0844 on o2

dagger_meerkat

I did read somewhere that the high-street tariffs allow those numbers to be used within inclusive minutes, but the equivalent online tariffs do not.

If anybody does have an online tariff that does have these numbers as included, please do correct me.

thefirs

This is a new one on me as well. I've been employing my PUFFL accounts for nearly three years to sidestep premium-rate-like charges to 0870/0845/0844 numbers. I've never had a charge, but made a 2-hour 0844 call in late November. I was naturally somewhat concerned to see this thread, and rang 02 customer service to try and check.

Whilst they were able to relieve my anxiety (no charges outstanding) about that call, the young Yorkshirewoman at the end of the line was adamant that these calls were not included in my 200 off-peak mins. She was unable to say when the tarrif change took place, nor what the cost to call any of them was, rerely repeating the incantation that they were "premium rate numbers" and that the charge would be set by the company receiving the call. She was unable to direct me to any website, and even suggested I look in the local phonebook to try and check. She did not appear to recognise that I was asking them, a phone company, what they charged me, a customer of theirs....!

Thanks very much to Kaz for heads-up on this. I think it's going to have to be take a small nibble, then await the bill..or not..as the last 02 bill I had was on 26 June.

Steve_xx

Please note that 0845, 0870, 0871 and 0844 are not defined as premium rated numbers.

Premium rated numbers are all defined within the 09 range of numbers.

0845 is regarded by BT as "lo call" rate, a play on words to get you to think that you are making a call at the "local" rate. Typically they pitch prices for dialling this code between their "local" rate and their "national" rate.

0870 & 0871 are termed by BT as non-geographical "national" type numbers. They are revenue sharing numbers, which means that BT shares the money it gets from people calling these numbers with the called party. BT charges around 7.5p per minute to call and 0870 number and 10p per minute for calling an 0871 number. Having an 0871 number generates slightly more income for the holder than does 0870.

0844 numbers are charged at varying rates, dependent on the first few digits after the 0844 prefix. There is a raft of differing charges for calls to these numbers. Here is a link to BT's call pricing service for numbers starting with the 08 prefix.

Mobile networks treat these types of numbers differently. Sometimes the mobile networks charge the same for 0845, 0870 and 0871 and all 0844 numbers. Sometimes they seem to be pitched at around the standard national call rate, particularly on the PAYG tariffs. But at other times they are more specific about these numbers and will tariff them quite differently from the national rate.

http://www.bt.com/btcom_redirectLink.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0154108047.1102076535@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadddfdijfemcflgcefkdffndfnj.0&action=redirectLink&targetLinkID=PIS_Specialised_Numbers&vStore=1314&obsPage=%2fPricing%2fpis_summary.jsp%3fshowsub%3dPIS_Residential&obsOID=30192&obsType=LINK

thefirs

Whilst the list of BT prices is useful enough if you're calling from BT, the connection is rather tenuous if calling from a mobile (or other telephone service provider).

There's a list at http://www.pre-dial.com/frame_0871list.htm that goes some way to be helpful, though it may not be kept completely up to date.

02 Contracts charge 35p/min for 0871 (this applied from October 2002), but as stated earlier, 0844/0845/0870 have been inclusive until now.

kaz

i have been thoroughly looking at o2 t&c and i think that from what i have read that the high street tariffs provide the so-called geographic numbers(0870 etc) as part of the inclusive minutes. But nothing is mentioned regarding online tariffs...which makes me assume that they are not...
foolish as i am, i order a pay monthly phone online as i found a really good deal...but now i think that i might have to send it back...and get one from one of the high street shop.
Anyway there is still the option to check the bill online ...
kaz

thefirs

Phew!

Just got my PUFFL bill for the last month on which I made some short test 0870 calls.  They are covered by inclusive minutes.