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Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

longedge
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Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

I made a call to the Canaries the other day and I was surprised to see it got charged. No complaints as it's quite clear in the list of countries that calls to the the Canaries are not included in the 'free' minutes but it made me wonder what it is that triggers charging. Until now I always thought it was the country code i.e. in this case +34 but that's clearly not what determines whether a call is 'free' or not.
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spraxyt
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

I assume the complete number is checked when working out all charges and calls to the Canaries will include an area code that identifies the destination as being there - so charged.
David
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Just idle curiosity really about the exception and why...
Anotherone
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

If you look at the Home Phone tariff http://www.plus.net/residential/tariffs/homephone.html you'll see that the Top 20 International Fixed & Mobile list (those included in the 300 minutes if you are on the Talk Anytime International 300 tariff) are the ones that are free as long as you have minutes left.in your month's allowance.
But note, it does state "Spain (ex. Canary Islands)". Canary Islands fixed numbers begin 822/828/922/928 AFAIK.
I'm not sure which Mobile operators have a presence in the Canary Islands, all mobile numbers in Spain and the Canaries begin with 6 and 7 but are distributed to each operator dependant on the next two digits.
Also note that currently all chargeable calls are the same rate whatever time they are called, but when the new tariff comes in on 18th November this changes.
There will be separate rates for daytime, evening and weekend, although it looks as though the evening and weekend rates are the same.
Also note that the the Talk Anytime International 300 tariff will have a Top 35 International Fixed & Mobile list of countries (instead of 20) which will include the Canaries.
HTH.
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Yes I did say -
Quote from: longedge
No complaints as it's quite clear in the list of countries that calls to the the Canaries are not included in the 'free' minutes

My call was to a hotel not a mobile i.e. I called Spain but charging appears to rely on area rather than country code.
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

We received details of the call you made in the form of a CDR (call data record). This CDR includes information which tells us which destination you called. We compare this destination to the telephone number called (as a double-check) and if they match, we take the price listed in our database for that destination and work out the call cost based on duration, time of day, etc.
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Presumably that's all automated. Seems odd when it's a 'country based' option unless there is an actual additinal cost to PlusNet for some unknown reason.
Anotherone
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

The Canary Islands are listed as a separate Country. Just because they start with the same code doesn't mean the charges are the same. Depending on where you are calling the next 2 or 3 digits can be significant, and sometimes 4 or 5.
Some providers may charge the same for some Countries that have the same codes, others do not.
Here's another example - take USA, Canada, Bermuda and the Bahamas, they all start with code +1. Whilst charges to USA & Canada are often the same, Bermuda is more expensive and the Bahamas is considerably more.
BenTrimble
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

@longedge
Indeed, we process hundreds of thousands of calls, every day - I wouldn't like to do that by hand!
The maintenance of the platform, however, sits with me so I make sure that the prices charged are the same as advertised, etc.
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Quote from: Anotherone
The Canary Islands are listed as a separate Country.

Whereabouts? I think it's rather more like the separate states of the USA or Germany which like the Canaries are autonomous in some respects but still fall under a Central Government.
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Quote from: Ben
I make sure that the prices charged are the same as advertised, etc.

Yes that's certainly correct and the 82pence it cost me won't break the bank  Grin
Anotherone
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Quote from: longedge
Quote from: Anotherone
The Canary Islands are listed as a separate Country.

Whereabouts? I think it's rather more like the separate states of the USA or Germany which like the Canaries are autonomous in some respects but still fall under a Central Government.

In any Telephone Service Providers price lists. Specifically in Plusnet's that I linked to in reply #3 as your service seems to be provided by Plusnet!
I said they are listed as a separate "country" from the point of view of charging. Some providers will group/include some together.
I'm just providing you with information about how it works, you are splitting hairs. I'm not wasting any more time on this. You don't even seem to be grateful for the information provided  Roll_eyes
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Quote from: Anotherone
I'm not wasting any more time on this

Perhaps you didn't read my initial post when I said - " it's quite clear in the list of countries that calls to the Canaries are not included".
I still wonder (and it's nothing more than that) why the calls are excluded.
BenTrimble
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

Calls are excluded based on wholesale price, usage levels, usage profiling, etc.
longedge
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Re: Just curious - what determines whether international call is charged.

If there's an additional wholesale cost then it entirely makes sense that it's passed on. Thanks for the answer Ben.
Just bye the bye, I'm not the first to wonder about this as seen <a href="http://community.bt.com/t5/Phones/Call-charges-to-the-Canary-Islands/td-p/342623">here</a> for example.