I have already seem a few postings about Bill Shock when customers  have discovered what they now pay to call these access numbers from 1/7/2015 as opposed to what they were charged before.

I imagine we can expect to see a fair few more once the first lots of bills go out.

Easy. There were a good few dial-through providers using 0844 numbers which were, from a BT line at least, a one-off BT set up fee + ½p/minute (approximately) for calling some countries.

I don't know what BT's call set-up fee was (although I'm a BT customer, I never paid it because I use a CPS to get free evening and weekend 01/02/03 calls and the 5p/call 18185 prefix at other times) but, assuming it was 10p, it would have cost a total of about 25p for a half hour call.  That has now increased dramatically because the Access charge is now also charged on a per minute basis and line rental providers have recognised a nice little earner and set their Access charges at whatever* they think they can get away with.

* 11p/minute currently appears to be the maximum from a landline but between 5p and 44p/minute from a mobile.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/costofcalling.php

Heinz wrote on Jul 17^th, 2015 at 10:23am:

The option of a call-paid service (which should really fall within the scope of PhonePay Plus) was, an Ian explains, exploiting the inability of BT to levy a charge of its own on calls to 084 (and other) numbers - even the call-setup fee had to be accounted for in the amount paid forward.

The account-based / pre-paid option as used by many dial-through providers (including 18185) is unaffected by the change - which, although worthwhile in its own terms, was made essential insofar as something had to be done to regulate charges once the provisions of the BT Retail Condition ended.

The essential question is over whether there truly is a justifiable demand for call-paid international dial-through services, alongside the many other ways that this type of service can be delivered. One would have thought that many of these services would have had to be ceased with effect from 1 July - as their viability must now be threatened under the new regime.

It would be good to hear the views of the providers of these services, and any proposals they may have for how this service could be continued on a call-paid basis. I could assume that those who already use account-based services would be happy to switch to that approach for international calls - but would I be right to do so?

Except for calls made from a BT landline (where regulation forced BT to have an effectively zero Access Charge) it has always been this way, especially on calls from mobiles. Virgin Mobile, for example, charged 41p per minute for calls to 0845 numbers, of which they kept 39p and passed on 2p. On calls to 09 and 118 numbers they kept anything up to £2 per minute. After the reforms, their declared Access Charge is 36p per minute for all of these numbers. If there's a rip off, it's now fully declared and in plain sight.

As for huge price variation between different providers, this is nothing new. On non-inclusive calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers we see variation from 3p to 45p per minute on mobiles and 2p to 12p per minute from landlines. Access Charges vary from 5p to 45p per minute on mobiles and 2p to 11p per minute on landlines. The new system makes it easier to compare providers. Once the effects of competition set in, there will be reductions. If there's evidence of collusion to keep prices high, regulators can act.

This may, however, all be moot. Various changes in regulation and guidance over the last 18 months means that the usage of 084 numbers is in rapid decline. Their call price is becoming utterly irrelevant for most people as they have no need to ever call them. The separation of Access and Service Charge gave the clarity that was needed in order for BIS to decide these types of calls did not fit the definition of basic rate when they were finalising the Consumer Contracts Regulations and it also clearly demonstrated to the Cabinet Office why the usage of these numbers by public services was inappropriate. The FCA has been much slower to act on this point.

The dial-through market owed its very existence to the fact that BT's call rates differed from everyone else due to the effect of obscure regulation that applied uniquely to BT. That same pricing anomaly is, however, what led to the mass adoption of 084 numbers for inappropriate purposes, not least by thousands of GP practices, along with tens of thousands of customer service and other such lines. The change in regulation has exposed the reality about the call pricing for these numbers.

There have been many posts in this and various other forums demanding that 'all 084 numbers should be banned'. Via a circuitous route, this may very well be the end effect. Meanwhile, most dial-through providers now offer a selection of 020, 03 and 080 numbers to access their services. Some also have mobile shortcodes. Indirect and VOIP providers may also see a significant increase in usage of their services.