Need A Number Nifty? Get Ready to Pay €5.50!

Just one second on a call to directory enquiries can cost you as much as €5.58 according to new research by the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI). The study, which has just been released, shows that the cost of a one-second call can vary in price from 60c up to anywhere in the region of €5.58. The figures have caused widespread outcry this morning, with news that a 10-minute call could cost in the region of €30. These prices were established by ringing the numbers from an Eircom landline. The CAI also stated that trying to work out the charges that consumers pay to the service were so difficult to understand that it necessitated the help of a mathematician. Indeed, the charges to consumers vary dramatically, with major discrepancies in costs from an Eircom landline. The Association added that there seems to be no consistency or pattern to the charges, as they differ hugely depending on the network and whether the call came from a bill pay or prepaid phone. “There is no consistency in approach between bill-pay and pre-pay tariffs which serves to only further confuse and frustrate the consumer’s potential to shop around,” the CAI stated. The report showed that a one minute call to 11850 costs €5.58, while to 11811 it is €3.42 for the same time frame. Meanwhile, a one-minute call to 11890 costs €3.40. However, due to a minimum price service and set-up fee, consumers can be charged €5.58 for a one-second call to 11850. A ten-minute call with 11850 will set you back up to €30.69, in comparison to €12.31 with 11890. In response to the report, 11811 operator Eircom stated that its charges are fully displayed during its advertisements and promotions, while 11890 Chief Executive Nicola Byrne called for greater regulation of pricing from the Commission for Communications Regulation. A full price comparison guide of the directory enquiries services is available on callcosts.ie. In the meantime, to try and avoid these high tariffs, policy advisor to the CAI Dermot Jewell recommends the internet. “For consumers who have internet access, each service provides a free search engine. For those who do not, there is on low call number, 11888, that provides a much cheaper charge. This number is provided by 11850, but is not advertised – anywhere – except on the 11850 website."