Caller ID NOT free!

[#1]

I know this issue has been mentioned before but I feel compelled to add my disapproval too. I can't believe a basic feature like caller ID is a chargeable extra on Plusnet home phone!

I've never had a landline before. My Plusnet home broadband/phoneline was finally activated over the weekend and I'm slowly discovering the small annoyances that are probably familiar to everyone else. Caller ID is a basic feature which I thought would come as standard. Apparently it's 99p extra a month. Why?! Even PAYG mobile phones have this as a free feature.

[#2]

It's 'free' with BT retail.. yet with a higher line rental fee. So not really.

A lot of people only have their landline to enable broadband and don't use it for calls, thus the option of not having it and cheaper line rental is a good option and doesn't subsidise others.

when I switched it was still cheaper to pay for CID than stay with a competitor.

[#3]

OFCOM has said that it will be free from 1st October 2018 - see https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/7826-ofcom-moves-to-ban-charging-for-caller-display-options-in-2...

[#4]

All the following 'Calling Features' aka 'Network Services' aka 'Star Services' are an integral part of digital exchanges, and cost nothing extra to provide. They were promoted when introduced by the pre-privatised BT as enhancing communications for everyone.

We're being right royally screwed in being charged for most of these "extras".

Anonymous Call Rejection

SET ANONYMOUS CALL REJECTION	*227#
CHECK ACR	*#227#
CANCEL ACR	#227#

---

Call Divert on all calls

SET CALL DIVERSION	* 21 * [phone number] #
CHECK CALL DIVERSION	* # 21 #
CANCEL CALL DIVERSION	# 21 #

Call Divert on no reply

SET DIVERSION ON NO REPLY	* 61 * [phone number] #
CHECK DIVERSION ON NO REPLY	* # 61 #
CANCEL DIVERSION ON NO REPLY	# 61 #

Call Divert on busy

SET DIVERSION ON BUSY	* 67 * [phone number] #
CHECK DIVERSION ON BUSY	* # 67 #
CANCEL DIVERSION ON BUSY	# 67 #

Call Divert on no reply or busy

SET DIVERSION ON NO REPLY & BUSY	* 66 * [phone number] #
CHECK DIVERSION ON NO REPLY & BUSY	* # 66 #
CANCEL DIVERSION ON NO REPLY & BUSY	# 66 #

---

Call Minder (Voicemail)

CALL MINDER SERVICE

1571

---

Call Waiting

SET CALL WAITING	* 43 #
CHECK CALL WAITING	* # 43 #
CANCEL CALL WAITING	# 43 #

---

Caller Display

SET CALLER DISPLAY DATA ON	*234#
CHECK CALLER DISPLAY DATA	*#234#
CANCEL CALLER DISPLAY DATA	#234#

---

Caller ID

WITHHOLD CALLER ID	141    [phone number]
RELEASE CALLER ID	1470  [phone number]
CALLER RETURN	1471
ERASES LAST NUMBER GIVEN ON CALLER RETURN	1475
BLOCK LAST CALL ANSWERED WITH CHOOSE TO REFUSE	14258 [PIN] **
ADD TO LIST OF BLOCKED NUMBERS WITH CHOOSE TO REFUSE	14258 [phone number] #

---

Charge Advice

SET CHARGE ADVICE [SYSTEM X] (BEFORE A CALL)	* 40 * [phone number] #
SET CHARGE ADVICE [SYSTEM Y] (BEFORE A CALL)	* 40 # [phone number]
SET CHARGE ADVICE (FOR ALL CALLS)	* 411 #
CHECK CHARGE ADVICE	*# 411 #
CANCEL CHARGE ADVICE	# 411 #

---

Choose to Refuse

BLOCK LAST CALL ANSWERED WITH CHOOSE TO REFUSE	14258 [PIN] **
ADD TO LIST OF BLOCKED NUMBERS WITH CHOOSE TO REFUSE	14258 [phone number] #

---

Incoming Call Barring

SET INCOMING CALL BARRING	* 261 #
CHECK INCOMING CALL BARRING	* # 261 #
CANCEL INCOMING CALL BARRING	# 261 #

---

Miscellaneous

CHECK WHICH SERVICES ARE ACTIVE	* # 001 #
BT LINE TEST & RINGBACK FACILITY	17070
REDIAL LAST NUMBER DIALLED	**0

---

Outgoing Call Barring

SET OUTGOING CALL BARRING	* 34 option #
CHECK OUTGOING CALL BARRING	* # 34 #
CANCEL OUTGOING CALL BARRING	# 34 option * [PIN] #

---

Reminder Call Service

SET REMINDER CALL (using 24 hour clock with 4 digits)	* 55 * [time] #
CHECK REMINDER CALL	* # 55 #
CANCEL REMINDER CALL	# 55 #
SET REGULAR REMINDER CALL	* 56 * [time] * [day option] #
CHECK ALL REGULAR REMINDER CALL	* # 56 #
CANCEL A REGULAR REMINDER CALL	# 56 * [time] * [day option] #
CANCEL ALL REGULAR REMINDER CALLS	# 56 #
Day options numbers: Monday - 1, Tuesday - 2, Wednesday - 3, Thursday - 4, Friday - 5, Saturday - 6, Sunday - 7, Monday - Friday: 8 Every Day - 9.

---

Remote (Smart) Call Divert on all calls

SET REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON  ALL CALLS	* 44 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] * [number to divert to] #
CHECK REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON ALL CALLS	* # 44 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #
CANCEL REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON ALL CALLS	# 44 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #

Remote (Smart) Call Divert on no reply

SET REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON NO REPLY	* 64 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] * [phone number to divert to] #
CHECK REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON NO REPLY	* # 64 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #
CANCEL REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON NO REPLY	# 64 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #

Remote (Smart) Call Divert on busy

SET REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON BUSY	* 65 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] * [phone number to divert to] #
CHECK REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON BUSY	* # 65 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #
CANCEL REMOTE CALL DIVERT ON BUSY	# 65 * [PIN] * [your full phone number] #

---

Ringback

SET RINGBACK	[phone number] 5
CHECK RINGBACK	*#37#
CANCEL RINGBACK	#37#
SET RING BACK INHIBIT	*02*37#
CHECK RING BACK INHIBIT	*#02*37#
CANCEL RING BACK INHIBIT	#02*37#

---

Call Routing through BT

CALL ROUTING VIA BT  (when using another provider)

1280

[#5]

This article  over at Thinkbroadband may be of interest:
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/7826-ofcom-moves-to-ban-charging-for-caller-display-options-in-2...

[#6]

Interesting comment added towards the end of that article, suggesting that the BT Wholesale charge to providers is 45p per year. If true, Plusnet are profiteering from those unfortunate enough to need caller id to filter nuisance calls. I'm sure it will be factored into the annual line rental price hike which seems to happen every eleven months.

[#7]

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@198kHz wrote:

All the following 'Calling Features' aka 'Network Services' aka 'Star Services' are an integral part of digital exchanges, and cost nothing extra to provide. They were promoted when introduced by the pre-privatised BT as enhancing communications for everyone.

We're being right royally screwed in being charged for most of these "extras".

Wrong.

You can see Openreach charges for CLI here.

[#8]

@Browni  Why wrong?

To clarify - Openreach are charging ISPs for exchange facilities which cost them nothing to provide. Naturally ISPs have to then charge their customers. Ergo, we're being screwed.

[#9]

You said they cost nothing to provide and I linked to a price list showing otherwise.

[#10]

That is the point.

They cost Openreach nothing to provide, yet they charge for them.

[#11]

They are providing a service which will have ongoing hardware costs and will have cost them money up front in r&d.

[#12]

Thanks. I take your point but for me caller ID is a basic phone feature which should not be chargeable at all - even if it is an optional extra. Others have pointed to an article about caller ID becoming free from 01/10/2018. Glad this is happening.

[#13]

That's technology for you 

Yesterday's optional extra is now today's essential item  

[#14]

Ian,

Agree with you, though I suggest that is a "first world" issue rather than a technology issue - what was a nice bell and whistle becomes something the "first world" feels they cannot live without - much like the little understood difference between "need" and "want".

We might "want" CLID, we don't "need" it - calls can be answered and then declined if we do not want to speak to the calling party.  We might "want" to know who called us whilst we were out; we do not "need" to know ... just how did we manage before such functionality was available ... oh yes, we just waited to be called back hopefully when we were there to answer the phone!  Sadly we are all blighted with the disease of "now".

What will be expected next?  Some whizzy bit of technology which realises we do not want to answer the phone and ... answers it for us?  Whilst CLID is consumed as a "want" it has a marketable value to the supplier and as @dvorak suggested, if people do not "want" it they can save by not having it.  Once it becomes 'part of the package' everyone ends up paying for it, one way or another.

[#15]

Looks like it is going to be. Mum just had this email:

Over the last year we’ve been working hard. We’ve won loads of awards thanks to you, our customers. Including uSwitch’s Best Provider 2018 for Customer Service for the 5th year running, so you know you’re in the best hands.

From 5th June 2018, we’re going to be changing some of our prices and terms and conditions while making improvements to our service. As a result, you’ll see a small £1.00 price rise on your monthly broadband bill, but any discounts or promotions you have will still stand. If you’re a mobile customer, there will be no change in your SIM only plan price. Here are just some of the great things you’ll see:               Our superfast fibre broadband is even faster - we’ve increased upload speeds from up to 1.9Mbps to up to 9.5Mbps (that’s 5 x faster).** We’re boosting our UK customer service team - there will be even more friendly, helpful people on hand to help.       Our Caller Display will be free for everyone - so you’ll be able to see who’s calling. We’ve taken a look at our best offers and we reckon that this online one gives you everything you need. And the best bit is, if you switch to it now, the broadband price won’t go up on 5th June 2018. Simply sign up online.