Question of the Week: Can you call 0800s free from mobiles?

Former_MSE_Archna

Q. Any way to get free calls to 0800 and 0900 numbers or premium phone numbers on my mobile? Alistair, by email

Martin's A:

While 0800 numbers aren't meant to be freephones they're not on most mobiles, yet there's a nifty site which gives you a special number to dial first then call for free see the 0800 buster guide.

As for Premium numbers, nope they're often use to pay for services like competitions & chat lines and can cost up to £1.50/min. We've not seen any legal way to cut the cost (apart from not calling), if you have please tell us via the discusison.

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OneADay

You can get free 0800 calls on mobiles - well free as in pay monthly plan which offers free 08 number usage - T-mobile flext is the one I know of.

jclegs

GiffGaff don't charge for 0800:

http://giffgaff.com/index/pricing

Indie_Kid

A friend of mine was trying to convince me that they were free on PAYG. It says they're 25p per minute on Vodafone. (my current network provider)

LCR

You *can* cut the cost of calling 09xx premium rate, from mobiles by using regional telecom for example and going to Mobile-Reduced rates on their website.

Sorry I can't post the link, as i'm a new user, just google it.

Though there may be the odd premium rate number(s) and/or number ranges that work out cheaper calling direct.

I hope this edited post is clearer, my point was regarding the question of "legal way to cut the cost" to 09xx numbers from mobiles in the OP, not many indirect providers offer savings over premium rate charges from mobiles, or even allow them to be called. Savings may work out on 0844/0871 also, depending on your mobile tariff.

e.g. If your on T-Mobile Flext, you can call many 08xx direct/included in your free minutes, but you can't with 0871/0872/0873 so on these numbers you could save with regional telecom, as well as premium rate.

If your calling freefone numbers from contract/prepay you can use the many 01xx 02xx 03xx callthroughs out there, however I personally use qxdial 03xx to freefone, as you get points/small amount of call credit as I've mentioned previously, and beats 0800 buster, as they give you nothing back for the call.

Or as jclegs said, pick up a giffgaff sim, where freefone is FOC.

Dan

utilitybroker

Their are numerous suppliers that offer access to 0500/0800/0808 freephone numbers via a geographical access number that you can call from your mobile contract inclusive minutes ,not just 0800 buster,whose service can be a tad flaky.

EG: http://www.qxcall.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=111
who also offer access via a 03 number.

Another supplier is Voipfone. Their access number is 029 2000 0800

RHB

Its not free, but its much much cheaper, but I use the 1899 number (though of course any of them would work this way) for mobiles - 02081804804, then dial the 0800 or whatever number, think its about 6p a minute (billed to the 1899 account) - and of course its taken off my PAYG contract as landline minutes. Also works if you're desperate to call a mobile from abroad I think - you call the landline -804 number then dial the mobile and get charged by your mobile provider for calling a landline.

rickbonar

The problem with any workaround suggested like the ones above especially published onn a popular website like this is that as soon as the mobile phone companies get wind of it they change their rules and terms & conditions of use.

Remember originally all 0800 and 0808 on the mobile networks were free until other competing companies used these to bypass and call other mobile networks more cheaply.

The one I used doing were a company called Connaught telecom & they used a freephone number which gave a phone tone which you then dialled whatever number you wanted at a much reduced rate... Vodaphone, virgin etc soon barred the numbers and Connaught would simply issue another freephone access number but eventually the mobile companies countered by charging 12 p per minute to use the freephone numbers on their networks!

What may have saved a few pounds in the short term ended up costing us more in the long term.

What we do need is some sort of legislation to allow proper competition instead allowing networks to dictate the charges.

Also I would like to see MSE expert Martin take up the 084 and 087 problem...........

I mean by this that due to the tidal wave of complaints 0870 and 0845 are now free from BT and a number of other providers have matched this however they have sneakily changed many numbers to 0844 and 0871 ... and charge heavily for this ... many of us (including me) have mistakenly assumed that these were free too, only to find that they are charged the same as what the old 0870 and 0845 were. So we're back to square one... right!

Please Martin MSE you should write an article highlighting this as I've been conned and I reckon a few million of other customers have too. I believe another example of BTs dirty tactics.

I personally would like to see all premium charge numbers outlawed.................................................