131875 is costing you

[mrsmajor]

Hi folks
It's been a long while since I posted here but have found some past discussion on the 131875 number to get to priority phone contact.
As such, have just received our phone bill for our mobiles and not a lot out of the ordinary but wondered why one was higher than the other, and who that 131875 number was that was costing more per call than any other mobile call.
Had no idea who that number belonged to so a bit of digging and up came the culprit!

Turns out that 131875 priority mobile phone contact with Velocity is costing you approximately 50c per minute so you better make those calls short!

 

[777]

Because of this I switched to using the direct Sydney line a while back.

Try: 02 8667 5941

Should be the same line but not the same cost!

 

[Ewing]

It's really dependent on your phone plan - whatever they charge for 13/1300 numbers will be what it costs to call Velocity on 131875 (and same with Qantas on 131313 and anyone else).

It doesn't cost me anything when I call them because that's the phone plan I'm on.

 

[777]

Are you with Telstra Ewing?

AFAIK it actually depends what carrier you're with. 13*** and 1800****** are free with Telstra but as they are Telstra operated they charge more to everyone else who generally pass that on to the customer.

 

[Ewing]

Are you with Telstra Ewing?

I have two mobile accounts - one with Telstra and one with Vodafone.

They're chargeable on Telstra but they're included in my cap (which I never come close to hitting) so from my perspective they're "free".

Vodafone class 13/1300/1800 numbers as standard numbers - my plan includes "infinite" calls to those.

 

[dk4]

Increasingly 13 (e.g. 131 & 1300) numbers are becoming a silly business decision for companies. It costs them more money to have, and increasingly, it is costing consumers more to call them too.

It's not just on some telcos' mobile plans, but it's also becoming common on some home phone services providers as well, where they do not calculate 13 numbers as "included" or "local".

IMO businesses should start dropping these 13 numbers, or at the very least display a standard number (e.g. 07 xx_x xx_x) everywhere they display their 13 number.

 

[slc767338]

Using the local/national numbers all but eliminates these costs

As mentioned up thread, (02) 8667 5941 works a treat.

If anyone was wondering about equivalent numbers for QF, try

(02) 9691 3636 - Main Switchboard; or
(03) 9658 5302 - Frequent Flyer
(02) 9433 2329 - Frequent Flyer

 

[medhead]

Telstra fixed line also charges for 13/1300 numbers.

 

[mrsmajor]

Using the local/national numbers all but eliminates these costs

As mentioned up thread, (02) 8667 5941 works a treat.

If anyone was wondering about equivalent numbers for QF, try

(02) 9691 3636 - Main Switchboard; or
(03) 9658 5302 - Frequent Flyer

Might get he that rings the number, to try using the 02 number in future!

 

[dajop]

For comparison, from outside Australia I always use Skype and always try to find local (02/03/etc) number. On Skype you get charged 2.5c per min for landline, free for 1800 numbers, 8.4c per min for 13xx_x numbers and a whopping 27.9c per min for 1300 numbers.

 

[Cynicor]

Just get a better cap

But yeah, local numbers would work too. Those numbers have always been part of my caps, which are all high enough as to be effectively unlimited.

 

[TomVexille]

I'm with Ewing on this one. I get nowhere near my calls cap so everything is essentially "free"

 

[russ]

The following website allows you to convert 13xx_xx and 1800xx_x numbers into normal telephone numbers
It doesn't have all the numbers, but certainly has a lot!

Non-Geographical Search

 

[serfty]

I'm with telstra and have a plan where all mobile and landline calls are included except for 13xx_x numbers and the like .

I am in the habit of calling any available land line alternative rather than those numbers.

E.g Qantas list an international (+613...) on the back of the membership card.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Thanks to mrsmajor for the heads up on this style of phone scam. I must admit. I got in the habit of not calling 13 numbers when we had a Telstra fixed line which included all national calls but charged extra for 13 calls. I always thought it was an arrogant and stupid decision. These days, the Telstra fixed line now just has a fax on it (does anyone fax any more?) and it's only connected so we get the unlimited T-Box Foxtel data and all our calls are mobile with Amaysim (Optus network) which are unlimited for all national, all mobile, all text and all 13 numbers. Telstra regularly contacts us in an attempt to "woo" us back and I've caught them telling outright, unadulterated lies in a bid to do so.

 

[slc767338]

These days, the Telstra fixed line now just has a fax on it (does anyone fax any more?)

Pretty sure the only fax I've received in the last 10 years was 'Hello? does anyone else still have a fax'

 

[mrsmajor]

Loaded up the link to "http://www.e164.org/non-search.php" and came across another number 02 8667 5924 as opposed to the 02 8667 5941. Wonder if that' because it's a call from the Brisbane end of town.

As for the 'fax' - gave that one away a while back but do now subscribe annually for a digital fax line which sends any faxes I do get direct to my email - so much better!!! - Internet Fax, Web SMS, Fax API and SMS API Service Provider. I did use it and found it worthwhile 2 or 3 years back but coming to the stage where I no longer need that either.

Any guesses on what will be the next items to disappear? CD's and DVD's are bascially gone, sound systems and radio? I stream all my radio now through the computer speakers so have no need for a sound system any more either.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Any guesses on what will be the next items to disappear? CD's and DVD's are bascially gone, sound systems and radio? I stream all my radio now through the computer speakers so have no need for a sound system any more either.

Oh, ye may well laugh, but turntables are making a come back with everyone sick of the rubbish audio quality of the alternatives. My 17 YO has been giving all my old vinyls a workout and he couldn't believe the sound difference. Admittedly, he too loves Pink Floyd and they did put an effort into making their vinyl exceptional quality. The only thing I've heard that rivalled vinyl was the 20th anniversary edition of Dark Side of the Moon that was released on 5.1 super audio.......I bought a super audio player just to listen to it as when quadraphonic was available, I couldn't afford it and when I could afford it, it wasn't available.

The super audio was worth the wait....and the cost!

 

[kalboy]

I wouldn't mind the direct number for the QFF Hobart call centre, they seem much more efficient and friendlier to talk to.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Oh, ye may well laugh, but turntables are making a come back with everyone sick of the rubbish audio quality of the alternatives. My 17 YO has been giving all my old vinyls a workout and he couldn't believe the sound difference. Admittedly, he too loves Pink Floyd and they did put an effort into making their vinyl exceptional quality. The only thing I've heard that rivalled vinyl was the 20th anniversary edition of Dark Side of the Moon that was released on 5.1 super audio.......I bought a super audio player just to listen to it as when quadraphonic was available, I couldn't afford it and when I could afford it, it wasn't available.

The super audio was worth the wait....and the cost!

DSOTM - I also have the bootleg DVD-Audio version too. I haven't compared them for a while but I don't remember too many differences although the internet is alive with rumours that the DVD-A is far superior.

SACD is well worth it IMO. Most of my SACDs are classical but I do have some others.