specialised Number Call Codes

oliton26

Plusnet do not want to provide landline specialised call charges and told me that I must telephone the number and ask!!!

I have found a tariff guide on BT, SpecialisedNos.pdf, for codes used for these numbers but unable to get Plusnet to confirm if these are used.

Does anyone know if a national guideline list is available for these codes

Heinz

Yes they do, it looks like they charge exactly the same for calling 08x numbers as BT do.

http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html

So, cross-referencing that with the BT Specialised Numbers pdf (to find the charge band code for a particular number) and you're in business.

Annoyingly convoluted but others do the same.

oliton26

Thanks Heinz.

Plusnet have again refused to supply any information regarding the charge imposed on specialised numbers or codes used.

Most web services now seem to be using 08 numbers and many are changing away from 0845 and 0870. This looks suspiciously like collusion between providers themselves and and also business customers.

It is mostly impossible and costly to get the cost of the call from the number owner.

My rant is: When is Ofcom going to do something about this fraud.

DonnyDave

oliton26 wrote: »

Plusnet have again refused to supply any information regarding the charge imposed on specialised numbers or codes used.

In which case, Plusnet is in breach of the regulations which were introduced a few years ago:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1156437047/1#1

oliton26 wrote: »

It is mostly impossible and costly to get the cost of the call from the number owner.

The cost of a call is down to an individual caller's provider, so it is impossible for number users to give a definitive answer.


As Heinz says, Plusnet's phone number charges are set out on its Home Phone Tariff page:
http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html

This includes the charges to "Specialised Numbers", albeit that you need to refer to BT literature to find out what band each one is in.

For example, many GPs use numbers which start 0844 477 which is band g6. Referring to Plus Net's page says it's 5 pence per minute at all times (which is also the same as BT Retail).


You need to refer to BT's Specialised Numbers PDF or its Price List:

08 number prefixes
09 number prefixes


They should really provide this information themselves or perhaps provide suitable links to BT material.

oliton26

Thanks Dave. I will remind Plusnet of their obligations.

Heinz

I'm not sure they are in breach of their obligations - their call centre personnel may give stupid replies to telephone enquires (nothing unusual about that these days) but they do publish their prices for the various bands - http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html - and the need to consult BT's list too is not unique to them (IIRC, Tesco, amongst others, do the same).