Charges are made even if you cannot get through

[#1]

Querying it, I was told that you are charged for the minimum of one minute even if you cannot get through. A long time ago when I paid for each call with BT this was not the case - unless I am very much mistaken.

Plusnet's say that they have connected you to the network even though you have not been successful, so charge for that. So beware of this. For local chargeable calls this might be no worse than annoying but if, for example, you called a hotel abroad to make a reservation but could not get through, the charge for one minute might be big enough to bother you. 

I had called myself after my line had been down without even a tone, thinking that, if there was a recorded voice saying the line was engaged or something similar, it might tell me if the line was alive again, possibly working completely. An entry appeared in my itemised details for the billing period, showing a call of 1 minute. Since I had not got through I was surprised. I was shocked because I cannot call myself and get through to myself so was in a state of disbelief that the entry even appeared but querying why learned something imporatnt that one needs to know.

[#2]

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@Contrajur wrote:

Querying it, I was told that you are charged for the minimum of one minute even if you cannot get through. A long time ago when I paid for each call with BT this was not the case - unless I am very much mistaken.

Plusnet's say that they have connected you to the network even though you have not been successful, so charge for that. So beware of this.

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Unless it has recently changed, Plusnet's billing data is provided by BT, so they only know about charge data that BT supply. If you are being charged as stated, then it appears that either BT have changed their system or charging for unconnected calls may be an optional feature.

Phil

[#3]

" If you are being charged as stated, then it appears that either BT have changed their system or charging for unconnected calls may be an optional feature."

Do not understand what optional is supposed to mean. In the instance that I was made aware of this, calling myself, the call was not chargeable. However the fact that it even appeared alerted me to what I said earlier.

If there is an option, it appears to be for Plusnet/BT to fleece their customers in these, maybe other circumstances. Before I saw these forums for the first time today, I was under the impression that I could trust Plusnet. Now I still think that generally they are OK but in future I will be very wary.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Quote fixed.

[#4]

Perhaps not as clear as I thought regarding (optional) data from BT.

However, my - possibly totally incorrect - understanding is that the BT network provides a "call connected" reply when a successful connection (off hook state, including 1571 service) occurs to initiate charging data collection.

Phil

[#5]

If you do not mind my saying so, my original posting is correct at it stands. Better your replies had been left out because they add nothing useful to the concern about which, having just learned myself, I wish to warn people. If anything what you have added, deflects people's attention away from that to no benefit, so please stop. 

[#6]

I don't believe you are charged if a call is not connected unless it has gone through to an answerphone system, but you say your original posting is correct so if that's what you think without offering any real evidence apart from attempting to call a faulty line which is hardly a normal working situation, have it your way, but I think you are completely wrong.

[#7]

So you don't believe you are charged if a call is not connected unless it has gone through to an answerphone system. However,

The contents of my original posting is based upon what the guy there said and the fact that such an entry appeared on my account. Pretty convincing I would say  for those two reasons but in contradicting me what was noticeable was that you offered no evidence at all!

As I said at the outset:

"I had called myself after my line had been down without even a tone, thinking that, if there was a recorded voice saying the line was engaged or something similar, it might tell me if the line was alive again, possibly working completely.

An entry appeared in my itemised details for the billing period, showing a call of 1 minute. Since I had not got through I was shocked because I cannot call myself

so was in a state of disbelief that the entry even appeared but querying why learned something important that one needs to know, so I have passed on."

Of course it is possible that an unsuccessful call to an expensive foreign call would likewise appear with a zero charge for the one minute like mine to myself, but I do not believe it. If it is itemise as a call with a non-zero duration having that charged at the normal rate is more likely than not, especiallly given what I experienced and what Plusnet actually said.

I see no point in your posting at all.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): 2 posts released from Spam Filter and a duplicate removed.

[#8]

So you don't believe you are charged if a call is not connected unless it has gone through to an answerphone system. However, as I said before, an entry appeared in my itemised details for the billing period, showing a call of 1 minute. Since I had not got through I was shocked because I cannot call myself. You do not believe what the guy at Plusnet said either.

But you have it your way, if that makes you feel better.

[#9]

Hi there, my understanding is that when a call leaves the BT network and enters the network of the service provider of the recipient the call starts to become chargeable which can happen before a call goes to voicemail.

[#10]

Or as seems to have happened to me, even when it doesn't.

[#11]

Would the call not go straight to voicemail as obviously the number is in use thus incurring the minimum charge?

[#12]

I do not have voicemail set up, I find it annoying having to chase after messages so, if it matters enough, they can contact me later when I am in. Since I am retired, that is quite a large proportion of my time.

What would have happened had I had voicemail set up I have no idea, so I leave it to others who are familiar with that setup.

[#13]

What you have to understand is that large companies like Plusnet and BT charge over the odds for the telephone to cross subsidise the broadband so they can advertise low headline prices on broadband.

These are not charges that are levied on the ISPs by BT Wholesale and there are some smaller companies whose rates are much more reasonable.

I moved my phone to Pulse 8 long before I moved my broadband away from Plusnet and have saved a lot on the phone bills. The line rental is £13 per month, there is NO call connection charge, call charges are to landlines are 1p per minutes and charged to the second.

Here's an extract from my bill showing on or two calls that went to an answer phone etc.

As you can see, aborted calls cost less than a penny!

[#14]

Obviously if you have a landline call plan with PN you're not charged dependent on what plan you have eg evening & weekends/ anytime.

I recall it used to be different when calling from a mobile ie that if call went down after 3 or 4 seconds you weren't charged; don't know what PN Mobile charging rule is in this respect. Think it stemmed from early days of 2G/3G when you'd get through, but sometimes call quality was unusable.

(Browni's comments regards voicemail, were referring to call recipients v/mail-answerphone, not those at calling party's end).