How to call Telstra directory assistance for free
Posted by MattE on 23 Sep 2005 at 04:29 pm | Tagged as: Communications, Media
This was sent to me in an email -it is just for land line phones, mobiles are charged extra..and it is only for Telstra customers.
If you have a better take on this, share it via comments.
For anyone contemplating using the Sensis directory service number, 1234, DON’T!
Sensis, as you may or may not know, is a subsidiary of Telstra. The 1234 number is replacing the Telstra 12456 directory assistance number, but this time with outrageous costs attached: 40c to call the number, then 4c A SECOND!
By law, Telstra have to provide a FREE directory assistance number, because they are still majority owned by the government. They choose however not to pass this number on to the public.
What’s the number?……….. 1223
Thumbs up to Telstra for finding a way to charge for a service that is supposed to be provided for free.
This is from a Sydney Morning Herald story
Telstra’s 1234 replaces its call connect and Yellow Pages connect services, and introduces timed charges of four cents a second, plus a 40 cent connection fee.
Australian Consumers’ Association policy officer Charles Britton said it would be more useful to consumers if Telstra promoted the free directory assistance numbers 12455 and 1223 instead.
The 12455 number costs $1.10 and will connect you to the number you are enquiring about….If you call 1223 or 12455 from a business or mobile telephone, the cost is 44c, plus mobile carrier charges….Sensis says consumers calling 1234 can be connected to nearly all residences and businesses in Australia and operators can provide callers with access to a highly specialised service - including finding the nearest pizza parlour.
Operators can provide callers with directions, via SMS or, on the caller’s request, they will remain on line to provide turn-by-turn instructions” if the caller is lost, the statement says.
At 4c a second, you would have to be lost for a full 17 minutes to exceed the cost of a street directory.
The charges are listed on page 1 of your directory for 1234, but costs for the other “free” services are not detailed…
You should really check your facts, as they are indeed wrong…and I should know, I work for directory assistance.
1. 1234 and 12456 are 2 different services. 1234 is the yellow pages directory assistance, which can help you with address info, listings of businesses when you dont have the name etc; but it IS charged (says so in the fine-print, or if you ring 1223 and ask for sensis then we tell you it’s charged), and needs an override number to be called from non-Telstra phones (1411 1234), and cannot be called from payphones. 12456 is the call connect line, which will direct you straight to the number you ask for through DA.
2. The number 1223 IS given out to the public, and is freely available in the front of your White Pages. It even tells you what it does - ie with this number, we can only give you the number of your request, we cannot connect you.
3.1223, 12455 and 12456 ALL need you to give us specific information. We can only see what you can see in the White Pages - an alphabetical list of people, businesses and government departments. We are not able to look up “a taxi” or “the nearest pizza place” due to the system we use, and cannot do anything about it, so don’t go off at us. Nor can we look up an “S Jones in the brisbane area” because you obviously don’t know how many s jones’ there are.
4. As for the charges being on page 1? open your white pages and see whats on the front page…the emergency 000 number.
I just love the way people blame Telstra and the DA system simply because of their own stubbornness and stupidity. I love society.
OH!!! And another thing…
The voice activation service you get at the front of the call is not there to pick up on everything - in fact, it only has the top 10% most requested calls in it’s system. It is there simply to ease the load placed on the DA agents like myself… for example, if you ring up and ask for “ticketek” it will come back with the right number you are after. If, however, you ring and ask for “ms s jones in doncaster east” of course it’s not going to pick up on it and give you the number.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t get annoyed at it if you come on and say “yes can i please have the number to…,” just don’t. It confuses the system, and annoys us when you come on and complain because you confused it. Be straight to the point. “What name please?” Ticketek bookings. “You requested Ticketek, is that right?” Yes. “The number is…”
If it doesn’t get it, it records your response and puts you through to us, and if it’s an easy one we’ll have the listing for you there and then, no questions asked. Residential searches take a little longer as they need a bit more info…So please don’t tell it to go fu** itself, or burp, or cough, or have a convo in the background with your closest friend about how good your vibrator was last night, as we hear it. Oh don’t worry, we’ve had a lot worse.
Hey, Thanks for your input!
Not sure what the 000 has to do with calls costs - OK ity is page three (not quite the ‘front’) but all costs are not mentioned. Just says that these service attract a fee - no mention of what that fee is. It is odd, however that the full range of options are not advertised properly to the public.
Note the other details were quoted from their source. Your comments help clarify them nicely!
When referring to the voice activation service, you say, “It is there simply to ease the load placed on the DA agents like myself…”
Wrong, its there to replace people like you. As the technology gets better, start looking for another job
John, you would know this HOW?!?
For your information, Telstra are thinking of dropping the voice prompt service for directory assistance.
Just so’s you know.
I have just been charged 45c for calling 1223 so who is right & who is wrong? I called both Telstra & Optus (I am an Optus residential customer) and was told that 1223 is chargable and they do NOT have to provide a free service.
CL 11/10/05
CL - the first sentance of this post noted that the 1223 was free for Telstra customers only
I sense an angry and confused DA
I pay Telstra $18.50 per month for my line rental and $6.00 per month for my CND and my Fax number. All calls I make that are chargeable go through VoIP.
$24.50 per month is as much as the ‘Three Amigos’ get from this little black duck
Cheers
Hally
what this has to d with Telstra directory assistance I’m not sure - but on the subject of VOIP, don’t forget to factor in a higher plan fee than you might have ordinarily had - PLUS - who is your broadband with - Telstra
??
UPDATE Sept. 2006
Just received my Telstra Bill and see that Telstra is announcing on that ( shadey) very complicated to read and understand billing ,
that calls to 1223 will be charged 44 cents as DA calls.
So much for a free directory service.
No wonder they are making billions in annual profit for themselves whereas their shareholders are looking down the toilet-hole.
It`s time to look for another service provider,that`s for sure !
Harribo: Telstra Directory Assistance is free from residential phones and is charged 44c from business and mobile phones. Telstra must provide a free DA service by law, which they do, albeit from residential fixed lines.