Hi all first post so here goes. I recently have had the displeasure of dealing with a certain finance company who use the rip-off 0870 for everything. I contact them using my o2 mobile because the minutes are included but now I need to quote a cost for my minutes in an official complaint agianst the company. I have searched everywhere but no luck. lots of national call rate but nothing else :'( Can anyone help me please
Cheers
Dave

Are minutes to 0870 numbers included? It's quite unusual for that to be the case. If they aren't, look at your bill to find the cost.

If they are included, it's hard to say how much the calls cost in your letter of complaint. You could quote the standard BT price: 7.51p/min (definitely not "national rate"!)

As far as i am aware they now charge 20p a minute to call them if you are calling them outside your inclusive minutes.


http://www.o2.co.uk/assets/O2HybridNav/Static-files/PDFs/PAYMTHLYPLANSFINALJULY20.pdf

But this will  depend on your particular contract and whether its High St or Onlineetc.So i suggest you check with O2 CS to make sure.

(For those who were unaware.Calls to 0800/0844/0845/0870 but not 0871 are included in most of O2,s inclusive minute contracts.)
http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/tariffsandboltons0153

I have had a few O2 contracts, and still have some on the go, and 0870 numbers are included and treated the same as a call to a landline or other O2 mobile, if it's same network only minutes.

About a year ago, I had a dispute with a company (who sent me reverse charge billing on my mobile) and when I sent an invoice for my time, and 0870 calls, I quoted 8p per minute, which is the cost from a BT line and multiplied that by how long the calls lasted, and I was paid for this!!

If I have any more disputes with companies in the future, and the only way to deal with them is calling 0870 numbers, and I can try and get my phone call costs re-imbursed, then I will always quote the 8p per minute rate, even if I use my O2 inclusive minutes.

The cost of calling any NGN from O2 PAYG is most certainly NOT included in any free minutes (you can get a free minutes allowance on PAYG with 'Talkalot more 150/300').  The cost of calling ANY O2 NGN is 35p per minute at all times, even 0800 numbers!

Alt.

Hi all, finally got to bottom of this :) O2 couldn'y supply me with the cost as this is down to the person whom you are phoning therefore I phoned Debenhams customer relations who were stumped to say the least to start with! The woman who I spoke to didn't know but when I called back she gave me the details:
8p per/min Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, 5p per/min Mon-Fri 6pm-8am and then 2p at weekends. This sorts the issue BUT nowhere is this costing stated by said finance company, for all us consumers know it could be 20p (as per O2!) or even higher. My 0870 costs are included in my O2 package which is the only saving grace when having to deal with these rip off companies >:(

thanks to all ;)

biker dave wrote on Jul 27^th, 2006 at 9:22pm:

Hi all, finally got to bottom of this :) O2 couldn'y supply me with the cost as this is down to the person whom you are phoning therefore I phoned Debenhams customer relations who were stumped to say the least to start with! The woman who I spoke to didn't know but when I called back she gave me the details: 8p per/min Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, 5p per/min Mon-Fri 6pm-8am and then 2p at weekends. This sorts the issue BUT nowhere is this costing stated by said finance company, for all us consumers know it could be 20p (as per O2!) or even higher. My 0870 costs are included in my O2 package which is the only saving grace when having to deal with these rip off companies >:( thanks to all ;)

The cost of calling a 0870 number  has nowt to with the company you are calling.They have no control over the price you pay for the call.It depends on what the network landline or mobile you are using  charges you to make the call.Different networks have different prices.

All Debenhams appear to have done is given you the approximate costs of calling 0870 from a landline.

Alternative wrote on Jul 27^th, 2006 at 8:38pm:

The cost of calling any NGN from O2 PAYG is most certainly NOT included in any free minutes (you can get a free minutes allowance on PAYG with 'Talkalot more 150/300').  The cost of calling ANY O2 NGN is 35p per minute at all times, even 0800 numbers! Alt.

The cost of calling 0800/0808/0844/0845/0870 numbers on O2 Payg is 35p peak,10p evenings,and 5p weekends.( 0871 is 35p at all times)

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/tariffsandboltons0153

Orsonkart, can you enlightten further? O2 say they can't tell me, Debenhams say the quoted prices and you say something else. If O2 can tell me, which is what you seem to be telling me then could you do one better than me and them and find the costs on their website because I couldn't and both phoning and emailing O2 gave the same answer :-[

If its this hard no wonder the companies are making money!

Cheers
Dave

[quote author=biker dave link=1153954587/0#8 date=1154114352]...O2 say they can't tell me, Debenhams say the quoted prices and you say something else. If O2 can tell me, which is what you seem to be telling me then could you do one better than me and them and find the costs on their website because I couldn't and both phoning and emailing O2 gave the same answer :-[/quote]
On a similar note, this thread discusses Vodafone's lack of pricing information for NGNs.

biker dave wrote on Jul 28^th, 2006 at 8:19pm:

Orsonkart, can you enlightten further? O2 say they can't tell me, Debenhams say the quoted prices and you say something else. If O2 can tell me, which is what you seem to be telling me then could you do one better than me and them and find the costs on their website because I couldn't and both phoning and emailing O2 gave the same answer :-[ If its this hard no wonder the companies are making money! Cheers Dave

O2 treat calls to 0870 as fixed line calls.( UK Fixed Line Calls include calls made in the UK to standard UK Fixed-Line Numbers, voicemail menu access and retrieval, fax calls, and calls to free phone, local rate and national rate numbers (0845 and 0870).

So once you have used up your contract inclusive minutes which include 0870 calls,any 0870 calls outside of the inclusive minutes would be charged the same as if you were phoning a 01/02 number . The amount they charge for this depends on what tariiff you are on.On the  latest O2  tariff its 20p a minute.

http://www.o2.co.uk/assets/O2HybridNav/Static-files/PDFs/PAYMTHLYPLANSFINALJULY20.pdf

But it does vary depending on what tariif you are on


The person you are calling on any NGN numbers eg Debenhams cant possibly know what your supplier will charge you.The costs vary considerably  from supplier to supplier.Eg if you were on O2 payg it would be 35p a minute peak to an 0870 number.

Suggest you find out what 02 would charge you to call an 01/02 number outside your inclusive minutes at peak rate and use this figure.Thats if your on a contract. :)

If your on PAYG the rates (35p peak) can be found here.

http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/tariffsandboltons0153

Cheers Orsonkart, i've got the drift :) My contract prices are on my bill, they've got it cheap as its only 10p / min standard peak.

Thanks for your help

Dave ;D

I have 3 years old O2 contract with 200 free cross network minutes - 0870 calls are included in my tariff, and I'm using inclusive minutes to call abroad using some 0870 numbers - free international calls,  here I come ;D

dj-webm wrote on Jul 30^th, 2006 at 12:11am:

I have 3 years old O2 contract with 200 free cross network minutes - 0870 calls are included in my tariff, and I'm using inclusive minutes to call abroad using some 0870 numbers - free international calls,  here I come ;D

Unless your on some sort of cashback scheme where in the end you pay nothing for the contract.(I guess your not as you have had contract for 3 years).How can the calls be possibly  free ?The calls must be costing you something.Eg the monthly price you pay.

Lets say your paying £25 a month for the contract. The calls would be costing  you 12.5p a minute.Hardly Free. ;)

I've got a really old O2 contract which costs ne £119.99 a year.  This gives me 12 months line rental and 75 minutes inclusive calls a month.

This includes all 01/02 numbers, all 0800/0845/0870 numbers (I've never called any other 08 numbers so I don't know for sure) and all 07 mobile numbers that are on the O2 network.

They keep trying to con me out of this tariff by trying to renew my 12 month contract after only 10 months, but I keep all my old invoices and politely tell them that it is a 12 month contract, not 50 or 51 weeks.

So, if I can't find a geo or 0800 number for an 0845/0870 number, I use my mobile (or ring from work, where we also have 0870 numbers, and get the company to call  me back!).

mattydj wrote on Jul 30^th, 2006 at 9:53pm:

I've got a really old O2 contract which costs ne £119.99 a year.  This gives me 12 months line rental and 75 minutes inclusive calls a month. This includes all 01/02 numbers, all 0800/0845/0870 numbers (I've never called any other 08 numbers so I don't know for sure) and all 07 mobile numbers that are on the O2 network. They keep trying to con me out of this tariff by trying to renew my 12 month contract after only 10 months, but I keep all my old invoices and politely tell them that it is a 12 month contract, not 50 or 51 weeks. So, if I can't find a geo or 0800 number for an 0845/0870 number, I use my mobile (or ring from work, where we also have 0870 numbers, and get the company to call  me back!).

You're basically paying £10 a month for all this.

Whilst I can see your point that it's an old tariff and O2 want to keep changing you, just because it's no longer available to new customers doesn't make it a good deal.

Your 75 minutes are actually costing about 15p per minute, which is far more than calling on a BT landline (even with their new prices!!)

I recently went to cancel my O2 contract which I had on a 12 months free rental deal anyway, and O2 offered this tariff with less than 50 minute and less than 50 texts (can't remember the exact deal) which normally costs £16 per month, with £10 off the bill making it £6 per month.

When I said no, they then offered £100 cashback on top of their current deal, meaning that for the next year I'll be paid to have a phone again!!

mattydj wrote on Jul 30^th, 2006 at 9:53pm:

I've got a really old O2 contract which costs ne £119.99 a year.  This gives me 12 months line rental and 75 minutes inclusive calls a month.

One way of looking at this would be that you pay £10pm for 75 minutes...= 13.33p/min?