now be asking about reverse charge calls TO mobiles in work tomorow!!)

OP

As far as i am aware a reverse charged call cannot be put through to a mobile number (I am sure there will be someone along more knowledgable to corect me!) but i have never heard of it or seen evidence of it.

If vodafone did allow a reverse charge call to your number they should at the very least ask you or give you some warning that you were accepting reverse charges and therefor liable for the billing of that call.

[goodwill]

Originally Posted by OrangePrimate

No Network here charges a Uk customer for recieving calls on their mobile while in the UK. The only time you would be charged for an incoming call to your phone (without any warning/notification messages either) would be if you were abroad yourself.

yes that's my enderstanding.

@p!nkfan

i suggest you post your problem on this forum and ask for help
Vodafone eForum

[p!nkfan]

Many thanks for your advice.

I'm pleased to have posted it now - I don't feel so silly.

To be honest, I might get in contact with Vodafone about this because as I have said, had I had some voice message confirming that if I were to accept these calls, I would be charged for them, I would have kept the calls very short and sweet!!!!

Thanks again - I'm off to look for that statement confirming the calls received from Australia.

xxx

[sortingitout]

If you can't find any of your statements, then you can send a Data Protection Act, Subject Access Request letter, it costs £10, they are then obliged to send all data they hold on there files, all your statements etc

[PrettyPaula]

i have to agree with all the above posters.

i work for a network and that is
NOT standard practise

had you been abroad yourself, it does cost to recieve calls.

however not in this country!

[buzby]

Are you with Vodafone UK? Are can only be charged for incoming calls if you were roaming on another network - say Vodafone Ireland (the signal does cross the Irish Sea), so you should ask them to check. In most cases, they do refund these additional charges when inadevertant roaming takes place.