BT adding 0870/0845 numbers to its call packages - discussion

ducky2004

Derek,

If you check your BT bill, you are probably on the free weekends call package (used to be called BT Together option 1).

You can ring up BT to get onto the unlimted anytime / unlimited eve/weekends package. These package can be get on
with contract or contract free (£0 for unlimited eve/weekends with 12 months rolling contract, or £2.95/month no contract);
£4.95 for anytime with 12 contract and around £5.80 without

bbb_uk

gunmaker wrote: »

I will be interested to see if all the Government departments, eg, Tax, Pensions, DVLA,etc, change their 0845 numbers for other chargeable numbers. I know OFCOM is looking into this rip off with premiom rate numbers,the sooner they come up with a response the better.

Sorry but don't expect Ofcom to do anything that is in the general publics interest.

This has been going on for many, many years and Ofcom has had many, many consultations and responses were mostly to sort it once and for all but Ofcom have done very, very little. Ofcom have actually gone back on a few things they promised like 0870 reforms and 070 personal number reforms.

omelette451

What was wrong with the introduction of 03 numbers, included in calling plans? Why can't we just make companies sign up to using them instead?

jhp

If your using BT and cant find an alternative number, and you dont have inclusive minutes for the time you are calling,and your not on a old tariff its cheaper to call an 0845 number then a geographical one anyway.

To call a 0845 number. 7p connection. 1.96 a minute peak. 0.49 cheap

To call a 01/02/03 number. 7p connection. 3.91 a minute peak. 1.47 cheap

OldGreyFox

Their is a Fair Use Policy about inclusive 0845/0870 calls which does not appear to have been mentioned.

"Free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers
Availability of free 0845 and 0870 calls of up to 60 minutes duration (excluding indirect access numbers and dial-up internet access) dependent on residential BT Calling Plan: weekends only (with the Unlimited Weekend Plan), evening & weekends (with the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan), or any time (with the Unlimited Anytime Plan). Fair use policy applies – max. 1,000 mins or 150 calls a month. If either of these limits on free calls is exceeded, BT will charge for these calls until further notice."

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25502

bbb_uk

omelette451 wrote: »

What was wrong with the introduction of 03 numbers, included in calling plans? Why can't we just make companies sign up to using them instead?

Simple reason is because they would have to pay a per minute charge for incoming calls.

08x numbers allow companies to have additional features like call divert, keeping people in a queue, etc without the need for them to have expensive equipment as it's provided by the 08x telephone provider. That is why these calls have been more than a normal 01/02 call because its the caller that either pays or contributes towards these extra facilities and thus saves companies money needed for expensive exchange equipment.

However, some companies do receive money from their 08x telephone provider for calls received hence why nearly every company started using 084/087x numbers even though they never use any of the facilities offered by it.

On the other hand, 03x numbers have to be charged at normal 01/02 rate and as such means any features arent free or subsidised by the 083 telephone number provider unlike most 084/087 telephone number providers.

derrick

ducky2004 wrote: »

Derek,

If you check your BT bill, you are probably on the free weekends call package (used to be called BT Together option 1).

You can ring up BT to get onto the unlimted anytime / unlimited eve/weekends package. These package can be get on
with contract or contract free (£0 for unlimited eve/weekends with 12 months rolling contract, or £2.95/month no contract);
£4.95 for anytime with 12 contract and around £5.80 without

Yes I know that, but I do not want to use BT for anything else than the line rental,( certainly not to pay them any more),the only reason I keep the line rental with them is so that I can use the override numbers that they are obliged to allow, unlike others who mostly bar them, then you have to pay their exhorbatant 084/087 fees.

derrick

jhp wrote: »

If your using BT and cant find an alternative number, and you dont have inclusive minutes for the time you are calling,and your not on a old tariff its cheaper to call an 0845 number then a geographical one anyway.

To call a 0845 number. 7p connection. 1.96 a minute peak. 0.49 cheap

To call a 01/02/03 number. 7p connection. 3.91 a minute peak. 1.47 cheap

Not if you use the likes of 18185,1899,18866 etc, typically 5p per call irrespective of duration.
Therefore a 10 minute call on BT would cost 17p,(and rising if longer then 10 mins at the rate of 2p per minute), but on one of the override numbers would cost 5p in total.

bunking_off

While good for consumers, there's undoubtedly an element of smoke & mirrors going on with this change.

Firstly, companies have been moving off 0870 onto other non-geo ranges due to the much-delayed forthcoming change to ban revenue share. So, in the medium term the volume of calls involved will be lower than might be anticipated.

Secondly, the advice on 1280 could proved flawed because any call providers that use BTWholesale's WCLI product rather than CPS (such as Sky) result in 1280 not functioning properly (the call completes, but is billed by your calls provider rather than BT). A few of us have repeatedly raised this, but not got Martin's ear. Problem is, it's less than transparent to customers which underlying wholesale product CPs use to provide their retail service.

The real smoke & mirrors bit on this for me, though, is the supposed £24M cost to BT of this act of generosity. On 0870 etc, BT pay out to the terminating CP at the "notional" retail tariff, minus a regulated payment for originating the call. Now, the notional retail tariff is the published full price, minus an amount to allow for discount packages (e.g. inclusive calls) offered by BT. So when BT makes a lot of 0870 calls inclusive, the amount deducted for discounts will be increased to allow for th. isI understand the 0870 network providers haven't been told by how much yet, indeed the first they knew of this was when BT issued the press release. As such, it may be costing £24M, but whether it's coming from BT's coffers or from other CPs is less than clear...

deklan99

bunking_off wrote: »

While good for consumers.....

end of story as far as this forum is concerned.