Discount Dial - it's a bit of a con isn't it

bikeman

Anyone else noticed what a con discount dial is?

They attract users with the promise of cheap calls to mobiles via a 0844 acces number. But they keep changing the access numbers!!!

Sometimes it's ok but mostly the senario is:

I dial the number that worked last week just to be told that the number had changed, cost 6p

Then dialled the new number given just to be told that the mobile number I wanted was incorrect (?!) another 6p

Went to website where there is a seperate number, tried that, no good another 6p.

Gave up £18p and still no successful call.

There seems to be a concious effort on the part of discountdial to constantly change their access numbers and barr legitimate mobile ranges in order to maximise redials to their announcements.

What a con

Heinz

And, even if you use the current access number, you still get stung for your telco's minimum call charge (now 5.5p in the case of BT) if your target number's engaged.

Hence the popularity of 1899, 18866, 18185 - even if their rates are sometimes (but not always) higher.

bikeman

I think you'll find that you get stung for 5.5p (or in my case 6p) connection charge when you get through to an announcement for any of these alternative access numbers.

Nonetheless the point I make about them deliberately changing their access numbers so that they can grab a share of the connection charge is still valid.

As someone who works in telecoms I am aware that the settlement rate for short duration calls (less than 75 seconds) to 0844/0845 numbers can be worth as much as 5 times (YES 5 TIMES) the settlement for longer duration calls.

It therefore serves their interest to get lots of redials.