30 June 2006
Mr Mike Read,
Chief Executive
PIPEX Communications UK Ltd
Portland Street
Beeston
Nottingham
NG9 2LP
2 page letter by fax only to: 0115 877 0213
Dear Mr Read
The following are paragraphs from my second letter of 25 May 2006 which contained a copy of my email to 123-ref.co.uk at 17.54pm that day.
“I have tried on three occasions to telephone via the 50p per minute number without getting anyone. The last two calls were within the last few minutes.
A pre-recorded voice of a woman answers saying welcome to 123.Reg etc then gives the warning that the calls cost 50p per minute. The phone then rings for 2 minutes before another message says that no one is available to take the call.
I had wanted to speak to someone before the supposed 6pm cut-off time. It now appears that my website will be down for another day due purely to the incompetence and indifference of your company. Of course 123-Reg has earned well out of the phone calls.”
Your staff subsequently denied that I would be charged the 50p per minute for such calls. However, I have an itemised phone bill and, as I suspected, your firm did in fact charge 50p per minute for the two calls cited above (and for other calls that I made to you in similar circumstances).
This is outright dishonesty. Why have staff on hand to deal with your customers when you can generate income by ignoring problems created by your incompetence and instead run a reprehensible premium telephone charge scam. How many other Pipex customers have been cheated in this way? One of your staff subsequently confirmed that in response to my comments, you changed the pre-recorded announcement. This is a matter of record.
What it all boils down to is that your firm engaged in a deliberate plan to generate income from premium rate calls under false pretences i.e. a 50p per minute charge per minute being triggered by an answering machine and then the premium rate call being allowed to continue with the phone ringing for over two minutes and the 50p per minute charge continuing to be applied, with no 123-reg.co.uk support staff actually ever answering the call.
Customers ended up being charged without receiving any benefit. That would appear to be a criminal offence. The opening announcement deliberately encouraged callers to hang on while the ringing continued, falsely giving the impression that the call would be answered by one of your support team.
Have you any idea how it feels to be ripped off in this way when the premium rate call ends without any live operative answering?
Was the premium call scam carried out with the knowledge of Pipex management? Did you know that Pipex customers were being cheated in this sleazy dishonest way? The sums involved may be small but were no doubt viewed as a worthwhile extra revenue stream from the cumulative income from the call charge income generated without the involvement of any staff and without any benefit being given to the callers: a straightforward rip-off.
When is Pipex management going to investigate the matters I have raised?
What will your shareholders make of such conduct?
I will also be considering lodging complaints as appropriate with the Advertising Standards Authority, the Telecoms Regulator and the Police concerning the various matters that I have drawn to the attention of the public on my website.
My question about the bandwidth allowance remains unanswered. The website is still down despite purchasing 4 extra GB’s in the last several days, including the purchase made yesterday.
I have been robbed of my time and money. I am appalled at the continuing lack of any proper response from Pipex. You appear to have no concern about this scandalous affair.
Yours sincerely
Alfred Donovan
alfred@shellnews.net