International Freephone(UIFN) - 00800 numbers - call charges

[#1]

In light of my recent experience with another CP regarding charges for these numbers I thought I'd ask the question here regarding charges for these numbers from a PlusNet mobile

These numbers are Universal International Freephone numbers, use the prefix 00800, and are meant to be free worldwide. I had cause to call one of these recently (the IT service desk of one of our large customers) via one of our office CP lines and was charged for the call and it's currently being investigated why?

So I thought I'd check the PN tariff guide for these numbers and guess what, it's not listed!

So would one of the PN Mobile help team care to give an answer as to the call charges for these numbers ?

[#2]

Hi MisterW, 

You can find all our chargeable numbers over on the website in the Mobile Price Guide; https://www.plus.net/help/legal/mobile-price-guide/

Just for reference I'll put these here too so you can have a look :). 

If you’ve taken a Roam Like at Home enabled plan, your allowance will include:-

• calls to any UK mobiles, UK landlines and national numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03 when in the UK
• calls to any UK mobiles, Roam Like at Home mobiles, UK landlines and national numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03 and Roam Like at Home standard landlines when in Roam Like at Home destinations
• standard texts to any UK mobiles when in the UK and to any UK mobiles and Roam Like at Home mobiles when in Roam Like at Home destinations
• mobile data when in the UK or in Roam Like at Home destinations
• calls to numbers beginning 0800, 0808 and 03, which are free of charge when in the UK or in Roam Like at Home destinations
• calls to your Plusnet Mobile voicemail made when in the UK or in Roam Like at Home destinations

[#3]

@SarahStewart thanks for the reply but I had already checked the price guide and the information (as far as I can see!) is NOT there and your response doesn't address my question.

Please note , this is an International Freephone number 00800 ( or +800 ) and NOT a UK freephone number.

So could you please provide the answer, or point me to where in your price guide this number is covered, to my question, 

What are the call charges for a number starting 00800 ?

NB  when I think about it there are actually 2 questions that need answering :-

1) what are the charges for these numbers when calling from the UK ?

2) what are the charges for these numbers when roaming in the EU ?

The reason for two questions is :-

when roaming in the EU a call to another EU destination is included in a call plan, whereas calling an EU destination from the Uk is charged!

[#4]

From the EE forums EE charge £1/min - see https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/4G-and-mobile-data/00800/m-p/488012#M108336

Given that PN are reselling EE, does that mean PN charge the same ... for a FREEPHONE number?

[#5]

@Townman thanks for that, I hadn't got around to checking EE prices yet. I'm still going through my own office CP's asking the question.

For info:-

one of our voip suppliers, LocalPhone, charge 50p/min,

Another voip supplier 'A & A' - are free

And our landline supplier , Zen . have gone into a huddle when I asked the question on chat, and will get back to me later via email

CP's making a per minute charge for these calls are purely profiteering. The owners of these numbers are charged for the calls, including (I believe) a supplement if called from a mobile. In my opinion the maximum a CP should be charging is a fixed access fee per call, and I don't really think they should be charging anything.

[#6]

@RebekaPreston, @MichaelWilliams or @SarahStewart

Can any of you address this with any more information specific to 00800 numbers?

MisterW wrote:

@SarahStewart thanks for the reply but I had already checked the price guide and the information (as far as I can see!) is NOT there and your response doesn't address my question.

Please note , this is an International Freephone number 00800 ( or +800 ) and NOT a UK freephone number.

So could you please provide the answer, or point me to where in your price guide this number is covered, to my question, 

What are the call charges for a number starting 00800 ?

NB  when I think about it there are actually 2 questions that need answering :-

1) what are the charges for these numbers when calling from the UK ?

2) what are the charges for these numbers when roaming in the EU ?

The reason for two questions is :-

when roaming in the EU a call to another EU destination is included in a call plan, whereas calling an EU destination from the Uk is charged!

Thanks.

[#7]

I'd never even heard of a UIFN before this but according to: http://www.area-codes.org.uk/00800-numbers.php

00800 number call costs

Calls to 00800 numbers are free from most major landline companies. However, mobile phone companies apply a range of different call rates and sometimes charge their full international calling rate.

It is advisable to check call costs with your phone company before calling.

So although it's called a Freephone service I guess it's not obligatory on the part of the carriers or landline companies.

[#8]

I must say this isn't a question we've had posed to us much in the past!

I'll escalate this query, and put the question to our Operations team. I'll then come back here as soon as I have an answer for you

[#9]

So although it's called a Freephone service I guess it's not obligatory on the part of the carriers or landline companies.

and the main problem is that very few CP's actually include the charges for these numbers in their call charge lists. Of the ones I deal with, so far only Andrews & Arnold list the charges clearly in their information. 

[#10]

@MisterW

Whilst this question is being asked in the mobile space, it seems wise that one should double check that 07xx numbers in the fwX charge band are not charged differently to standard mobile numbers as per the issue on PN landline 📞 which gave rise to this question.

@LouisaMartin - can you pick this up please?

[#11]

@Townman a good point

However, I suspect that mobile->mobile calls don't go anywhere near the BTw system and so their charge bands are not relevant. The charges will instead be based on the destination network termination charge.

but, as you say, given the confusion in the landline thread, the question of exactly what constitutes a UK mobile call really needs answering here as well