Giffgaff (maybe other networks?) overcharging on texts / calls to new Three numbers

Ian011

The list of "non-mobile" numbers published by Three has remained unaltered since at least 2011. Someone has taken their eye off the ball, especially given the fact that some of the prefixes in that list have been re-allocated to Three. This is just one of a number of common issues with provider price lists. However, what is on that list has no bearing on what giffgaff charge for these calls. That rate is set by giffgaff.

One point of clarification. Ofcom are not investigating retail charges levied on callers, they are looking at the termination charges levied on the caller's provider by the called provider. Ofcom doesn't have all of the powers required to force retail providers to include all mobile numbers within inclusive allowances, but they do have the power to cap charges imposed by the called provider on the caller's provider such that the caller's provider has no excuse to exclude such numbers. This is a subtle but very important point, and this principle underpins a number of other regulations.