Ham or Spam?

~ Yesterday I got one of those emails that circulate endlessly around the internet. This one (reproduced below) has the subject heading:

Telstra's FREE directory assistance.

Here’s the full message:

Free -- Telstra Directory Assistance! Yes phone 1223
Just a reminder in case you have forgotten.
Tell all your family / friends / business acquaintances - in fact tell everybody about this!
For anyone contemplating using the Sensis Directory Assistance 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 must provide a FREE directory assistance number. They choose however not to pass this number on to the public. The free number is 1223.
Thumbs down to Telstra for finding a way to 'charge', for a service that is supposed to be provided for free.

When ever I get these types of messages I head over to Hoax Slayer to see if they have an entry for the message in question. They did. Here (in part) is what they have to say about the above message.

This message was basically factual and relevant several years ago when it first began circulating.
Telstra introduced the new fee-based service in 2004. Complaints and protests from consumer groups soon followed. Many consumers complained to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman claiming that they did not realize they were calling a fee-based service when seeking directory assistance.

Telstra was also accused of strongly promoting its fee-based Sensis service while remaining relatively silent about the free directory assistance number. Such complaints were probably well justified at the time and this protest email may have helped to alleviate confusion about the changes and raise awareness of the free directory assistance number.

There are currently three levels of directory assistance offered by Telstra. The free assistance number is labelled simply as "Directory Assistance" or "Telstra Directory Assistance" while the fee based services are labelled as "Call Connect" and "1234":

Telstra Directory Assistance (1223) This is an automated service that provides callers with a telephone number when they already know the name of the person or business they are seeking. It is a free call for Telstra fixed line phones and Telstra payphones.

[Editors Note: Be aware that when Telstra say this is “a free call for Telstra fixed line phones and Telstra payphones.” they mean exactly that. Telstra business fixed line customers and Telstra mobile customers are charged a flat fee of $0.50 for calls to 1223. If you are with another provider, you will also be charged for the call, and other charges may also apply.

Call Connect (12456) This is an operator assisted service that connects callers to directory listings and can provide other information about the person or business the caller is seeking.

[Ed Note: Calls to Call Connect are charged a fee of $1.25 once you connect to an operator. Standard mobile rates also apply. A connection fee of $0.88 applies to a successful or attempted connection to the number requested. Standard rates apply once the call is connected.]

1234 1234 is a personally assisted search service that offers a range of information and options. 1234 charges an initial fee for connecting to the operator and a further fee for connecting to the requested number as well as standard rates for the connected call.

[Ed Note: Calls from Telstra Pre-Paid mobiles cost $1.40 per call plus a Telstra Pre-Paid charge of $0.27 call connection and $0.77 per minute charged per second. A connection fee of $0.88 applies to a successful or attempted connection to the number requested. Standard rates apply once the call is connected.]

I agree with Hoax Slayer that this protest email may now be redundant and somewhat outdated. I suggest you follow the links above to learn more about each service Telstra provides. It doesn’t hurt to be fully informed about them, and to be aware of the full schedule of fees and benefits provided by each service.

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