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03 not as good as you think! (Read 49,909 times)
tara
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03 not as good as you think!
Dec 4th, 2014 at 1:03pm
 
Hello, I see that most people here like 03xx numbers.  Please can I perhaps make you think about this problem that I am now facing.   

Before 0330 number I could look at this webpage and find that a 0845 number could be changed to this or that 01/02 number.  Using 1899 as a service I would only have to pay around 6p connection charge; 0p per minute.  But they don't do 03 numbers.  I'm charged around 9p per minute!  Sure IF I had a package it would be included, but these packages are not cheap--BT charge around £9 (for a daytime all inclusive package, which would be what I would need... I've not looked up the exact amount, guys, but it's around that) per month.  But by using 1899 I was able to have a phone bill of only £2 or £3 per month; clearly better value.  Until now. 

0330 numbers have meant I had to pay a fortune to call the tax office!  Miele is another company that likes to keep you waiting 20 minutes too!  Not a problem in the 0p per minutes days; but now that would be around another £2+ (cf 6p)! 

All I ask is that we also list alternatives to 03 numbers too here--since they are a little like 0845 numbers; I mean those too are free if you have a BT package!
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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #1 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 1:36pm
 
tara

This problem is recognised. Although telephone companies are required to charge for calls to 03 numbers on the same basis as calls to 01/02 numbers, the arrangements they have between them means that the call originator pays a little more of the call terminator's costs on 03 calls than on 01/02 calls.

Because "bucket shop" operators have to trim all of their costs to the bone, they cannot absorb this difference. Sadly, this means that they now choose not to offer calls to 03 numbers.

Although it has done little to publicise it, BT does now offer a "Home Phone Saver" deal, at £3 per month. This is effectively the Anytime Plan with some extras and could be worth considering - assuming that you do not have BT Broadband.

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kasg
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #2 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 5:59pm
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 1:36pm:
Although it has done little to publicise it, BT does now offer a "Home Phone Saver" deal, at £3 per month. This is effectively the Anytime Plan with some extras and could be worth considering - assuming that you do not have BT Broadband.

Could be worth considering alongside non-BT Broadband for those without a contract mobile phone and the price promise until 2017 is interesting, given the rate that line rental is increasing.

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49402/~/home-phone-saver
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #3 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:07pm
 
kasg wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 5:59pm:
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 1:36pm:
Although it has done little to publicise it, BT does now offer a "Home Phone Saver" deal, at £3 per month. This is effectively the Anytime Plan with some extras and could be worth considering - assuming that you do not have BT Broadband.

Could be worth considering alongside non-BT Broadband for those without a contract mobile phone and the price promise until 2017 is interesting, given the rate that line rental is increasing.

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49402/~/home-phone-saver



My understanding is you cant have Broadband with it whether its supplied by BT or another provider.
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kasg
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #4 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:16pm
 
bigjohn wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:07pm:
My understanding is you cant have Broadband with it whether its supplied by BT or another provider.

It doesn't say that anywhere, only BT broadband.
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #5 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:34pm
 
kasg wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:16pm:
bigjohn wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:07pm:
My understanding is you cant have Broadband with it whether its supplied by BT or another provider.

It doesn't say that anywhere, only BT broadband.


Here it doesnt specify  BT Broadband it says people with broadband and tv packages etc.

http://www.bt.co.uk/pricing/notifs/18-06-2014/Cust_Opts_Res_boo/NotificationPeri...

I would be very surprised if they were to allow it. Smiley
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« Last Edit: Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:39pm by bigjohn »  

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kasg
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #6 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:42pm
 
bigjohn wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 8:34pm:
Here it doesnt specify  BT Broadband it says people with broadband and tv packages etc.

http://www.bt.co.uk/pricing/notifs/18-06-2014/Cust_Opts_Res_boo/NotificationPeri...

It specifically says "Broadband and TV Bundles" - and, not or, so that is clearly open to interpretation.
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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #7 - Dec 4th, 2014 at 9:03pm
 
There are indeed many odd and perverse conditions found in the almost undecipherable BT T's& C's, including some others which relate to the point under discussion and this product.

Unless we want to get into heavy discussion about what may or may not be enforceable under law, perhaps it is best to stick to what it clearly says at http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49402/~/home-phone-saver.

The point about this product is the fact that it is the ideal and obvious option for a very large number of BT customers, but it is almost being kept secret!

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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #8 - Dec 5th, 2014 at 4:06am
 
As as already been pointed out in this thread Tara   the termination rate(s) for 03 numbers are high enough, weirdly, for some owners of an 03 number to offer payments (in kind) to callers. So its easy to understand why Finarea the owners of 1899/18185.18866 won't let you call 03 for an unlimited time for 5p. You'd be printing money at Finarea's expense.

If you dont want to purchase a bundle  you can still  use www.telesave.co.uk to call at 1p/min weekends and evenings and 1.5p/min weekday daytimes (8am-6pm). You can call via 0800 0662266.

Only disadvantage is you need to top up £10 first. There is a 4p mininum charge. As your notice the site itself is a tad out of date.

Other then that if you have a spare  mobile you could get a payg sim from someone like www.delightmobile.co.uk and call 03 numbers at 3p a minute.
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« Last Edit: Dec 5th, 2014 at 4:23am by bigjohn »  

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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #9 - Dec 5th, 2014 at 4:37am
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Dec 4th, 2014 at 9:03pm:
The point about this product is the fact that it is the ideal and obvious option for a very large number of BT customers, but it is almost being kept secret!


I originally mentioned it here http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1408846528

Allegro made a good point in that thread ,that if BT did allow you to use other suppliers broadband service,which makes no commercial sense imho. It might not be cost effective as some suppliers tend to charge more for standalone broadband.

Also you could not get your broadband from another supplier and your phone  from BT  where the broadband is unbundled  Eg Talk Talk , as such suppliers cannot move your telephone line rental  to another provider without also changing your broadband.
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« Last Edit: Dec 5th, 2014 at 4:55am by bigjohn »  

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tara
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #10 - Dec 5th, 2014 at 1:13pm
 
Hello guys.  Thanks for all your comments.  Unfortunately, as you might expect (since I'm writing here) I have BT Broadband (BT Infinity to be precise), otherwise BT Home Server would have been ideal (probably). 

Anyway, I'm sure there are good reasons for 03xx numbers, and for why operators like 1899 can't offer them.  But isn't this the point?  What I think we need to do is to start finding out (new) numbers (ie, 01/02) that can be used instead of 03 numbers...  The existing Saynoto0870.com website now has a heading 01/02/03.  Noooooooo!! It should remain 01/02 and then have a separate column (or something similar) for 03, since these are (really) like the old 0845 numbers.  And 0845 numbers were never included in the 01/02 column.  Just because some organisation says that 03 numbers are "like landlines" do we have to believe it?  They're not like landlines to me -- since I'm now being charged so much for them.

Separating the 03 numbers from 01/02 will be a start, but I do wonder if we don't need to complain, too, to these companies that are listing them -- that is, we need them to list alternative 01/02 numbers too.  Just as before with 0845/ 0870 numbers. Companies like Miele have now removed all their 01/02 numbers and I worry that now 03 numbers have been cleverly categorised as "the same as a landline number" we will be left we having to pay the extra charges for our telephone use.  That'll be a 200% increase in my monthly phone bill!   
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #11 - Dec 5th, 2014 at 4:21pm
 
Tara

Your choice to use an off-the-wall provider must be respected, however the tail cannot be allowed to wag the dog. It is Ofcom that has said that "03 numbers are like landlines", and that is why Finarea has stopped offering access to them - due to the arrangements that it, and others, have with the telcos that terminate these calls.

Any reasonable provider of telephone service would not dream of withholding access to 03 numbers. 1899 is clearly a specialist service which meets a lot of your needs and it would be quite right for SayNoTo0870.com to offer whatever support it can for those in your position. Once the misuse of 087 and 084 numbers has dropped further, as a result of "Clear Call Rates for Everyone", maybe the future for this website lies in sponsorship from Finarea, being renamed to SayNoTo03 and a campaigning focus on the termination rates for 03 calls!

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tara
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #12 - Dec 8th, 2014 at 9:19pm
 
Hello all. 
I'm confused by your analysis of what will happen, so let's be clear.  I'm sure you can't be saying that it's better to wait until everyone is only given an 03 number and then campaign against them... So what is best?  I think that the ideal solution would be to have both 03 and 01/02 numbers and people allowed to have a choice.  I can see the benefits to 03 numbers for some, but for me I only want 01/02 (or of course a freephone number)!

The history as I see it is this: At present we have lot of rather expensive 08xx numbers that 'saynoto0870' has been campaigning against. But nowadays these numbers are included in caller deals (BT for example)...  Of course you pay for these packages. 

Now, along come 03xx numbers that are, similarly, rather expensive to call.  But they too are fee if you have a package. Now doesn't that sounds exactly the same as why 'Saynoto0870.com' was created?  I only hope it hasn't become entrench to think its only goal is to remove 08[70] number(s)!   All I say is let's start listing alternatives to these 03 numbers too please. 
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #13 - Dec 9th, 2014 at 5:09am
 
Tara 03 numbers are not any more expensive to call then 01/02 . They are treated the same as 01/02 numbers for charging purposes by all UK Landline and Mobile Networks,and are included in inclusive minutes. No plans exists to change this as far as i am aware.They are therefore a perfectly good alternative number,and i cant see any compelling  need to be specificially seeking alternatives to them.


"Ofcom introduced UK-wide 03 numbers as an alternative to chargeable 08 numbers, such as 0870.

These numbers allow organisations to have a single national point of contact without consumers having to pay extra to call them.

Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and must count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

These rules apply to calls from any type of line including mobile, BT, other fixed line or payphone "

http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/03number



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« Last Edit: Dec 9th, 2014 at 5:26am by bigjohn »  

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kasg
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Re: 03 not as good as you think!
Reply #14 - Dec 9th, 2014 at 11:14am
 
tara wrote on Dec 8th, 2014 at 9:19pm:
The history as I see it is this: At present we have lot of rather expensive 08xx numbers that 'saynoto0870' has been campaigning against. But nowadays these numbers are included in caller deals (BT for example)...  Of course you pay for these packages.

No, only 0845 and 0870 are ever included in packages, and even that is unlikely to last long. These are only a small proportion of the 08 numbers in use, although thankfully the use of 0844, etc. has declined recently due to changes in the law. And, as bigjohn says, 03 numbers are in no way "similarly, rather expensive to call" - your specific issue arose from Finarea no longer handling calls to these numbers.
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« Last Edit: Dec 9th, 2014 at 11:17am by kasg »  
 
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