Doctors Surgeries told to stop using 0844 Numbers.
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I trust you have added Music On Hold. Xmassy of course.
Just looked, they must have done it because I cant remember doing it.
I think it's quite good, if my landline is busy it switches to my VOIP.0 -
So, 0844 is the new 0870?Happy chappy0
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No, you'll find far more companies changing to 0871 numbers (up to 10p/minute to call from a BT landline).tomstickland wrote: »So, 0844 is the new 0870?Time has moved on (much quicker than it used to - or so it seems at my age) and my previous advice on residential telephony has been or is now gradually being overtaken by changes in the retail market. Hence, I have now deleted links to my previous 'pearls of wisdom'. I sincerely hope they helped save some of you money.0 -
We won the battle with our surgery, which was about to install an 0844 system, with the help of some local politicians and the PCT, and they now going to be using the new 03 numbers. Other local surgeries using 0844 numbers are being told by our PCT that they must stop using them when their existing contracts expire. So a real victory there! :T
However take a look at today’s article in the Mail: Patient left with £127 phone bill after hanging on the line for 49 minutes trying to make an appointment
Ofcom should ban BT and other companies from using the term “lo-call”, as people mistakenly think it is the same thing as “local” and it certainly isn’t!!!0 -
Thanks for that information.We won the battle with our surgery, which was about to install an 0844 system, with the help of some local politicians and the PCT, and they now going to be using the new 03 numbers.
Do they have a website? It'd be very handy for the campaign being waged on SayNoTo0870.com.Time has moved on (much quicker than it used to - or so it seems at my age) and my previous advice on residential telephony has been or is now gradually being overtaken by changes in the retail market. Hence, I have now deleted links to my previous 'pearls of wisdom'. I sincerely hope they helped save some of you money.0 -
We won the battle with our surgery, which was about to install an 0844 system, with the help of some local politicians and the PCT, and they now going to be using the new 03 numbers. Other local surgeries using 0844 numbers are being told by our PCT that they must stop using them when their existing contracts expire. So a real victory there! :T
However take a look at today’s article in the Mail: Patient left with £127 phone bill after hanging on the line for 49 minutes trying to make an appointment
Ofcom should ban BT and other companies from using the term “lo-call”, as people mistakenly think it is the same thing as “local” and it certainly isn’t!!!
What is the charge to ring an 03 number compared to I presume the 5p per minute of the 0844 number? Also does the recipient of the call,eg the doctor, receive a cut of the call charges like 0844?0 -
The 0844 numbers chosen by NEG (the primary 'culprit' in this patient rip-off) are always 6p connection + 5p per minute ones (so the largest amount of what the caller has to pay is available for distribution).notbritishgas wrote: »What is the charge to ring an 03 number compared to I presume the 5p per minute of the 0844 number? Also does the recipient of the call,eg the doctor, receive a cut of the call charges like 0844?
03 calls cost the same as 01 and 02 calls so, from a BT landline on a weekday they cost:
(1). 5p per call (of unlimited duration) if you use 1899, 18185 or 18866;
(2). Nothing if you have an 'Anytime/Inclusive' package;
(3). 6p connection + 4p per minute if you have BT's Unlimited Weekend or Unlimited Evenings & Weekends Plan (formerly BT Together Option 1 / BT Together Option 2).
On of the more important aspects is the cost of calling 0844 numbers from mobiles - which can be up to 40p per minute I am told - whereas calling 03 numbers costs the same as 01 & 02 numbers (and comes out of inclusive minutes for those with that sort of contract)..Time has moved on (much quicker than it used to - or so it seems at my age) and my previous advice on residential telephony has been or is now gradually being overtaken by changes in the retail market. Hence, I have now deleted links to my previous 'pearls of wisdom'. I sincerely hope they helped save some of you money.0 -
The prime minister's response to the e-petition can be read online.
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15215.asp0 -
The 0844 numbers chosen by NEG (the primary 'culprit' in this patient rip-off) are always 6p connection + 5p per minute ones (so the largest amount of what the caller has to pay is available for distribution).
03 calls cost the same as 01 and 02 calls so, from a BT landline on a weekday they cost:
(1). 5p per call (of unlimited duration) if you use 1899, 18185 or 18866;
(2). Nothing if you have an 'Anytime/Inclusive' package;
(3). 6p connection + 4p per minute if you have BT's Unlimited Weekend or Unlimited Evenings & Weekends Plan (formerly BT Together Option 1 / BT Together Option 2).
On of the more important aspects is the cost of calling 0844 numbers from mobiles - which can be up to 40p per minute I am told - whereas calling 03 numbers costs the same as 01 & 02 numbers (and comes out of inclusive minutes for those with that sort of contract)..
Heinz,
You should include mobiles in that list, 01, 02 and 03 can also be free with inclusive minutes but 0844/5 will be very costly.0 -
Isn't that what the last paragraph of my post says?You should include mobiles in that list, 01, 02 and 03 can also be free with inclusive minutes but 0844/5 will be very costly.Time has moved on (much quicker than it used to - or so it seems at my age) and my previous advice on residential telephony has been or is now gradually being overtaken by changes in the retail market. Hence, I have now deleted links to my previous 'pearls of wisdom'. I sincerely hope they helped save some of you money.0
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