E-Plus Blocks Rebtel Access Numbers In Germany
Dear Rebtel friends,
Once again an operator has decided to block our local numbers for calling. Thanks to all users who were quick to inform us about the problem.
This time it’s the third largest operator in Germany E-Plus. We have contacted E-Plus and asked for an explanation on why they are stopping their own customers from calling a standard local number.
However the reason why E-Plus wants to stop Rebtel is of course the very high margins on their international calling. But it’s a short-sighted way of stopping any threats to their diminishing margins. Their actions violate not only the EU-regulations but are also a breach of E-Plus customers’ contracts. With their rates, lockins and hidden charges they can be 1000% more expensive than Rebtel. Please feel free to compare our rates to their rates..
If you are as upset as we are about this please consider sending an e-mail to the E-Plus support.
To summarize, we are sorry this happened. It shouldn’t have to. Enough said is that it has happened many times before but with over 3 million users Rebtel is currently not being blocked by any operator in the world. Except E-Plus. The reason why we are never blocked is something E-Plus is about to experience when their users start contacting them.
Please follow the latest developments and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section on this post or follow us on Twitter.
Lastly, if you would be so kind, please help us raise awareness about this problem by digging this post on Digg, retweeting it or perhaps posting it to your Facebook profile.
Thank you and take care!
More:
http://www.eplus.de/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Plus
Update: The person that handle these types of anti-competitive issues in the European Commission is called Viviane Reding. Viviane is the Commissioner for Information Society and Media and we should all make her aware of what is going on. If you have a few minutes to spare, please send her an email on viviane.reding@ec.europa.eu and let her know how you feel.
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SC says:
September 16th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Oh my goodness not again ! Disgustingly greedy service providers, ughh !
E-Plus Blocks Rebtel Access Numbers In Germany : : Rebtel Blog - Mixx says:
September 18th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Rebtel Being Blocked Again In Germany says:
September 21st, 2009 at 7:09 am
warren says:
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Here is a very rough translation of the answer I got from the eplus service chat;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for your use of our online consulting. Enclosed you will receive the counseling as requested minutes of the meeting held.
22. September 2009
Your advisor 14:00:33: Hello and welcome to your chat BASE! My name is Sarah Brown, how can I help you?
14:00:39: hello
14:01:03: it is about the closure of a landline number
14:01:12: I can not get on base
14:01:27 Your consultant: phone number to which is it?
14:01:48: 030896778202
14:02:51 Your consultant: this number is not blocked by us, it is possible that the provider number of calls from the mobile sector is blocked
14:03:17: Offered
14:03:21:??
14:03:51: that I have a very different answer than I got nearly 1 hour in the shop …
14:04:25 Your advisor: I can not, unfortunately for them, if the shop has a different answer. We can not lock fixed network number
14:04:50: and there hießt that “eplus has blocked this number because we are in negotiation with the provider
14:05:22: I understand, but unfortunately the shop only has given me to continue what has been said, the hotline of the shop
14:05:31 My agent: it knows the shop probably more than we
14:05:49 Your advisor: I can not unlock but the landline number
14:05:56 My agent: Is there anything else I can do for them?
14:06:07: yes
14:06:52: Please, to whom I can contact about that? in this question.
14:07:33 Your advisor: they have yet to get answer one. We can not unlock this landline number as they will get from anyone else auskunft one
14:07:55: To you it is clear that this is a violation of our contract
14:08:24: I would be happy if the problem could be resolved. That need not be. I pay my bills, please give me the agreed performance.
14:08:51 My agent: it is not a violation of the treaty if the provider of the landline number, it does not wish to be called from the mobile sector
14:09:22 Your advisor: a violation of the treaty, it would be if we block their phone numbers, but not if another provider which locks anrufe
14:09:40 My agent: Is there anything else I can do for them?
14:10:50: I can assure him that the provider has not blocked. It can clearly heßt when I call to prepay the transfers are not permitted
14:10:56 My agent: when we make complaints because they alleged breach should contact their shop
14:11:40: but with him, unfortunately I’m not continue in this topic. then I had to know myself how I come to help
14:11:57: I wish them and their team manager ein schönen tag
14:12:08 Your advisor: thank you, I wish them a pleasant day
what to do next???
Swedish VoIP startup Rebtel blocked again in Germany by a mobile carrier says:
September 23rd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
[...] it’s getting screwed once again. This time it’s the German mobile operator E-Plus which blocks calls to Rebtel’s phone numbers. It’s now been a week since the 18 million E-Plus clients realised they couldn’t use [...]
Markus Goebel says:
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:25 am
warren says:
November 5th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
hey, what is going on with this topic. Am I the only one not been able to use rebtel from an eplus line. Does any body know what I can do?