digitaltoast

UPDATE: 14th Aug 2008 Twitter stops text updates to UK mobiles.

I started twitting via my mobile yesterday – after all, it appeared to be a UK number and Twitter said there were NO extra charges apart from your standard network rates.

Fortunately, something made me check after just four texts…it cost me £1, ie: 25p each! Twitter texts are NOT included in the standard text charge, even though there is nothing to suggest that 07624801423 will be charged at premium international rates.

Here are some posts on the twitter customer care centre:

Why does twitter lie about sms charges?

Which UK carriers charge international rates for Twitter SMS?

07624 UK number being charged at international rates by 3.

UPDATE! Here’s a bit of audio – I called Three customer services after receiving my bill and confirming the charges for +44 7624 801423 or 07624801423.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Yes, I know it’s not a “Man X” number, and no, I don’t usually say things like “I just wonder if you could verify some informations at this time please”, but then, that’s the kind of thing I have to put up with when I call three!

I found plenty of people complaining of unexpected bills of £100’s, and this blog explains it well:

http://simondickson.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/twitter-by-sms-beware-international-charges/

Here’s another blog on SMStextnews

Here’s some feedback from the Twitter blog

http://blog.twitter.com/2007/03/reminder-standard-rates-do-apply.html

Note that they talk about “standard” rates applying – I’m pretty sure most people wouldn’t class a hidden premium rate as standard!

Twitter says it doesn’t charge for texts sent to twitter.

“A special word of caution for International folks: some carriers (such as Orange) don’t charge an international fee to use the Twitter UK number. Others consider it an international number and charge up to .15 per message. Remember to check your phone plan for international rates; be aware that standard messaging rates vary by carrier, and do apply. “

Lie #1: It’s not 15p, it’s 25p
Lie #2: “A special word of caution for International folks” -
I’m not international! There’s no dialling code. How the heck am I supposed to know that a normal length 07 uk mobile number is 25p and not included?

I cannot get to the bottom of how much twitter make off each 25p, but I wish they would be honest about it. I nearly got caught out like others – my bill could have been £100’s.

And I don’t for one second believe they’re not making on the charges – why on earth would they choose that bizarre number unless they were?

OK, I got a reply from twitter….
crystal, Official Rep, replied:
Hi guys,

Twitter does not profit from your SMS messages, but we do pay a hefty bill for international SMS ourselves, which we consider part of running the business. We do not want you getting a huge bill; that doesn’t do anyone any good.

We do caution people to check with their providers when using any of our numbers to ensure that they are covered in their text plans. Some carriers in the UK do not charge extra fees for using +44 762 4801423, and some do.

We’ve updated the help articles with additional warnings that UK carriers are not always excluded from potential international charges, and we’re working on ways to clarify that when you add your number to the site. Our apologies for any confusion on that point.

To which I replied:

I’m even more confused now. If you don’t make money from my 25p, what benefit DO you get from this bizarre system? If they are giving you outgoing messages for free, then that’s one thing. But then that DOES mean you are profiting from the charges. And if you DON’T get a benefit, then why annoy SO many customers? More and more blogs and media are starting to pick up on these as shocked people get large bills.

I’ve now checked – only one of the UK’s five major providers don’t charge.

Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and Three charge up to 25p for these messages.
o2 appear not to.

I could be wrong about that, but I got that info from OFCOM.

So I think it’d be more honest to say “most UK providers charge up to 25p for sending to twitter”.

If you want to do something about this, I suggest the following – I’m on 3, so have tailored it for that.
If you do nothing, you’ll get no satisfaction.

Phone the following:
OFCOM: 020 7981 3040 and
OTELO: 01925 430049 – log a report and they will give you the name and address of the highest UK complaints contact in 3, based in Glasgow.

Also, phone your local Trading Stadards and ask to log a report against 3’s UK Head Office in Maidenhead.

I suggest something along the lines of the following letter to your mobile provider:

My 3 phone number:
3 Account number:

OFCOM reference:
OTELO reference:
Trading Standards Ref (Maidenhead):

RE: UK Mobile numbers being excluded from bundle without warning

In 3’s Terms and Conditions, it states that bundled calls and texts are included “to UK mobiles”.
Most people understand the code +44 to be uk – for example:

http://www.thephonebook.bt.com/publisha.content/en/search/international/record.publisha?id=L231

So, you would have reasonable expectation that sending a text to the UK number
+44 762 4801423  should be included:– as I understand, and OFCOM and OTELO agree – that the prefix +44 means “UK” and the number range 07xxx could be expected to be a “normal” number to send a text to (rather than a short or premium code).

However, it appears that 3, along with 2 other companies, have decided to charge this number as international.  Fortunately, by chance, I noticed this after only a few texts (to a service called “Twitter”). Others have not been so lucky, and there are many web forums complaining of unexpected bills of £60+.

This number turns out to be a Manx Telecom number but is NOT excluded anywhere in your terms and conditions, and when I called customer services, they actually suggested that for every person I call or text, I should call 3 customer services, “just to check”. As the hold time is often 20 minutes and calling CS is like pulling teeth, that’s really not going to happen.

OFCOM and OTELO say that your choosing to charge for this number is a commercial decision, however having reviewed your T&C they do not believe that any warning was given. With regards to this, Trading Standards compare the following scenario:
If I go to buy a lemon, marked at 10p, and when I reach the till it is 30p, I can choose not to buy that lemon. In this case, I have no choice – the charge is applied without my being aware of it.

All three would like me to forward your response to this point, and OTELO would like to know if you consider your reply to be a “deadlock” letter so they can then proceed further.