topic Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number in Contracts & Billing

Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:17:01 GMT

Hi, I have been charged £12 for a 3 minute call to the USA.

However, I actually called Bowyer Estates Ltd - Estate Agents - 01606 76044.
It has shown on the bill as 001606 76044

I have spoken with the live chat team who dont accept that it is a UK number. They are saying it is a premium number, even though it says USA in the itemised bill, which I dispute either are correct. Northwich numbers are simply a number shorter than most. I even remember the call and it definately is not either the US or premium.

ANy ideas?

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

Alex_H — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:53:04 GMT

Hi @hoogabill,

Welcome to the EE Community

I am sorry you are having an issue with getting your call looked into. I am not sure why it may have added a 0, but 001 is the USA calling code which is why its saying USA on your bill.

The best thing in this case will be giving us a call on 150 and one of our guides can take a look and may need to raise an investigation with our billing incident team to investigate further.

Alex

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:38:08 GMT

I have spoken via a live chat with EE and the Support agent is adamant that the phone numbers for Northwich or premium. I have explained to him that that's obviously isn't the case but they are a digit shorter than pretty much any other number in the UK. They have agreed to refund the call charge so that is okay but still doesn't answer the query as to why call anyone in Northwich seems to register in the US?

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

rkelly1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:32:58 GMT

Did you dial the number manually via the keypad or is it saved as a contact on your phone?

If it was manually dialled it may still be in the call history on your phone. If it's saved as a contact check if there's an extra 0 on the contact itself.

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:48:40 GMT

It's shown correctly in the call history.

It was a 2 min call that I remember having, so not like it called the USA by mistake and we hung up.

It's really odd.

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

bristolian — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:15:32 GMT

The "00" & "+" prefix, when dialled, have the same effect in call routing, and signify an international call. If the call was dialled as this, it wouldn't have been routed to the UK

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

rkelly1 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:33:47 GMT

Sorry, should have been more specific with regards to the call history. What I was getting at is on your call history, does it show one zero or two? Could help you work out what has happened.

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:45:48 GMT

It doesn't show at all on the call history.

i know this is odd. All other calls do.

but I went back through how I called and it shows as below

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hkconabeare — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:48:06 GMT

Just off phone from EE for an hour as charged for a US call when calling a landline in Surrey. £134!

They insisted I must have called the USA even though it’s my cousin in my phone book.

Finally they hey fave in and said an IT error but 3 days to complete investigation pre refund…verging on fried by them quite frankly as clearly this is not a one off!!!

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:45:01 GMT

In my case, EE never admitted an issue and just agreed to refund the charge
- still insisting I had called the the USA - its clearly a benefit to EE,
so bet they get away with this on most occasions.
Really poor.

--

Bill

[mod edit: removed personal details from the community post]

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hkconabeare — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:52:02 GMT

I have screen shot your chat and emailed it to the direct names email of the rep I spoke to. This isn’t over and I will share the outcome. They cannot allow this to happen AND deny it!

be right back!

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hkconabeare — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:52:42 GMT

That was fraud not fried! I am on a train on phone 🤣

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hoogabill — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:46:12 GMT

Thank you very much. All I got was refusals of any issue, spent hours on
this and nothing.
Its really poor!

--

Bill

[mod edit: removed personal details from the community post]

Re: Wrongly charged for a UK call to Northwich as a USA number

hkconabeare — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:08:44 GMT

Strangley my incident was very close to yours: 11 March…..