How non-geographic numbers work.

Stompa

DaveAA wrote: »

The official lookup is here:

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/Number-Checker/Check-a-Number-Results.aspx

Thanks, that's the sort of thing I was thinking of.

DaveAA wrote: »

However, as you can clearly see from the results, it's not fit for purpose.

The call price it returns is that when called from a BT line. It knows nothing of mobile rates or other landline operators.

Is it 'fit for purpose' for BT landline users though?

DaveAA

Stompa wrote: »

Is it 'fit for purpose' for BT landline users though?

Hardly. It quotes the "maximum" price for the prefix, not the actual price for the specific number you entered.

BT's Retail Price for 084 and 087 numbers is listed in detail here:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/s8_code.txt
and for 09 numbers is listed in detail here:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/s9_code.txt

The figures listed on those two pages are numerically equivalent to the money that all networks currently hand over to the terminating telecoms company in the "revenue share" arrangement. This money will in future be known as the "service charge". Once the "NTS condition" is lifted, BT will be allowed to add their own "access charge" on top of that "service charge" when they bill their customers for the non-geographic calls they have made.

Other operators already add an access charge (Virgin Media add about 9p/min including VAT, Sky choose not to add one), but it is currently hidden within the total call price. For calls from mobiles, the equivalent access charge is often 20p to 40p/min and usually in the upper half of that range. That's excessive considering that the cost of originating the call is probably well under 5p/min.

Stompa

DaveAA wrote: »

Hardly. It quotes the "maximum" price for the prefix, not the actual price for the specific number you entered.

Ah OK, that's useless then. I didn't go to the trouble of testing it out since you had clearly already done so!

DaveAA

BBC Breakfast also covered the forthcoming changes in brief (96 seconds!) last week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJo67c396gI

Pursebearer_2

Why can't I simply log on to my account (so that the system will know what tariff I'm on), type the proposed number in a box and be given the cost? It's not exactly rocket science!

Surely that should be made a mandatory requirement of all providers websites.

DaveAA

Yesterdays Queens Speech contained the expected announcement of a Bill on Consumer Rights. This will include the provision that companies offering a telephone service to their customers for customer care, complaints, renewals and other similar functions must use a telephone number that is "charged at the basic rate".

This means moving from 084, 087 and 09 numbers to 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers. It will be passed into law before the end of 2013.

Now is the time to start asking companies currently using 084 and 087 numbers why they haven't activated their already-reserved and matching 034 or 037 number. These have been reserved as direct replacements since 2008. The 030 and 033 ranges are available for new users.

Businesses that continue to use 084, 087 and 09 numbers will be covered by Ofcom's "unbundled tariffs" scheme that will come into law in 2014. Users of these numbers will be required to display their Service Charge wherever the telephone number is advertised and advise that phone networks add their Access Charge when a call is made.