topic Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers in Plusnet Feedback

0800 & 0845 numbers

fw — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:43:56 GMT

How come BT ( parent Company ) now give these free and Plusnet don't ?

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

pierre_pierre — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:48:47 GMT

if you have time read this lot http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,72633.0.html
0800 numbers are free with plus net did you mean 0870

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

HPsauce — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:27 GMT

If, like me, you have a BT Retail phone line you will be very aware that the line rental is increasing significantly, way over inflation and way over the underlying increases in charges for use of the line that they pay (to Openreach?).

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

Anotherone — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:07:58 GMT

And don't give up reading that link before you get to the end of it, because in case you hadn't realised (after you rushed to renew your 12 month contract with BT) BT then jacked up the line rental by £1 a month, call connection fee to 8p and per minute charge to 4.5p.
Also have a read of this - http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,73242.0.html
In any event there won't be anyone left using 0870 soon, they're all going to 0871. Even higher rate!
Edit: Correct 0844 to 0871 (major brain error).

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

198kHz — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:12:06 GMT

@fw Presumably you mean 0870 & 0845?
It seems to be widely believed that BT have made these calls free for all their customers at all times, but it's not so. They're only free in one's inclusive minutes, which for most BT customers is evenings and weekends.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

pjmarsh — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:45:30 GMT

You mean during the time when most of the companies that use 0845 and 0870 numbers are closed!?!
Phil

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:22:18 GMT

Somebody has got to pay for these calls, and BT have spread it around the customer base, which is not really fair because it will hit those people who rarely dial these numbers anyway, particularly people on very limited incomes.
Ofcom need to deal with this blatant money-making scheme ASAP.
Personally, I hope that the PN Homephone service will not change - it is good value for money IMO.
In any case, often an alternative can be found on saynoto0870 and if I find a number that is not on the website, I do take the trouble to add it to the database.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

HPsauce — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:28:47 GMT

Quote from: poppy
Somebody has got to pay for these calls

And in many cases it should be the companies who use the numbers.
In most cases they need to get their act together and switch to free or 03xx numbers, and this change by BT actually doesn't help.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:52:07 GMT

Agreed!

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

jmd — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:55:47 GMT

Why does Plusnet have a 0845 number for Customer Support!! and using local number - see latest newsletter..........................

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

VileReynard — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:06:10 GMT

With all these computer controlled exchanges, it costs BT no more to use an 0845 number than a 0114 number.
Regardless of the actual call routing made.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

jmd — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:12:53 GMT

But it costs the person making the call more!

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

VileReynard — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:14:08 GMT

Absolutely!

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

Be3G — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:14:19 GMT

Quote from: jmdlp
Why does Plusnet have a 0845 number for Customer Support!! and using local number - see latest newsletter..........................

Is this anything to do with the fact that the local numbers have disappeared from the portal footer? (I don't receive the newsletter as I generally assume anything in it will have already been announced elsewhere...)

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

pierre_pierre — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:15:59 GMT

on the other post about this it was said to be that the 0114 can not be used with IVC, the 0845 can, What is IVC, its that mind numbing thing that the telephone does, push one to go to the toilet, 2 to get a beer, 3 to have a sandwhich, 4 to talk to a human, Having looked it stand for Interactive Voice Command
Yes it has disappeared from the front page but it is still on the Help and support page

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

Be3G — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:17:34 GMT

Just had a read of adiewoo's copy of the newsletter here and see what's happened now.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

jmd — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:22:52 GMT

Quote from: pierre_pierre
IVC, the 0845 can, What is IVC, its that mind numbing thing that the telephone does, push one to go to the toilet, 2 to get a beer, 3 to have a sandwhich, 4 to talk to a human, it stand for Interactive Voice Command

well, if you are like me and hard of hearing..................... thoise automatic voices are not very clear and I usually end up having to keep redialling to listen again so as to get the one I want!!
therefore costs more!! please consider that Plusnet!

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

dvorak — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:25:00 GMT

I think they are trying to sort it by getting an 03 number, but until that is sorted it would be much better to have left the 0114 number and extend the call answering targets a bit.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

pierre_pierre — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:27:34 GMT

or did B mean this

Quote
The election is currently running and voting is open until 8:30am on the 15th Feb.

Re: 0800 & 0845 numbers

mal0z — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:27:38 GMT

In this modern day and age - it makes no sense to charge calls by distance in the UK, except perhaps that local calls should be cheaper.
In days gone by - even before STD, there were dozens of telephone operators in every exchange to put calls through to other towns ( I know only too weel - my mother was one of them ) so lots of added expense.
Then the Post Office introduced Subscriber Trunk Dialing after a huge investment in new exchanges.
But these days - exchanges are much much smaller - as the electo-mechanical, reed relay exchanges have been long gone, and much more efficient electronic/digital exchanges ( System X and it's later incarnations. )
So it doesn't cost BT any more to route a call from Leeds to Sheffield than it does to route a call from Wick to Penzance.
After all - you don't pay more for a VoIP call from Manchester to Aberdeen than you do for a call from Manchester to Liverpool do you ???.
The whole structure needs a major overhaul.