0844 charges clarification needed

Flexible_Friend

When using 0844 access numbers to dial abroad, am I right in my understanding that the BT 5p a minute charge ends as soon as I'm connected to the number abroad after which point I then pay the international price per minute by the dial provider company?

I understand that you get charged by BT from the minute (second) you're connected to the access number.

The BT charge is in effect a connection charge and no more, am I right?

Heinz

No.

If you dial out on a BT line, the entire cost of the call will appear on your BT bill. In the example you quote, that'll be 6p (BT's 'call set-up fee' as at 23-3-2008) plus 5p per minute thereafter.

The cost of calling 0844 numbers varies depending on to the 5th, 6th and 7th digits and can be ½p, 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p or 5p per minute (see HERE).

jhp

0844/0871 Access Numbers are revenue sharing. BT or your provider collect all the money, and share a proportion with the cheap call provider

Flexible_Friend

Heinz wrote: »

No.

If you dial out on a BT line, the entire cost of the call will appear on your BT bill. In the example you quote, that'll be 6p (BT's 'call set-up fee') plus 5p per minute thereafter.

The cost of calling 0844 numbers varies depending on to the 5th, 6th and 7th digits and can be 0.5p, 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p or 5p per minute - see HERE.

So for a company such as 0844calls.co.uk who advertise calls to the USA at 1p a minute using 0844 861 21 21, you will probably be charged 6p (BT set up fee) then 5p (BT) a minute + 1p (calls0844) a minute, so in effect it's 6p set up plus 6p a minute. Is this understanding correct?

If so, calls made through 18866 or 18185 are considerably cheaper as you are not paying BT and calls0844, and you get billed by the second and are not charged if you don't make a connection.

redux

Flexible_Friend wrote: »

So for a company such as 0844calls.co.uk who advertise calls to the USA at 1p a minute using 0844 861 21 21, you will probably be charged 6p (BT set up fee) then 5p (BT) a minute + 1p (calls0844) a minute, so in effect it's 6p set up plus 6p a minute. Is this understanding correct?

No, the charge appears on the BT bill with their connection fee and the relevant tariff, in this case 1p/min

jhp

Its explained on their site at:

http://www.0844calls.co.uk/customerservice/customerservice_answer.php?id=4

blinker

but there are providers out there that support calls to any number incl any NGN 08 or 09xxxx number with NO connection & NO minimum call charges - so a call to a 0844 5p / per minute number for example would cost a % of 5p if you were only on line for 10 secs..

eg calls at 1p number for 30 secs and get charged only half a penny. - no connection/minimum cost

BexTech

Flexible_Friend wrote: »

So for a company such as 0844calls.co.uk who advertise calls to the USA at 1p a minute using 0844 861 21 21, you will probably be charged 6p (BT set up fee) then 5p (BT) a minute + 1p (calls0844) a minute, so in effect it's 6p set up plus 6p a minute. Is this understanding correct?

If so, calls made through 18866 or 18185 are considerably cheaper as you are not paying BT and calls0844, and you get billed by the second and are not charged if you don't make a connection.

Call0844 don't charge you / bill you. The cost to call the 0844 number is made on your provider, for example BT.

So if BT is your provider when you call the Call0844 1p/min number, you will be paying BT the 1p / per min + 6p connection and that is it. For you that is the end of the story. For 0844Calls they then get a cut from that 1p/min.

Flexible_Friend

Thanks to everyone for all the replies and advice. I understand how it works now and have made my first 0844 call. Thanks! :T

MurrayF

I have just agreed a contract with BT to offer me free 0845 and 0870 numbers on my home line. Yippee I thought. But then hang on, this must be an offer too good to be true. Yep. it is. Indeed, what BT are doing now is to ensure that pretty much all new lines sold are 0844 and 0871 numbers so that for all you fools like me who are paying them £5 a month for free calls, we still pay 8p connection charge and up to 6ppm for 0844 and more than double that for 0871 numbers.
Actually when you think about it, the recent heist at Graff jewelers have got nothing on BT!

Heinz

MurrayF wrote: »

I have just agreed a contract with BT to offer me free 0845 and 0870 numbers on my home line. Yippee I thought. But then hang on, this must be an offer too good to be true. Yep. it is. Indeed, what BT are doing now is to ensure that pretty much all new lines sold are 0844 and 0871 numbers so that for all you fools like me who are paying them £5 a month for free calls, we still pay 8p connection charge and up to 6ppm for 0844 and more than double that for 0871 numbers.
Actually when you think about it, the recent heist at Graff jewelers have got nothing on BT!

Welcome to the MSE forums MurrayF.

From a BT line, it's between ½p and 5p/minute for 0844 calls (the rate for each depends on the 5th, 6th & 7th digts).

Similarly, 0871 numbers cost between 6p and 10p per minute (the rate for each depends on the 5th, 6th & 7th digts).

Beware, that £4.95/month doesn't cover 07 or 09 calls either

BTW, I think you'll find some interesting posts about this matter in THIS more recent thread.