I called my Husbands mobile and it cost me £45!

[#1]

As the call wasn't to a mobile network the calling rules were different so the advsertised information is correct.

@Ann-on-a-Moose we are continuing to look in to this and I should have more information either tomorrow or Wednesday.

[#2]

@HarryB @Chris  I'm sorry but I am with @jelv on this!. Unless you (PlusNet) have explicitly defined what constitutes a 'mobile' number, which I can't see anywhere, then you must be bound by the normally accepted and OFCOM definition (from herehttp://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering

Personal Numbering, Radiopaging & Mobile Service numbers

• Download 07 numbers in MS Excel format

(numbers beginning 07)

• Personal Numbering (070 numbers)
• Radiopaging numbers (076 numbers)
• Mobile numbers (071 to 075 and 077 to 079)

from that we must assume that all numbers starting 071 to 075 and 077 to 079 are classed as mobile numbers and are included in any included mobile minutes.

As the call wasn't to a mobile network

Chris, I'm sorry! I thought the OP said it was a call to a SKY mobile ? is that not the case ?

It's good news that you are continuing to look further into this. We await the results with interest ?

[#3]

I think we must be missing some vital information here.

I am on Three network, and have to use "Wifi Calling" when at home. All this does is route my outgoing calls into Three's network over the internet, and incoming calls from the Three network to my internet connection. There is NO additional call cost in either direction. It is still counted as a call over the mobile network. PN's replies seem to suggest that the number called is not from a mobile service provider, but OP has said that the mobile being called is on the Sky network, which uses O2 but does not yet support "wifi calling" at all, either through hardware or app.

[#4]

Thank you so much for all your input into my problem It is good to see that something is happening. I can confirm after looking at the area codes for mobiles that it is listed as a Sky mobile:

07488 2

Sky

mobiles

UK

As listed here http://www.area-codes.org.uk/mobile/#074 I don't know what has happened that has caused this Sky mobile to be charged at 34p/min, but I think that Plusnet should be talking to BT Openreach with regard to their charges. I would never have had an hour long conversation if I had thought that I would be charged

£20.40p for it

[#5]

@Ann-on-a-Moose , thanks for confirming the mobile prefix you are dialing. From looking at the BT price list, I suspect that the 2 sky mobile prefixes have been wrongly clasiified. 074882 & 3 are classified fw10 whereas 074884, 5, 7 & 9 (which are Three) are classified fm6. 074886 & 8 (Lanonyx Telecom & Ziron - never heard of them) are fw7 & 10 which may well be correct. Sky are relatively new to the mobile game and that number range may well have been used by someone else previously and it's not been reclassified properly by BT (and BTw)

Anyway, as I said earlier, it is assumed that all 07 numbers (with the exception of 070 ) are mobiles and without some explicit list of which are not , then in my view it's reasonable to assume that they are included in any mobile plan.

In fact, I'm not sure how you can make any other assumption, since numbers can be ported from one network to another!. It would be interesting to see what happened if a SKY mobile customer migrated their number to PlusNet mobile, would calling it now be chargeable!

NB Sky's other 2 prefixes 073682 & 3 also seem to be classified as fw10 

[#6]

I've updated the support ticket on your account and provided an update there.

[#7]

@Chris whilst I appreciate that you cannot discuss account specific information on here, I think that an answer to the basic question posed by this thread is needed, as other people may have been (or could be charged in future!) for calls they consider as being included in their plan

'When is a call to a UK mobile number not a mobile call in the context of being included in a call plan that includes UK mobile calls ?'

To be clear, that is any call with prefix 071 to 075 and 077 to 079.

[#8]

Good point MisterW. 

It's never occurred to me that a mobile number er, may not be!

[#9]

Thanks to all who helped me with my problem Plusnet says that the reason the calls were chargeable is due to a setting on my Husbands mobile (possibly a default setting) changing to wifi when his mobile was out of signal. Because the setting was at the receiving end of the call and I was unaware of this Plusnet has reimbursed me for these charges at their discretion, but has told me future calls to this mobile on this setting would incur a charge. I am very happy with the decision to return the charges, but I worry as Sky mobiles become more popular this may become an ongoing issue. I thank Chris very kindly for his time in getting this sorted out for me  I hope that Plusnet is able to alert customers in future that they are making this type of call, if possible, allowing them to make an informed choice whether to continue the call or atleast make it a short one

Still Plusnet,

Thanks again to the community

Ann-on-a-Moose

[#10]

@Ann-on-a-Moose I'm happy that PlusNet have refunded you for the calls

However

Plusnet says that the reason the calls were chargeable is due to a setting on my Husbands mobile (possibly a default setting) changing to wifi when his mobile was out of signal.

I'm sorry but that's rubbish. As @beeceegee says and as as far as I'm aware, whether the mobile network routes the call via the normal GSM or wifi is irrelevant and does not affect the cost, either for the calling or the called person. Also, unless something has changed VERY recently and not been announced, SKY mobile do NOT support wifi calling anyway so the call cannot have been routed by wifi! ( see the Sky forum thread here http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-Mobile/Wifi-Calling-TuGo-App/td-p/2590955/page/3 )

The basic problem is that the mobile numbers allocated for the SKY mobile network appear to be classed (rightly or wrongly) by BT Wholesale as fw10, which PlusNet are NOT treating as a mobile call for inclusion in a mobile call plan (note that BT retail do). Unless PN change their charging system, as far as I can see,  you WILL continue to be charged for calls to a SKY mobile.

So PlusNet again, can we have an answer to the question I asked previously?

'When is a call to a UK mobile number ( that is any call prefixed 071 to 075 & 077 to 079 ) not a mobile call in the context of being included in a call plan that includes UK mobile calls ?' 

[#11]

Firstly, I am pleased that you have been reimbursed.

However, it is nonsense like varying the charge rate depending on whether the called phone is on the mobile network or on WiFi, that drives users away from land line phone use to solely use mobiles.

To avoid incurring such "bill shock" I suggest you both use mobiles to communicate.

Then you could drop the PN anytime calls package and save some money!

If you use Whatsapp (or similar) when the mobiles are connected to Wifi then all the calls are free.

[#12]

@Ann-on-a-Moose

You need to think about

1. Never calling a Sky mobile from your land line as you will be charged at that exorbitant rate
2. Use the Plusnet Official complaints procedure to try and stop this happening again both to you and others
3. Think about changing your phone provider as this shouldn't be happening
4. Tell OFCOM via https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/how-to-report-a-complaint/billing (although they will not get involved in your individual case, they can use this as evidence against Plusnet if sufficient people complain)

Getting the money back was only right and fair but Plusnet have to sort themselves out. But without pressure from people like you that will not happen .

[#13]

A bit off-topic but this thread reminds me of a discussion I had with M & S some while ago along the lines of 'when is food not food'!

They had a voucher for £5 off when you spend £35 on food. So when shopping with the other half I was careful to ensure that the shopping contained at least £35 of food (in fact it was all food!). So we get to the the till and OH presents the voucher, only to be told 'sorry you haven't spent £35 on food'!. So I queried this since I was sure we had spent £37 ish!. Ah! said the cashier, you have a 'reduced' item that's why! So I check the total, which is still above £37 and then check the voucher, expecting it to exclude reduced items, but it doesn't!. So I reply 'but reduced items are not excluded'. 'No' said the cashier, 'but reduced items are not food'!. Now the item in question, I seem to recall, was a joint of beef, so I reply , 'it's a piece of beef, it's FOOD, I'm gonna eat it.' . At this point the cashier called a supervisor over who having initially recited the same 'it's reduced, it's not food' quickly realised the stupidity of her argument and overrode the system to allow the £5 voucher. But as @SpendLessTime says , that wasn't the point, it was the fact that the 'system' was wrong and how many other people had been, or were going to be, caught out by it. Eventually a discussion with the manager resulted in them accepting that it was wrong and it has never happened again since. So I assume they corrected the system. 

[#14]

@beeceegee

"I think we must be missing some vital information here.

I am on Three network, and have to use "Wifi Calling" when at home. All this does is route my outgoing calls into Three's network over the internet, and incoming calls from the Three network to my internet connection. There is NO additional call cost in either direction. It is still counted as a call over the mobile network. PN's replies seem to suggest that the number called is not from a mobile service provider, but OP has said that the mobile being called is on the Sky network, which uses O2 but does not yet support "wifi calling" at all, either through hardware or app"

My Husband has finally managed to call Sky and they have confirmed that the Sky mobile is indeed piggy backing off the 02 Network and doesn't have anything to do with BT Openreach and therefore no charges would be applied from them, Sky cannot understand why the charges were applied either and has sent him a text to confirm their discussions.

MisterW  is correct in as much as, this mobile is still considered chargeable in Plusnets eyes and I still can't call this number so the ticket is really only half solved, it is frustrating

[#15]

@Ann-on-a-Moose 

It's useful to have the confirmation from Sky that they do not, as we all understood, support WiFi calling.

This makes Plusnets explanation of the charge completely implausible.

As far as I can see the facts are simple:-

1) The call is to a UK mobile

2) Plusnets  supplier, BT wholesale, classify the call as fw10

3) Plusnet have decided that fw10 is not classed as a mobile call. Whereas other providers do treat it as a mobile call.

If Plusnet don't admit this and change then I fear that the only way to progress as @SpendLessTime said earlier, is via a formal complaint, dispute resolution and to inform Ofcom