International & UK CallChecker discussion

Ian011

Patr100 wrote: »

Simply Dial 0844 545 6878 is showing at 5p a minute from BT and non-BT.

I just checked my itemised bill for a 38 minute call on the above . It cost me £5.66 which by my calculation (even allowing for a connection charge ) is about 15p a minute!

From a BT landline you will have paid:
- 10.24p per minute Access Charge
- 5p per minute Service Charge.

From a PlusNet landline you will have paid:
- 9.58p per minute Access Charge
- 5p per minute Service Charge.

Connection fees are now banned on calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.

MrsWassire

Just been charged £30 for 2 long phone calls the kids made to their grandparents in the USA after I had them use a dial-through to 'save money' on BT's 2.9p rates to the USA. I had no idea they'd changed from connection fee to a service fee... gee thanks, Ofcom.

Patr100

Ian011 wrote: »

From a BT landline you will have paid:
- 10.24p per minute Access Charge
- 5p per minute Service Charge.

From a PlusNet landline you will have paid:
- 9.58p per minute Access Charge
- 5p per minute Service Charge.

Connection fees are now banned on calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.

So they ban connection fees and instead have an access charge per minute?
What a rip off!

Ian011

Patr100 wrote: »

So they ban connection fees and instead have an access charge per minute?
What a rip off!

Before 1 July 2015, BT's retail call prices for calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers was capped by the 'NTS Retail Condition' such that BT made no margin on call origination to these numbers. Accordingly, almost all of what you paid to BT for the call was passed on and paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider, and BT retained almost nothing.

Other landline providers were allowed to make margin on originating calls to these numbers, as were mobile providers, hence the well-known wording 'calls cost Xp per minute from a BT landline, other providers and mobiles may charge more'.

While those other providers made margin on these calls they did not declare how much it was. Only the total call cost was shown. This comprised both the part retained by the caller's provider and the part passed on to the called party and their telecoms provider. For 084 and 087 numbers the part retained by the caller's provider was up to about 10p per minute from landlines and up to about 40p per minute from mobiles. It varied not only by provider used to make the call, but by number called. This complexity had to be reigned in.

Given that there are now dozens of suppliers of telecoms services and BT no longer has a monopoly (less than 17% of calls originate from BT landlines, more than 55% originate from mobiles) the regulation imposed solely on BT had to come to an end - and it did so on 1 July 2015. Thereafter BT has been allowed to make margin on calls to 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers, but must declare this as their Access Charge - as must all other landline and mobile providers. BT has set their Access Charge at around 10p per minute as have most other landline providers. Mobile providers have set their Access Charge at various levels up to 45p per minute. The Access Charge is the same for all 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers, but varies depending only on the landline or mobile provider used to make the call.

Before 1 July 2015, other (non-BT) landline providers were retaining up to £1.50 per minute on calls to 09 and 118 numbers. Now it is less than 12p per minute. Mobile providers were retaining up to £4 per minute on calls to 09 numbers and up to £5 per minute on calls to 118 numbers. Now it is less than 45p per minute. The price of these calls has plummeted, especially from mobiles.

The amount of the call cost that is passed on and paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider is now separately declared as the Service Charge. In most cases, this part of the call charge is very similar to whatever it was before 1 July 2015.

If you know the Access Charge levied by your landline or mobile provider and the Service Charge that applies to the number you are calling, this call cost calculator can show you the total call cost:
http://giffgaff.screet.co.uk/call/?n=0f0t0t

Orville

I just noticed this access charge thing on my virgin bill.

Can someone advise me on the best company to use to call France through Virgin please...

Ian011

Orville wrote: »

I just noticed this access charge thing on my virgin bill.

Can someone advise me on the best company to use to call France through Virgin please...

If you have inclusive calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers look for an international dial-through provider that offers calls through an 03 number without needing any extra payments. The calls will then incur no incremental cost. Available destinations are usually European landlines and only during the daytime, Monday to Friday.

If you have inclusive calls to 0845 or 0870 numbers, you may be able to find a dial-through provider that can be called using that allowance. Terms and Conditions usually exclude numbers used by dial-through providers but some may still count towards inclusive allowances.

Failing that, do you want a provider where you set up a separate international account and pay a monthly bill (access is usually via an 020, 03 or 080 number), or do you want a system where the whole call charge also includes a provision for the international leg of the call (access is usually via an 084, 087 or 09 number)?

berkleyn

Bestminutes is listed as 1p/minute to UK mobiles from a BT landline - this is incorrect. I was charged 10ppm by BT resulting in a large bill. I have used the call checker many times and am now losting trust in the data. BT told me that each 0844 number may have a different rate - so you cannot assume the listed rate on the low-cost providers site is what BT will charge you. Its a real shame that this useful site cannot be used at face-value.

Ian011

berkleyn wrote: »

Bestminutes is listed as 1p/minute to UK mobiles from a BT landline - this is incorrect. I was charged 10ppm by BT resulting in a large bill. I have used the call checker many times and am now losting trust in the data. BT told me that each 0844 number may have a different rate - so you cannot assume the listed rate on the low-cost providers site is what BT will charge you. Its a real shame that this useful site cannot be used at face-value.

The dial-through provider must declare the Service Charge element of the call cost wherever their number is advertised or promoted. For 084 numbers this will be between 1p and 7p per minute and stays the same irrespective of which landline or mobile provider you make the call from.

The other part of the call cost is the Access Charge. Your landline or mobile provider must tell you how much this is and it must be set at the same rate for all 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.

Add the two together to find the total call cost.

Call comparison sites should show both elements of the call cost.

BT's Access Charge is currently 10.25p per minute.

The link below shows the cost of calling an 084, 087 or 09 number with a 1p per minute Service Charge from a BT landline:
http://giffgaff.screet.co.uk/call/?n=1025f0t100t&via=BT

If you are on BT Anytime or BT Home Phone Saver, BT charges 6p per minute for direct calls to mobile numbers. If you are on some other plan, BT charges 12p per minute for calls to mobile numbers.

Sky and TalkTalk offer inclusive calls to mobile numbers in their call plans or as an inexpensive add-on.

terra_ferma

Considering that the call checker comes up quite high on searches it must give them a lot of bad publicity, as people are used to trusting MSE. I think there is something serious going on if they are not able to update a page with such high profile.

Patr100

terra_ferma wrote: »

Considering that the call checker comes up quite high on searches it must give them a lot of bad publicity, as people are used to trusting MSE. I think there is something serious going on if they are not able to update a page with such high profile.

It's become useless for me now, I got stung by provider charges when I got my bill.
Apparently in MSE land a "short time" is at least 5 months and counting. They need to get their act together.