0845 calls, do they really cost that much?

[#1]

I've just made a call to Direct Line to change something on my insurance, 20 minutes later (average time of call), and I've just remembered I'm no longer with a company that offers these calls inclusive and free! My fault I know but if pn are all they claim has my call really cost £1.50 + connection fee? If so I could be looking for another supplier sooner then I thought, if I remember!!! 

[#2]

Hi ashandsu,
0845 numbers are charged at 7.5p per minute, with a 12.5p set up fee.
This information has been taken directly from here: http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html

[#3]

Thanks Chris, but the fact i'd said the call was 20 minutes long and would cost £1.50 +the connection fee, showed I knew what you charge.  I raised the question as so many other suppliers provide these 0845 etc numbers as part of inclusive free calls. What do they really cost? Is the answer just, profiteering! Whatever your reply this is now my opinion and I will retract the recommendations I'd made to friends and family. Remember I was also questioning claims made by pn regarding the competitive charges they make. Finally, I also took responsibility as I blamed my memory and will consider moving sooner then I had intended.

[#4]

Calls to 0845 numbers are included in your inclusive free calls. The times they are free depends on whether you are on the Evening and Weekend call plan or the Anytime call plan as it does for other 01 etc. numbers. Inclusive times are -

"Evening & weekend calls: Means calls to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 made Monday-Friday 19:00-07:00 and anytime Saturday or Sunday. Calls must be started and finished within these times to be inclusive (non-chargeable).
Anytime calls: Means calls to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 at anytime."
This is the same as BT. From past experience with BT phoning an 0845 number outside your inclusive time is expensive.

[#5]

ashandsu,
Chris gave you an open and honest answer, I understand where you are coming from but I doubt any call provider would publish their wholesale costs. Needless to say I would like to add that our costs are not unreasonable compared to others in the industry and your call made was charged at the rate we advertise for your calls.

[#6]

Quote from: ashandsu

I'm no longer with a company that offers these calls inclusive and free!

If you're just paying the line rental, they are free within your inclusive minutes during evenings and weekends.
If they were free at all times with your previous supplier, you must have been paying an addition to the basic line rental. PN offer this too -
Anytime for £3·50 pcm (UK, including 0845 & 0870)
Anytime International 300 for £5 pcm (as above, and also includes 5 hours of calls to Top 20 international destinations)

[#7]

By way of comparison Vonage (UK) charge 4p a minute with no call set-up for 0845; their monthly fee is around £6.00. Given the Plusnet telephone fees are based on the underlying BT prices they're not massively excessive per minute, though the 12.5p call set up is a bit of a bite. If you are going to make a lot of 0845 calls it's usually possible to find cheaper options.

[#8]

Quote from: Chris

0845 numbers are charged at 7.5p per minute, with a 12.5p set up fee. This information has been taken directly from here: http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html

That's what I don't understand about this thread. The charge is EXACTLY the same as the charge to a geographic 01/02/03 number. So the 0845 call would either have cost nothing or the same as a geographic call, depending on the call plan. So why the rant about 0845 and Plusnet?