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Mobile freephone

flashnazia
flashnazia Posts: 2,168 Forumite
in Mobiles
Does anyone know if it's legal for mobile phone companies to charge us for so called freephone numbers? Does it cost them money or what?
"fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." (Bertrand Russell)
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Comments

  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,982 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes

    you might use the callthrough number 02002220700
  • christopher_h
    christopher_h Posts: 255 Forumite
    Hi Redux,

    What's "Callthrough" please ??
    you know when you're getting older - the wife says, "let's go upstairs and make love" and you reply, "I can't do both" !!
  • chriswuk_2
    chriswuk_2 Posts: 207 Forumite
    You basically ring a number thats included in yourt free mins, then dial the international/freephone number you want to contact. This puts you through to your required number via a number thats inc in your free mins
  • christopher_h
    christopher_h Posts: 255 Forumite
    thanks - does that work with all networks ?

    Is it a kinda 18185.com thing ?
    you know when you're getting older - the wife says, "let's go upstairs and make love" and you reply, "I can't do both" !!
  • flashnazia
    flashnazia Posts: 2,168 Forumite
    yeah but why is it legal for them to do this? surely a freephone number should be what it says on the tin, as in FREE phone?
    "fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." (Bertrand Russell)
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    flashnazia wrote:
    yeah but why is it legal for them to do this?

    Because it is their network that you have agreed to use and therefore you agree to their terms and conditions. There are usually some numbers that are free:

    AA - 0800 887766 *
    RAC - 0800 828282 *
    Green Flag - 0800 400600 *
    Childline - 0800 1111 *

    * We make no charge for calls to these numbers
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • sgx.saint
    sgx.saint Posts: 1,615 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It wouldn't suprise me if OFTEL in the next year or so will force the operators to allow freephone calls as exactly that 'free'.
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    sgx.saint wrote:
    It wouldn't suprise me if OFTEL in the next year or so will force the operators to allow freephone calls as exactly that 'free'.

    OFTEL you must be joking!

    :rolleyes:
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,982 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    sgx.saint wrote:
    It wouldn't suprise me if OFTEL in the next year or so will force the operators to allow freephone calls as exactly that 'free'.
    No phone call is free.

    Free phone numbers are paid for by the receiver, not the caller.

    The mobile networks, and some callbox providers, have found that they don't get paid by all of the recipients, so their approach was that calls here are no longer free.

    In other countries, some freephone numbers are free, but your calling card provider will charge you a higher tariff for access, and some don't pay and are barred including by national carriers (so fairly likely to be legal).

    What Ofcom enforcement do you propose?
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,982 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    christopher_h wrote:
    thanks - does that work with all networks ?

    Is it a kinda 18185.com thing ?
    Yes, but that number is just for freephone numbers

    On a couple of mobile networks, freephone calls do come from inclusive minutes, but may be dialled differently eg from O2 omit the leading 0
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