2 different charges for same number??

[#1]

Hi all
I dialled a certain number (beginning with 0843) for about 23 seconds and it cost £0.13. I did the same again about a minute later but this time it only lasted for about 39 seconds and it cost £0.15.
I thought we're getting charged by the minute, not by the second?
And just to add, this was about 12:30pm.
Thanks.

[#2]

Anyone?

[#3]

It's a strange one, can't say I've ever seen it happen before.
I've been asking around to try and find an answer for you (Should have probably let you know that sooner, sorry.) but haven't got anything yet other than "Looks like it's billed per second"
I'll keep asking around and get back to you asap. Although I can't guarantee an answer today, I might not be able to get back to you until next week.

[#4]

@Cagney1994
As you may be aware, 0843 numbers are one of those now classed as Service Numbers where the charge comes in two parts. The Access charge and the Service Charge. The Access charge is the one made by the telephone provider - Plusnet in this case and is 9.58ppm. The Service Charge made by those providing the 0843 service can't be determined without looking at what that provider says it's charge is, or by knowing the next 3 digits of the number and then look up the rate code (see "sticky" post at the top of this board).
Going by the information you've provided this looks as though it is likely to be one which is 7ppm.
Under the charging rules the Service Charge part is being charged by the second rounded to the nearest penny - see "Call charging rules" on Plusnet's Call tariffs page (my emphasis) -

Quote

Fixed fee calls have a fixed-cost element for part (or all) of the call (e.g. 5p for the first 5 minutes or 25p per call). For calls to service numbers beginning 084, 087, 09 and 118 the access charge is rounded up to the nearest minute and the service charge is rounded up to the nearest second. There is no setup fee for these calls.

[#5]

Thanks AO, I must have missed that bit of the sentence when trying to find an answer the other day

[#6]

No worries Harry. I only had a vague recollection and had to go hunting. I suspect most of us had thought what an abysmal scheme that OFCOM had cooked up and far from simplifying the cost of these service numbers it not only made it more complicated (calculators needed) but it's also ensured that us poor end users would pay considerably more for such calls.

[#7]

The reason for the different price is that the Access Charge is a minimum of one minute (and thereafter is charged per second) while the Service Charge is usually charged per second from the start of the call.

Before the new system come into force, you would have to look up the price of a call to an 084, 087 or 09 number by leafing through a two hundred page chart to find the cost for the particular range based on the next six digits after the leading zero. That same number range would have a different cost if called from a different provider and you would have to check their two hundred page chart for that. This made it almost impossible to compare prices for calls.

The new system requires every landline and mobile provider to publish their Access Charge. This is a simple per-minute rate and covers calls to all 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers. This single figure is easy to compare. At the same time, any organisation advertising an 084, 087, 09 or 118 number must show their Service Charge directly alongside the number. The Service Charge remains the same irrespective of where the number is called from.

The new system is transparent in that it makes clear how much of the call charge is going to the caller's provider and how much is going to the called party and their telecoms provider. Previously they blamed each other for high call charges. Now they cannot do so.