WARNING. Talk Talk to withdraw 0845/0870 calls from inclusive bundles.

oldharryrocks

From the 1/7/2015, Talk Talk will withdraw 0845/0870 calls from their inclusive landline call bundles.

"From the 1st July 2015 calls to 0845/0870 numbers will no longer be inclusive in TalkTalk plans. Call charges to these numbers will be divided into an Access Charge and Service Charge as part of a new system to make clearer call rates for everyone."

http://help2.talktalk.co.uk/how-much-do-uk-calls-cost

See http://www.ukcalling.info/ for full info on changes.

Talk Talk have set their access charge for these numbers at 5p a minute from a landline.

See http://help2.talktalk.co.uk/uk-calling-0 click on what is changing.



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Ian011

This is expected and part of a much wider picture.

If you're calling a retailer, trader or passenger transport company about a previous purchase, calling a government department or agency or some other public service, calling a bank, or calling an NHS service, there should be no need to call an 084 or 087 number. Various regulation and guidance that has come into force over the last 18 months or so means that all of these services should be using 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers and the vast majority of them do.

084, 087 and 09 numbers are largely returning to their intended usage: paying for chargeable services through the telephone bill. These include recorded information lines such as sports results and weather forecasts, chatlines, entertainment services including competitions and voting on a TV show, subscription-free conference-calling services, instant-access international dial-through services, charity donations, and paying for small value goods and services, etc. They are funded by the Service Charge part of the call cost. From 1 July 2015, all users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers are required to declare that Service Charge wherever their number is advertised.

On 0845 calls the Enhanced Termination Charge is currently 2p per minute. From 1 July 2015 service providers can choose a Service Charge anywhere from 1p to 7p per minute in the same way as those using 0843 and 0844 numbers.

Revenue sharing was suspended on 0870 numbers on 1 August 2009 and the Termination Charge capped at about 0.5p per minute. Revenue sharing returns to 0870 numbers on 1 July 2015. Service providers can choose a Service Charge anywhere from 1p to 13p per minute in the same way as those using 0871, 0872 and 0873 numbers.

It follows that only the caller that called the chargeable service should pay the Service Charge, hence these calls can no longer be inclusive.

Since 2007, Ofcom has offered all users of 084 and 087 numbers the opportunity to migrate to the matching 034 or 037 number. Many chose not to do so as they were confused about the cost of calling 084 and 087 numbers. Many falsely continued to believe these were local rate calls even though this had only ever applied to 0845 numbers and hasn't been true since August 2004.

The forthcoming transparency changes will reveal the truth about 084 and 087 numbers. The requirement to declare the Service Charge should see a large reduction in the inappropriate usage of service charge numbers.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219756
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5220589
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5223890

rpip

Yesterday I used TT Chat facility to query £5.25 charge for three 0845 calls which used to be free. I ask for refund because I had not been informed of change. Their rep said "Okay" but when I later indicated agreement she retracted. She then pretended to investigate and after 45min I said I would write letter. She the pretended "calculate" the refund (total indicated on bill) and asked for my phone number before making the refund. She continued to procrastinate by reputedly messaging that she understood how I felt etc and that she was still working on this (for me!). After another 15mins I asked her to "please conclude" where upon she said that a refund would not be issued.
Any organisation can make a mistake but once agreed the matter should not be retracted (twice). TT have no ethical standards.


This chat should have lasted 10min not more than 1 hour. Procrastination is used as a company policy to quell complaints. I have been on a chat for just short of 2 hours. If you have got a complaint send a letter with free "proof of posting". Send copies at 2 week intervals, marked "Copy posted on..." using their envelopes (sent to you for marketing) which indicate their return address on the back - this will guarantee they receive same if you make a mistake of any kind! If they do not reply or resolve your complaint complain to the Ombudsman.
Be careful to follow their code http://m0.ttxm.co.uk/sites/rightnow/Customer_Complaints_Code_Sep_2014.pdf
including indication of 3rd & 6th digit of password (I kid you not).

Ian011

In the past, calls to 0845 numbers may have been 'inclusive' on some call plans, but they were never 'free'.

Ofcom's reforms effective 1 July 2015 confirm that all 084, 087 and 09 numbers are premium rate. The new rules require the premium paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider to be declared as the Service Charge. This can be up to 7p per minute for 084 numbers or up to 13p per minute for 087 numbers.

It is only right that the caller who made the call to the chargeable service pays the applicable Service Charge.

Non-chargeable services such as post-sales helplines for retailers, traders and passenger transport companies and helplines for banks and insurance companies are no longer permitted to use 084, 087 or 09 numbers. Likewise, government departments, their agencies and other public services have been advised to use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers.