Why do calls to freephone numbers cost so much?

ianianian_2

Morning all,

Just a quick question. Why is it that calls that would be free from a landline cost so much?
We've had no landline for the past few months and have therefore relied on our mobiles to make calls. Being put on hold to a 'freephone' number ends up costing me a bomb!!! It doesn't even come out of my contracted free minutes with my mobile company.

Why is this?

utilitybroker

You can use one of the Pre-Dial Access Numbers 0200 222 0700/0900 out of your inclusive (not free you pay for them normally) minutes to call Freephone Numbers.

Sid_Harper

to answer your question, it's because many call-through providers were providing freephone access numbers for making cheaper calls through an account based subscription, thereby losing the networks call revenue. I remember in the early days of Orange using First Telecom and the likes.

agsnu

Sid_Harper wrote: »

to answer your question, it's because many call-through providers were providing freephone access numbers for making cheaper calls through an account based subscription, thereby losing the networks call revenue. I remember in the early days of Orange using First Telecom and the likes.

Even if that were true, it wouldn't explain them not being taken out of inclusive minute allowances would it?

ianianian_2

utilitybroker 'You can use one of the Pre-Dial Access Numbers 0200 222 0700/0900 out of your inclusive (not free you pay for them normally) minutes to call Freephone Numbers.'

what what what? Sorry can you expand on that, i've no idea what they are?

thanks

bikeman

The fact is that the recipient business pays to receive calls on their freephone number - about 4ppm.

The freephone service provider (probably BT) then passes on a share of this to the operator who gave them the call, say 2ppm.

In the case that the originating operator is a mobile co, they consider that the share given by BT to them (2ppm) is not enough so they still bill for the call to the mobile user.

Of course they should really be billing the mobile caller at his standard rate, minus 2ppm.

But they don't because they are all greedy b567stards and ofcom is too ineffective to stop this blantant overcharging.