STILL GAME star Greg Hemphill has branded 118 duo ba***rds after receiving an enormous bill for using the service.
The 44 year-old actor and comedian tweeted this afternoon: “Just looked at my phone bill. One call to 118 118 cost me over 11 quid. Those bastards with the curly hair and moustaches need investigated.”
Hemphill then tweeted: “2 quid connect, another pound if they transfer you then they take a percentage of the call cost which is chatline expensive”
Within an hour the message was retweeted 30 times and prompted similar comments.
One user said: “Jesus. Good to know. A**holes. #shafted”
Another comment read: “how is this even possible?!
A third tweet read: “aye those two bastards have just come out of retirement to line their bloody pockets…”
Other angry comments included one which said: “Investigated?…..assassinated! for ripping punters off and having utterly gash adverts. #rantover.”
A directory worker at 118 188 openly disclosed the charges when asked. They said: “There is a one-off connection charge of £1.88 and then the cost per minute is £2.57 per minute however that is charged by the second.
“So the first 60 seconds will cost you £4.45 and there is an automated reminder of the chargers.”
A spokesperson for the company said: “118 118 is used by millions of customers every year to get the number they need quickly and accurately, and we comply with all regulations set by the industry regulator PhonepayPlus.
“If any customers have a query over a charge, we’d ask them to call our customer service team free on 0800 3891 118 where we’d be happy to investigate.”
When approached for a comment a spokesperson for Ofcom said: “Directory enquiry operators must be clear about their prices to callers. Next summer we will introduce extra rules that will make it easier to compare 118 providers and find a good deal. Callers will be able to see how much they are charged, and where their money is going.”
The phone directory service was involved in a legal dispute in 2003-2005 with long distance runner and retired British Athlete David Bedford over the unauthorised use of his image.
In January 2004, Ofcom’s Content Board ruled that The Number had breached rule 6.5 of the Advertising Standards Code, by caricaturing him without permission.
Hemphill and his co-star Ford Kiernan are currently in negotiations with the BBC over a new series of Still Game.
The television show series featuring Hemphill as Victor McDade and Kiernan as Jack Jarvis ran from 2002-2007 however a number of one off episodes were made thereafter.
