Humax PVR-9150T V Humax PVR-3500T

isofa

Many 0844/0845/0870 numbers are now covered by calling plans on BT and other services, I really can't understand the issue... Surely good to buy from them direct rather than a reseller? And you can e-mail them for free: [EMAIL="UKSupport@humax-digital.co.uk"]UKSupport@humax-digital.co.uk[/EMAIL]

0845 were setup as low-call from anywhere in the country, long before free calls on calling plans were introduced, ironically to save callers money, and the worked very well - making a call to a long distance place the same as a local STD call, now it's slightly different, prices and calling plans have changed they way they are used.

0870 are revenue generating, but again, the rules are changing and many are now covered by calling plans certainly at weekends if not at other times. For example BTs evening and weekend call plan covers free calls to 0845 & 0870 numbers at weekends and evenings - http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-HOME-PHN-R1
Or on their anytime plan (£4.95 per month) they are free anytime.

You can argue about them costing more from a mobile, but many things cost more from a mobile, some 0800 numbers are charged by mobile operators too.

They certainly don't cost me £200 per year, neither as a personal, nor business user.

derrick

isofa wrote: »

Many 0844/0845/0870 numbers are now covered by calling plans on BT and other services, I really can't understand the issue... Surely good to buy from them direct rather than a reseller? And you can e-mail them for free: [EMAIL="UKSupport@humax-digital.co.uk"]UKSupport@humax-digital.co.uk[/EMAIL]

0845 were setup as low-call from anywhere in the country, long before free calls on calling plans were introduced, ironically to save callers money, and the worked very well - making a call to a long distance place the same as a local STD call, now it's slightly different, prices and calling plans have changed they way they are used.

0870 are revenue generating, but again, the rules are changing and many are now covered by calling plans certainly at weekends if not at other times. For example BTs evening and weekend call plan covers free calls to 0845 & 0870 numbers at weekends and evenings - http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-HOME-PHN-R1
Or on their anytime plan (£4.95 per month) they are free anytime.

You can argue about them costing more from a mobile, but many things cost more from a mobile, some 0800 numbers are charged by mobile operators too.

They certainly don't cost me £200 per year, neither as a personal, nor business user.

0844 numbers are not included in any phone packages!

ALL 084/087 numbers are all revenue sharing, therefore costing more, i.e from a payphone; - 01/02/03 1ppm, 0845/0870 20ppm, a 2000% premium!

The fact that BT now offer 0845/0870 numbers as inclusive, (NOT FREE!), is that they just got in first before Ofcom,(may or may not as they have been having numerous consultations and keep putting the implementation date back), stop the revenue share on these numbers, and yes they where set up as you describe, but the cost re distance ended in July 2004, nearly 5 years ago, yet some of these companies still describe,(illegally), 0845/0870 as "local" and "national" respectively, therefore misleading,(conning), callers!

Don't forget that you have to be on the BT anytime plan,(costing an extra £5. a month £60.year), to use these numbers during the day, when most of these companies are open, and that BT also increased the landline rental charge by £1.per month,(£12. per year), and increased the cost of geo calls, this was done,though not admitted, to cover the cost of including these numbers! BT have approximately 14 million customers, of which only about 1.4 million(10%), are on the anytime package, by increasing line rental by £12. per year for ALL the customers, this rakes them in an extra,£168 million per year, more than enough to cover the £6 million they say it is costing them to include the 0845/0870 numbers!

I have given a reasonable example of how these numbers CAN cost up to £200. a year and stand by that,it is very easy to have to make 10 minutes worth of calls to these numbers as an average daily use to the companies that use said numbers.

I know about the extra costs from mobiles, hence why I mentioned them, but if the companies did not use covert revenue sharing numbers, it would not be an issue!

isofa

derrick wrote: »

0844 numbers are not included in any phone packages!

This is simply not true. The BT packages offering them free at weekends / evenings are free to sign up to, you pay nothing extra from BT for the calling plan, therefore effectively they ARE free, as you are paying the line rental and zero extra to be covered for either evening/weekend or just weekend depending on the length of contract you want - just like for any other type of call made.

That they are inclusive makes no difference, you have to pay the line rental, so that these calls are then inclusive makes no difference, they are free, as you'd have to pay the line rental anyway.

You only pay extra for daytime calls, just like you do for daytime allowance for any number be it differing charges.

derrick

isofa wrote: »

[/B]

This is simply not true. The BT packages offering them free at weekends / evenings are free to sign up to, you pay nothing extra from BT for the calling plan, therefore effectively they ARE free, as you are paying the line rental and zero extra to be covered for either evening/weekend or just weekend depending on the length of contract you want - just like for any other type of call made.

That they are inclusive makes no difference, you have to pay the line rental, so that these calls are then inclusive makes no difference, they are free, as you'd have to pay the line rental anyway.

.

You have to pay the line rental which includes certain numbers depending upon your callng plan, they inreased the rental to take account of the inclusive calls, nothing in this life is free, certainly not from BT!

Read the page that you provided the link to, there is actually NO mention of 0844 numbers, they are NOT included in ANY package, they only make reference to 0845 and 0870 as being "free", ; -
"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"

For something to be free it has to have zero cost, to receive inclusive calls you have to pay for a calling plan, so it is NOT free!