Call Charges

EDM number 269 in 2012-13, proposed by Mary Glindon on 26/06/2012.
Categorised under the topics of Consumers and Financial services.

That this House applauds the respected consumer organisation, Which?, for highlighting the way in which banks, utility and insurance companies provide freephone numbers for potential customers but expect existing customers to use higher rate telephone numbers; notes that its investigation finds that the vast majority of energy providers, banks and insurers surveyed offer 0800 numbers for new customers but that only a small minority offer such numbers to existing customers; further notes that charges are usually much higher when such numbers are accessed from mobile telephones, which are overtaking landlines in usage; believes that this practice is particularly galling when customers have to contact their suppliers to complain about services that have gone wrong, often through no fault of their own; and endorses the view of the Which? Campaign that, providers should be fairer to existing customers and more transparent in their call charges.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.