International & UK CallChecker discussion

Ian011

Yes, for almost two decades BT were prevented by the 'NTS Retail Condition' from making margin on call origination to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers. Almost all of the money paid to BT for these calls was passed on and paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider. Other landline providers have always taken a cut and mobile providers have always taken a much larger cut, hence their higher prices.

The regulation previously imposed solely on BT has now ended. BT is now allowed to take a cut of the call cost, but must declare this as their Access Charge, as must all other providers. From a BT landline, this is 10.25p per minute, similar to other landline providers who are mostly between 7p and 11p per minute. Most international dial-through providers also have 020, 03 or 080 numbers. BT users now need to look at those options.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219071

TonyB58

HELP???
I needed to call my Mum in Spain urgently so I checked callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/spain/bt/easy as I had done MANY times before.
This time I selected Call2Abroad 08430 155755 at 0.5p/min.

After about a dozen calls, over the weekend, I was finally able to look at my BT bill online.
Date Time Number/Name Duration Cost
Sat 10 Oct 15 15:22 '08430155755 Service No. 04:35 £0.53
Fri 09 Oct 15 22:04 '08430155755 Service No. 20:55 £2.35
Fri 09 Oct 15 22:02 '08430155755 Service No. 00:56 £0.12
Fri 09 Oct 15 21:45 '08430155755 Service No. 12:12 £1.37
Fri 09 Oct 15 21:41 '08430155755 Service No. 01:34 £0.19
Fri 09 Oct 15 21:34 '08430155755 Service No. 05:44 £0.65
Fri 09 Oct 15 18:39 '08430155755 Service No. 01:06 £0.13
Fri 09 Oct 15 18:19 '08430155755 Service No. 01:23 £0.17
Fri 09 Oct 15 17:52 '08430155755 Service No. 01:04 £0.13
Call2Abroad

---

£5.63

Imagine my surprise, and I had some more 20 min calls on Sunday which are not shown here.
The Call2Abroad.com website confirms the 0.5p per minute
call2abroad.com/international-calls/rates/Default.aspx?CallFrom=152&CallTo=724
but when I contact them all they say is "BT charges".

When I contact BT they say that they charge 10p for the call the rest is Call2Abroad.
But trying to work out who charges what is beyond me.

All I know is that I was using another 0.5p/m number before (no longer trading) and I got charged that.
This time I was expecting to pay about £1 but I am being charged about £10.

For example 22 minute call £2.35
I was expecting 10p for BT + (22 * 0.5p=10.5p) TOTAL =20.5p

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN?

Browntoa

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/51727/c/345


Access. Charge plus service charge

jem16

TonyB58 wrote: »

All I know is that I was using another 0.5p/m number before (no longer trading) and I got charged that.
This time I was expecting to pay about £1 but I am being charged about £10.

For example 22 minute call £2.35
I was expecting 10p for BT + (22 * 0.5p=10.5p) TOTAL =20.5p

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN?

Also right at the top of the International Call Checker is this warning;

Warning. On 1 July Ofcom introduced regulations that changed the way consumers are charged to call 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.
Please be aware this means some of the prices in the Callchecker won't be accurate for a short while until we've managed to update the data.

So don't rely on it for calls where you have to dial one of those numbers first.

TonyB58

I had seen that page before but had not realised it was 10.29 p PER minutes.
Neither did the BT guy I was online to mention that, he just said it was 10p to make the call.
So this has just blown all the cheap numbers out of the water?

Can anyone suggest any means of getting my 0.5p calls back?
I used 1899 and these access numbers all the time, if I now have to pay BT an additional 10.24ppm they are not worth using. ANOTHER RIP OFF if £17.99 per month for the line was not bad enough.

The BT page mentioned says BT Basic 0ppm.
Should I swap my Unlimited Weekend Calls for this BT Basic?

jem16

TonyB58 wrote: »

So this has just blown all the cheap numbers out of the water?

No - just use those without 084, 087, 09 and 118 access numbers.

Can anyone suggest any means of getting my 0.5p calls back?
I used 1899 and these access numbers all the time, if I now have to pay BT an additional 10.24ppm they are not worth using. ANOTHER RIP OFF if £17.99 per month for the line was not bad enough.

Call1899 is still fine as it doesn't use those numbers to access, although not as cheap as it was for UK numbers. It's now 0.5p per minute plus 5p connection charge. International calls are still the same as they were.

Some places use a normal 01 access number so would be fine at the weekend as it would use your inclusive weekend calls.

Should I swap my Unlimited Weekend Calls for this BT Basic?

BT Basic is not available to everyone. You have to be on a low income to qualify.

https://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html

TonyB58

Well I think BT may have just shot themselves in the foot.
OK they may make a bit (LOADS!) of money by catching idiots like me to start with.
But the only reason I remained with BT for all these years was because I could use all those cheap services to call abroad and 1899 for all UK calls. Now that they charge per minute, on top of the cheap services, I'm phoning my broadband supplier NOW.

And seriously is it so hard for BT (and all other phone providers) to have a little spreadsheet on their websites so we could all work out the prices. Come to think about it come on MoneySavingExpert this is the FIRST time you have ever let me down. Yes you had a warning at the top of the screen but I assumed that it may be a few pence off, not £££££. "Won't be accurate is" ... not quite accurate, and you had since July to sort it out. Not difficult to add "Plus 10.24 per minute for BT" to each line with 084 (etc) is it?

THANKS TO EVERYONE :beer:

Ian011

TonyB58 wrote: »

The Call2Abroad.com website confirms the 0.5p per minute
call2abroad.com/international-calls/rates/Default.aspx?CallFrom=152&CallTo=724
but when I contact them all they say is "BT charges".

Call2Abroad are also giving out incorrect information. All Service Charges are now a whole number of pence. There are no 0.5p per minute rates.

There's a list here (in four parts):
http://giffgaff.screet.co.uk/call/?n=1024f0t100t&via=BT-landline

Under the new Ofcom regulations effective 1 July 2015, Call2Abroad must specify their Service Charge and state that you will also pay an Access Charge to your telephone provider.

You should take this aspect of non-compliance up with the ASA.
http://www.cap.org.uk/News-reports/Media-Centre/2015/Insight-Ofcom-changes-to-service-number-charges.aspx
http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-08-numbers-General.aspx

TonyB58 wrote: »

When I contact BT they say that they charge 10p for the call the rest is Call2Abroad.
But trying to work out who charges what is beyond me.

All I know is that I was using another 0.5p/m number before (no longer trading) and I got charged that.
This time I was expecting to pay about £1 but I am being charged about £10.

For example 22 minute call £2.35
I was expecting 10p for BT + (22 * 0.5p=10.5p) TOTAL =20.5p

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN?

You'll have paid
- 10.24p per minute Access Charge to BT, and
- 1p per minute Service Charge to the dial-through provider.

BT's Access Charge applies to calls to all 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers. Other landline providers have Access Charges between 5p and 12p per minute. Mobile providers have Access Charges that vary between 5p and 45p per minute.

The international dial-though provider's Service Charge applies irrespective of which landline or mobile provider you use to make the call. It will vary only with which 084, 087, 09 or 118 number that you call.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219071
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5230983

jem16

TonyB58 wrote: »

But the only reason I remained with BT for all these years was because I could use all those cheap services to call abroad and 1899 for all UK calls. Now that they charge per minute, on top of the cheap services, I'm phoning my broadband supplier NOW.

Well they're still about the only ones that will still allow the use of indirect access codes as used with Call1899. The indirect access code will give UK calls at 0.5ppm plus connection.

If you join a company where indirect access codes won't work you will have to use the 0808 access number where it is 1ppm plus connection charge.

Any other phone provider will still have the same charges for 084 etc numbers so I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve.

terra_ferma

We have moved to Skype, great value. Service not always reliable, so needs a back up, but it saves us a lot of money (also particularly good for those who call one country often)