You don’t need to use this website any more! 27 Apr 2020 7:33 AM (4 years ago)
In case you missed it, since December 1st 2019, your minutes to 1890, 1850, 0818 and 076 numbers should be included in your mobile minutes bundles, and should therefore cost you no extra on your mobile bill. From a ComReg announcement back then:
From 1 December 2019, calls to 1850, 1890, 0818 and 076 Non-Geographic Numbers (NGNs) will cost no more than calling a landline number and will be included in your bundle of call minutes if your bundle includes landline calls.
You should note that all calls to these NGNs (including 1850) will be deducted from bundles on a per minute basis or, in the absence of a bundle, charged on a per minute basis. Calls to 1800 numbers from both landlines and mobiles remain free. This means that organisations that currently provide NGN services will be easier to access.
If you have any concerns in relation to your current price plan, check with your phone operator. Also, you can visit ComReg Compare to compare plans.
For further information on NGNs, please see our webpage www.comreg.ie/ngn
Have the 2019 ComReg changes to 1890, 1850, 0818 & 076 numbers worked? 27 Apr 2020 7:30 AM (4 years ago)
Short answer, yes, mostly. Longer answer, no, because not enough people realise the changes have taken effect. From a ComReg release in November 2019:
From 1 December 2019, calls to 1850, 1890, 0818 and 076 Non-Geographic Numbers (NGNs) will cost no more than calling a landline number and will be included in your bundle of call minutes if your bundle includes landline calls.
You should note that all calls to these NGNs (including 1850) will be deducted from bundles on a per minute basis or, in the absence of a bundle, charged on a per minute basis. Calls to 1800 numbers from both landlines and mobiles remain free. This means that organisations that currently provide NGN services will be easier to access.
If you have any concerns in relation to your current price plan, check with your phone operator.
Based on activity on this website, I can tell you three things with regards to the impact these changes have had:
- With the total number of daily visitors declining daily, even since before the December 1st launch of these changes, this shows that there are a cohort of people who are aware that these changes have taken place, and that this website is no longer necessary.
- Based on the e-mail activity on the since since December, this has been reduced to almost 0 as well.
- However, there are still people e-mailing asking for geographic alternatives for these numbers, and there is still the activity you can see below on the website, showing that there are still people out there unaware of the changes made by ComReg.
12 months visitors to SayNoTo1890
Daily Mail coverage of 076 Numbers is overly sensational 30 Sep 2018 1:45 PM (6 years ago)
Monday’s Mail: A fascinating photo of Jack’s Army reunited. https://t.co/LGkrQQjRU1 pic.twitter.com/zGERSsPffY
— The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) September 24, 2018
But you can find the real story on 076 numbers here (hint, they’re not extortionate nor premium numbers).
Some organisations are doing away with 1890 numbers. Here’s a list #nomore1890 13 Jan 2017 2:58 AM (8 years ago)
It was the NCTS (National Car Testing Service) that I was alerted to first who had made the decision to no longer provide 1890 contact numbers.
The more organisations that do that, the less work I’ll have to spend keeping this website updated.
I’ll keep track on this page here, and as it’s updated I’ll publicise to readers, whenever any other organisations do the same.
If you’ve found any other organisations making this decision, please let me know and I’ll keep the listing below updated.
NCTS – National Car Testing Service
This website does have the following entries in it for the NCTS, though, at this point, I guess they'll no longer be required.
National Car Testing Service (NCT)
- NCTS Booking Line 1890412413 - Call Instead 014135992
- 1890200670 Call Instead - 014135955 (NB: I'm told that this number may no longer work).
- Bookings (Private Cars) 1890927928 Call Instead - 014135994
- Bookings (SPSV, i.e. Taxi) 1890927927 Call Instead - 014135960
Tip of the Week (The Sunday Tribune) 26 Oct 2016 1:11 PM (8 years ago)
The Sunday Tribune
Sunday August 18th, 2008
Eddie Lennon
Tip of the Week
Phone users are being ripped off when they make calls to government departments and large companies via 1850, 1890 and 0818 numbers. While mobile users who pay by bill have a block of “free” minutes credited to their phone each month, these minutes include standard land line and mobile numbers, but usually not other numbers.
Dialling these numbers can cost up to 49c per minute when calling from a mobile, and up to 8c a minute from a land line. Last week, the consumer awareness website ValueIreland.com published a useful list of land line numbers which you can contact as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive numbers. The list is available at www.SayNoTo1890.com.
Exposed: The Great Lo-Call Phone Rip-Off via the Irish Daily Mail 2 Oct 2016 1:28 PM (8 years ago)
Get your glossy You mag AND Weekend with Saturday’s Irish Daily Mail pic.twitter.com/bh1TJxNF2u
— The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) October 1, 2016
Why it’s time to consign lo-call numbers to history pic.twitter.com/xkfmNFykOs
— The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) October 1, 2016
September 2016 – 45 Numbers updated on SayNoTo1890.com 27 Sep 2016 12:18 PM (8 years ago)
This evening I have made updates to the website whereby upwards on 45 numbers have been updated. There are about 20 new numbers added, while 25 number updates / clarifications have been made.
Please note that there are about another 50 updates pending, and once I confirm the numbers involved, I’ll get those numbers up on the site also.
To everyone who has contacted the site providing updates, feedback, corrections and new geographic alternative numbers, many many thanks. Without your help and assistance, the website wouldn’t be the great resource that it is.
Government organisations refusing to provide geographic alternative numbers 23 Mar 2016 7:11 AM (9 years ago)
Since February, I’ve been waiting for responses from 5 different government sponsored organisations to provide geographic alternative numbers for the 1890 and 076 numbers provided as contact information on their websites.
In a recent blog post, Revenue Commissioners – 1890 Numbers, I commended that organisation and a couple of government departments on their provision of alternatives very clearly on their website.
Unfortunately, not all government organisations that we fund will give us alternative numbers to allow us save money whenever we need to call them. The irony being that 2 of the organisations are supposed to assist people in financial difficulties already.
Geographic Alternative Rogues Gallery
So, step forward the following organisations who I contacted back in early February, and whom I’ve again contacted as of last night, requesting alternatives for numbers published on their websites:
- Insolvency Service of Ireland
- Information and General Enquiries 0761064200
- Case Management Division 0761064200
- Bankruptcy Division 0761064232
- Regulation Division 0761064234
- Citizens Information
- Citizens Information Phone Service 0761074000
- Citizens Information Website Team 0761079000
- Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
- SUSI Support Desk 0761087874
- Road Safety Authority
- Driver Theory Test 1890606406
- Transport Operator Licensing 1890443311
- Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB)
- PRTB enquiries 0818303037
Next Steps
If I ever do get any useful responses from any of the organisations above, I’ll let you know. Don’t hold your breath, though.
Update 29/03/2016
Below are the responses received so far from the organisations contacted above. Well, 2 organisations actually responded (MABS and Citizens Information) and I only have 2 automated responses from SUSI. The RSA and PRTB didn’t respond to me at all. I guess it’ll be FOI requests for them now (my 2nd for PRTB seeking geographic alternative contact numbers).
Response from Citizens Information Board
Response [1] from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
Response [2] from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
Response from Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS)
Response from Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI)
Revenue Commissioners – 1890 Numbers and Geographic Alternatives 1 Mar 2016 2:12 PM (9 years ago)
A user of this website very kindly drew my attention to a special “Lo-Call” page on the Revenue website (Low Cost Phone Numbers).
According to the website:
Revenue provides low cost (‘LoCall’) phone numbers for some of our most popular services.
Please note that the rates charged for the use of 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary among different service providers. It is recommended that you only ring these numbers using a landline as calls made using mobiles may be expensive.)
The page, however, while somewhat useful in explaining the potential cost to people of calling these 1890 numbers from mobiles is of limited benefit in that while it lists the main 1890 numbers (18 of them), it only provides geographic alternatives for 10 of them.
Of course, here on SayNoTo1890.com, there are actually alternatives for 17 out of the 18 numbers.
You will actually see this message on many government websites these days – informing users of the cost implications of calling 1890 numbers from mobiles. This contact page from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for example, has the following text:
Note: Rates charged for 1890 (Lo-call) numbers may vary among different service providers
And interestingly, they provide geographic alternatives for 4 out of 4 of the 1890 numbers listed on that main contact page.
Similarly, this contact page from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation provides the following text, and gives geographic alternatives for 3 out of 3 of the 1890 numbers listed.
*Note that the rates charged for the use of 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary among different service providers
Interestingly, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources – the one government department that could have some influence over how 1850, 1890 and 0818 numbers are treated by mobile telecoms providers – has a contact page that doesn’t provide any 1890 numbers at all. It only provides geographic alternative numbers for all sections linked on that page.
Help, please! Does your mobile provider block you calling 1800 numbers? 9 Feb 2016 1:06 AM (9 years ago)
As I mentioned previously in this February 2016 – noting all the Geographic Alternative Numbers Updated Across the SayNoTo1890.com website, I will be starting to provide geographic alternatives on the site from here on out for FreePhone 1800 numbers.
There are two reasons for this.
Firstly, some companies who may provide 1800 numbers may indicate to their service providers that they don’t want to facilitate people calling on that number from mobile phones because of the additional cost incurred.
Secondly, and of specific interest for this blog post, I’ve been told that certain mobile phone companies (potentially only on certain packages or contracts) are blocking their customers from calling 1800 numbers completely.
So, are you on a mobile phone plan with any of the providers here in Ireland that is blocking you from calling 1800 numbers completely? If so, please let me know the company and the package you’re on – either in the comments below, or via the Contact Page here.