Scan Computers UK. SHOCKING!!

[Phantomrad]

Hi, hope everyone is well. Just need to voice something and I didn't know where else to talk.

Scan computers which is one of the larger PC suppliers in the UK is doing the dirty on every single person that phones them. The only number that they advertise is a premium line phone number and not a cheap one. I understand that a lot of companies do this but Scan Computers doesn't even tell you. I could not find any reference to call prices anywhere. But this is not what the Con is! What they do is connect you to a call waiting queue immediately when you call and they instantly start charging you. About 20mins in que, 2 mins with customer service, £25. So not only are they making money on price increased CPUs and GPUs, they are making money on every poor soul that is after one. But this is not only sales this is on returns and general information calls. 

Every person that phones is being charged without knowing. They must be making a fortune!! I left a comment on a Scan computers YouTube video talking about this and some other poor bugger got charged £120. (https://youtu.be/6cQdn3uezBk).

People need to be made aware of what's happening but I don't know what to do. :(

Any suggestions would be great.

Yes I have confronted them about it and they refunded me after a cross examination. But they just don't seem to care and are happy to continue.

[Spotty]

Quote

Call us on 0871-472-4747 or 01204-474747

Neither of those should be premium rate numbers in the UK. Premium numbers in the UK should start with 09. Were you given a different number to call?

Edit: See below, 087 numbers are premium rate numbers.

[Phantomrad]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

Neither of those should be premium rate numbers in the UK. Premium numbers in the UK should start with 09. Were you given a different number to call?

No it was the one on the site, and on the documents that came with the GPU.

[Dutch_Master]

The UK has a regulatory body for this kind of scams. Can't recall what the official name is. If in doubt, contact local police, your call may close the net around them leeches a bit tighter

 

(with apols to the National Union of Leeches, any insults were strictly on purpose )

[PeachGr]

For legal matters ask a lawyer or do nothing

Lawyer will also charge you XD

[Spotty]

2 minutes ago, Phantomrad said:

No it was the one on the site, and on the documents that came with the GPU.

Those numbers I posted were the support numbers on scan.co.uk website. Was it one of those numbers you called?

 

I didn't realise, but 087 is also classed as a premium number in the UK, though at much lower rates than 09 premium numbers.

Quote

Such numbers are officially designated as 'service numbers' and fall into the following ranges:

• 084x xxx xxxx - Service Charge of up to 7p per call and/or up to 7p per minute
• 087x xxx xxxx - Service Charge of up to 13p per call and/or up to 13p per minute
• 09xx xxx xxxx - Service Charge of up to £6.00 per call and/or up to £3.60 per minute

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premium-rate_telephone_number#United_Kingdom

Though 13p per minute wouldn't add up to 25 pounds after a 20 minute call. Maybe your phone provider is also charging additional call rates. Called from mobile or landline?

 

1 minute ago, Dutch_Master said:

The UK has a regulatory body for this kind of scams. Can't recall what the official name is. If in doubt, contact local police, your call may close the net around them leeches a bit tighter

https://psauthority.org.uk/

Don't call the cops over this, they have more important things to be doing.

[Phantomrad]

Maybe I was on hold even longer then I thought but I definitely got a direct charge of £25 for the calls. First call went dead after a few mins while on hold £9, second call on hold for a while before I spoke to  agent, £16. 

They never argued the refund amount, they just didn't want to give it to me.

[Spotty]

8 minutes ago, Phantomrad said:

Maybe I was on hold even longer then I thought but I definitely got a direct charge of £25 for the calls. First call went dead after a few mins while on hold £9, second call on hold for a while before I spoke to  agent, £16. 

They never argued the refund amount, they just didn't want to give it to me.

Call from landline or mobile? What phone provider are you with?

 

I just looked up Vodafone UK to see what their rates were, and for mobile calls on plan they charge 65p per minute for 084, 087, 09 phone numbers plus the service rate charge (13p per minute). So that would be 78p per minute. Little cheaper on PayAsYouGo with 45p per minute plus service charge. Just took Vodafone as an example, the others are probably fairly similar.

 

Your issue should be with phone providers and how much they charge, not Scan.co.uk - Though Scan.co.uk should definitely disclose that its a service call number that may have additional charges from your provider.

[shaz2sxy]

If you rang from a mobile then that's probably why you where charged so much as non geographical numbers are always more expensive from a mobile.

 

[IntMD]

I mean, their contact us page says there will be long waits on the phone and its best to just send a webnote...

 

https://www.scan.co.uk/help/scan/contact/contact-customer-services

[And Im Javert]

6 hours ago, Phantomrad said:

Hi, hope everyone is well. Just need to voice something and I didn't know where else to talk.

Scan computers which is one of the larger PC suppliers in the UK is doing the dirty on every single person that phones them. The only number that they advertise is a premium line phone number and not a cheap one. I understand that a lot of companies do this but Scan Computers doesn't even tell you. I could not find any reference to call prices anywhere. But this is not what the Con is! What they do is connect you to a call waiting queue immediately when you call and they instantly start charging you. About 20mins in que, 2 mins with customer service, £25. So not only are they making money on price increased CPUs and GPUs, they are making money on every poor soul that is after one. But this is not only sales this is on returns and general information calls. 

Every person that phones is being charged without knowing. They must be making a fortune!! I left a comment on a Scan computers YouTube video talking about this and some other poor bugger got charged £120. (https://youtu.be/6cQdn3uezBk).

People need to be made aware of what's happening but I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions would be great.

Yes I have confronted them about it and they refunded me after a cross examination. But they just don't seem to care and are happy to continue.

Why didn’t you just email them? That’s how I’ve spoken with them in the past and it’s been fine.

[Aragorn-]

the 087 numbers are certainly one to watch, especially from mobiles. They're almost never included in any included minutes, and the mobile providers give you a good reaming on them. (Actually, the per-minute rates on mobiles are always horrific as per the chart above they're charging 55p a minute for a normal landline call, but ofcourse many people have large or unlimited call plans so never actually pay these rates and dont realise how high they are)

 

USUALLY you can find a geographic equivalent number (these 087 numbers are basically redirectors, there will be a real geographic number behind it that it directs traffic to) but yes, it is kinda crappy from a customer service number to be earning money from you when you call up with issues.

[NineEyeRon]

I agree it’s not great but free numbers are easy to find, I pretty much only buy from Scan and haven’t spend a penny on calls in all my years using them.

 

It’s easy to avoid with some effort, worth it for the cost of the call or just use the free webforms and chat work well. 
 

In many ways the cost of the phone line is to discourage calling as its expensive for them compared to online methods.

[A1200]

There is a website https://www.saynoto0870.com/ which gives you the geographic number for a given company. Useful for mobile users especially who will often pay nothing for 01 / 02 numbers if they have a free minutes bundle with their phone contract.

[ITspec]

well its 2023 and it turns out that SCAN COMPUTERS LTD even for a bigger customers spending thousands of pounds on hardware provide as a main contact number om the top of ther invoices - in case of a problem with an invoice, technical support, after-sales even sales support - in a way to thank their customers and mostly to cover the warranty costs they print on their invoice 08714724747 PHONE NUMBER AS A MAIN CONTACT NUMBER. Without any information about the fact it is a telephone number that is charged EXTRA (according to google and my bill 13p/minute) after a brief conversation about hardware failure will cost you 20-30£. Yes 20-30£! My question is... how is it possible in the UK that giving that kind of number on invoices, websites etc without any information about all the extra costs is legal at all?? How is it legal? It is not moral there is no doubt about that but how is it legal???? Some people will call it a SCAM but some people call Jordan Belfort a genious when it comes to bussiness.... in a way he is. But don`t get fooled that just because its a huge, international company they are worth dealing with. These are facts and all you reading here and all you read above these are facts.... you can be the judge.

And stupid posts (which were definetly paid by someone as no one will say anything so stupid)

"agree it’s not great but free numbers are easy to find, I pretty much only buy from Scan and haven’t spend a penny on calls in all my years using them.

 

It’s easy to avoid with some effort, worth it for the cost of the call or just use the free webforms and chat work well. 
 

In many ways the cost of the phone line is to discourage calling as its expensive for them compared to online methods."

 

It means I spend 10-20k £ on the hardware in SCAN and get an invoice on which is printed the number 08714724747  on the very top just below the company name. And you say I should go and search the internet, read the forums before I call the company that I spent 20k £ to check if they wont be charing be for a call, advice etc (which they do - information from 17th of February)

 

I can just say as hard working citzen it is NOT moral but if that is not legal it is not for me to decide.

 

 

[bizzehdee]

Scan have an 01204 number... Like all companies, they use an 08 number to look more professional... but a simple look at their contact us page, shows their local number (bolton) https://www.scan.co.uk/help/scan/contact/contact-customer-services#:~:text=Call Us,%3A00 to 14%3A00. 01204 474747. it wasnt even difficult to find... It feels like the people above are blind, or didnt bother to try and find the local number. (scan's store front is about 15 minutes from my house)

[Alex Atkin UK]

On 2/19/2023 at 4:46 PM, bizzehdee said:

Scan have an 01204 number... Like all companies, they use an 08 number to look more professional... but a simple look at their contact us page, shows their local number (bolton) https://www.scan.co.uk/help/scan/contact/contact-customer-services#:~:text=Call Us,%3A00 to 14%3A00. 01204 474747. it wasnt even difficult to find... It feels like the people above are blind, or didnt bother to try and find the local number. (scan's store front is about 15 minutes from my house)

Not even that, its at the bottom of every single page along with Call Me Back and Live Chat.

 

I never even knew they had 08 numbers as with any retailer I will always check the top and bottom of the page first for help/support options.   Bearing in mind I have called Scan several times over the last few years and never stumbled on it, their geographical number is so prominent on their website.

 

Is this 0871 number only when logged into a business account?  As I can't find it anywhere on their site.

 

On 2/17/2023 at 7:15 PM, ITspec said:

It means I spend 10-20k £ on the hardware in SCAN and get an invoice on which is printed the number 08714724747  on the very top just below the company name. And you say I should go and search the internet, read the forums before I call the company that I spent 20k £ to check if they wont be charing be for a call, advice etc (which they do - information from 17th of February)

Maybe its fallen out of fashion with most people having calling bundled on their mobile, but as someone using a phone all my life I can't remember a time where it wasn't advisable to be cautious of numbers not starting 01 or 02.  If I see a number starting with 08 that isn't 0800 I absolutely will immediately look for an alternative.

I'm not saying its not scummy for them to default to the 081 on invoices, though I never even look at invoices any more, I will always default to the order history on the website.  Like you said its 2023, who bothers with paper invoices any more?

 

I just checked my last order with them and can't even find an invoice, but the bubble wrap protecting my delivery is covered with their branded tape (as was the box) with their geographical number on it.  So its not like they're trying to hide it.