How much do calls cost to 0844 numbers?

[ttyrie]

Hello,

Does anyone know how much BT charge for calling 0844 numbers?

Thanks

[Patty-L]

Hi there ttyrie,

I searched and couldn't find the charge, I can only tell you I made a daytime call last Thursday to an 0844*** number

for 2.09 minutes and the cost was 24p curses as I am on anytime plan (I did know I would get charged) 

Cheers Patty-L

[Ectophile]

The answer is... it depends. You have to know the next few digits and then look those up.

You have to look up the pricing code here: http://www.bt.com/pricing/current/Call_Charges_boo/1632_d0e5.htm#1632-d0e5

Then find the price here: http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/consumerProducts/pdf/SpecialisedNos.pdf

It really is a ridiculous system.

[Patty-L]

Hi Ectophile, thanks for the information but I had already tried that and got nowhere,

 I have tried again now I got  to  g9   2

so then I went to your 2nd link and it was the same thing again, so I still don't know the prices.

As you say a ridiculous system, BT don't make things easy for customers.

Cheers Patty-L

[Ectophile · Accepted solution]

If you open the PDF from the second link, scroll down to page 7, then the table on that page gives the prices for all the 'g' calling bands. It shows g9 to be 2.041p/min.

[Patty-L]

Thanks for that I have now found it,

But there must be a heck of a set-up fee as I was only on the

phone for 2.9 minute=24pence

[ttyrie]

Best to avoid using the numbers then

[alancar]

Hello actophile, You are right about the whole pricing system of BT charges that you need to spend at least ten minutes to get your head round it. Does it follow that Bit wants you to make calls without knowing the charges you are incurring. This has got to be reported to the Government Ombudsman to take the case on behalf of the BT customers. I fully agree wiith you that it is ridiculous.  alancar  

[stan4th]

That's usually good advice - but in our case we have to phone an 0844 number to arrange extra mortgage repayments.

We've actually paid the amounts in at the branch in person but they told us they are not able to process them properly in branch and have repeatedly told us there is no alternative but to phone this number.

They say there is no alternative.

That's A&L / Santander as a warning to any potential customers!

[BrianS]

It's NOT ridiculous.   It's commercial "enterprise" (in the wake of the recent banking scandals, some would say "greed") at its best.

The immensely complicated pricing structure, with the cost of 0844 calls depending on the 5th, 6th or even 7th digit, makes it extremely difficult for customers to know what a call is going to cost without having to look it up each time.   As a previous commenter has pointed out - there can only be one explanation for that - a policy of keeping the customer as confused (some might say "deceived") as possible.   The last time I had to call an 0844 number I tried asking the operator and was blithely told that the charge for ALL 0844 numbers was 5p/min.

More the the point - I've paid for one of those anytime anywhere packages.   But, of course, they only apply to geographical numbers - I still have to pay for 0844 calls.   So while BT are promoting the advantages of such packages to domestic users they are also promoting the advantages of 0844 numbers to commercial companies.   Double benefit to BT, it seems

Not only that, but for some 0844 numbers the charge is only 1p per minute.   So we have a situation in which I can use an 0844 number to call my sons in Russia and Japan for 1p per minute while an 0844 call to a company a mile or two away in the same town costs 5p per minute.

Ridiculous??   Rip-off Britain is not confined to the banks, it seems