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Which UK carriers charge international rates for Twitter SMS?
Some people in the UK using Twitter's international UK number are charged international SMS rates. Others are charged less, or nothing at all. Which carriers charge what for sending and receiving from +44 762 4801423?
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Though it's always advisable to check with your provider for the rates associated with your plan, so far we've received reports that many carriers charge from .10 to .25 per message, depending on the plan associated with the phone. The following carriers may charge UK residents up to .25 per message for using +44 762 4801423:
-Vodafone
-T-Mobile
-Three charge
Orange allows Twitter messages to be included in part of the basic text messaging plans, and does not charge extra for a plan that includes SMS accordingly; for plans not allowing this, they seem to charge a lower UK-based rate instead of an international rate.
If you use a different carrier, or the same carrier with different rates, please feel free to add them to this thread.
Again, please check with your carrier (give them the Twitter number!) to be sure of your SMS rates and plan.
Thanks!
Crystal
I’m cautious with SMS fees!
The company and 1 other person say
this answers the question
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Inappropriate?Though it's always advisable to check with your provider for the rates associated with your plan, so far we've received reports that many carriers charge from .10 to .25 per message, depending on the plan associated with the phone. The following carriers may charge UK residents up to .25 per message for using +44 762 4801423:
-Vodafone
-T-Mobile
-Three charge
Orange allows Twitter messages to be included in part of the basic text messaging plans, and does not charge extra for a plan that includes SMS accordingly; for plans not allowing this, they seem to charge a lower UK-based rate instead of an international rate.
If you use a different carrier, or the same carrier with different rates, please feel free to add them to this thread.
Again, please check with your carrier (give them the Twitter number!) to be sure of your SMS rates and plan.
Thanks!
Crystal
I’m cautious with SMS fees!
The company and 1 other person say
this answers the question
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Inappropriate?I'm on Orange pay as you go. Text messages to Twitter are not taken from your bundles or allowances. They are now charged, currently at 20p per text message. This is a recent change, ie in the last three days or so. So much for "unlimited UK texts".
I’m not at all happy
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Yeah, I'm on Orange too and it used to be taken off my unlimited text bundle but now I'm being charged 20p a message. I see a lot of web Twittering in my future ;) -
Inappropriate?I just phoned O2 and the cost of sending texts to twitter is 10p and is included in my 'pay as you go' bundle (i.e. 300 'free' messages each month I top up).
Can anyone confirm this?
I’m unconcerned
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I asked O2 this via their website and got the following reply:
"Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your email.
I'm sorry you're unhappy with the charge that Orange has introduced for contacting Twitter and you're thinking of changing your provider.
As far as I can tell, the access number for this service, 0762 480 1423 would be classed as a normal text message, so it will be included in the free allowances available from us." -
Inappropriate?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.
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/publis...
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.
I’m frustrated
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Good work, Jonathan: thanks for addressing the source of the problem! Your specimen letter will be useful to UK Twitter users. I look forward to your updates on how 3 - as well as OFCOM and OTELO - react.
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Inappropriate?Hi Crystal,
Your original post says that Orange don't charge if it's part of a bundle -- I've just been informed (after ending £20 out of pocket!) that they used to consider Twitter's number as being eligible for their text bundle but now it costs 20p for every text sent to Twitter through their supposedly "unlimited" text message bundle.
I contacted O2 who say that the most they would charge for a Twitter text is 10p and that it would be included in their bundles, so I've sent off for an O2 SIM to get my number switched over.
Just a heads up -- Orange DO charge now (it must have started sometime in July) and it's 20p. It's no hassle to me to switch, but I have to say I *am* annoyed with Orange's decision to suddenly start charging for texts to the Twitter number and not informing the customer.
I’m changing my service provider!
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Inappropriate?I realised at the weekend that my credit was disappearing more quickly than usual (I get unlimited texts through Orange on PAYG, so I only use up credit on calls).
A couple of test messages proved that I was being charged 20p to text Twitter's +447624801423.
I'm not happy at all and will be getting in touch with Orange when I get chance to ask why.
07973 100 450 for Orange customer services
http://www1.orange.co.uk/mobilecontac...
I’m annoyed
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I spoke to Orange's customer services, and it was like pulling teeth -- I waited 48 hours for a reply which just told me what I knew, that I was being charged 20p per message. I didn't even get a call, they just texted me back.
When I tried to raise the issue further I got the same response -- that I'm being charged 20p per message. They seemed to not get that I wanted to know why it started all of a sudden, and why I wasn't told they were going to start charging!
