Being charged to call Tesco International Calling Card

[FarleyUK]

My Mum has been using the Tesco International Calling Card to dial family in the US for many years now, and it's always been included in the free minutes etc. by BT (as it's a local number to call).

However, in the past two weeks, she has been charged for calling the same number (0330 0010 252) to access the Tesco calling credit. This has totalled about £7 for 54 minutes, and is now labelled as the destination being special services on the bill.

Can anyone explain why this is now happening please?

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

Its not included in the calls packages any more as its a designated calling card number, and comes under indirect services.

See http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12793/~/i-thought-the-calls-in-my-calling-plan-were-f...

"Your free calls don't include calls to mobiles, premium rate, international, 0844, 0871, indirect access, operator, directory enquiries, and calls to the Channel Islands. "

"Calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers may be free from your BT landline, depending on which calling plan you're on. (This doesn't include dial-up internet calls to ISPs, or calls to dial-through or calling card access numbers.) Fair Usage Policy applies. Maximum 1,000 minutes or 150 calls a month. If either of these limits on inclusive calls is exceeded, BT will charge for these calls until further notice."

Its possible that the number she calls has only be added to that category.

[FarleyUK]

Ok - so why were we not told about this? It must have been a recent change, as nothing was charged previously....

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@FarleyUK wrote:
Ok - so why were we not told about this? It must have been a recent change, as nothing was charged previously....

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This has been the case for some time not, its probably taken time for BT Retail to identify these numbers, as they keep changing.

[FarleyUK]

That's pretty ridiculous, especially seeing as how BT have charged considerably more to call the US than by using the calling card. So they are basically forcing people to pay the extortionate rates that BT charge. Charming.

[pottyperson]

Here's a possible explanation - don't take it as a defence.

It used to be possible to make dirt-cheap international calls via certain 08 and 09 numbers. Ofcom kiboshed that a year or two back when they introduced provider access charges to most non-geographical numbers (but not 03). I'd guess that providers are now going for other routes to cheap calls to bring them into line with those which use 08 or 09 numbers.