Heres another scheme to look out for companies encouraging 0844 users to use revenue sharing Virtual Mobile Numbers as well .

Eg: http://www.cashyourcalls.com/ukbase.php

This one uses the 07822 1xxxxx FM11 range of numbers.

They appear to be normal UK Mobile Numbers but many UK Suppliers dont include them in their inclusive minutes . :o

Perhaps you have the "844" string on the brain as the numbers on the "Gold No's" page all begin 078221.

Ofcom says this prefix is allocated to Swiftnet Ltd. This operator also has one other Mobile Service prefix, which is 075373. It also has two Personal Number (070) prefixes.

Dave wrote on Apr 19^th, 2013 at 12:45am:

Perhaps you have the "844" string on the brain as the numbers on the "Gold No's" page all begin 078221.

Yes i did  ;D  original post amended.

Note they say: "Please note that you will not receive any revenue for calls received from users of O2 UK or any of its MVNO's "

This is all very worrying and thanks to bigjohn for drawing our attention to it.   

How many other apparent mobile numbers are outside of call packages?   I am aware of none and I do not recall O2 or Virgin Mobile listing any such numbers in my phone contracts.   How are callers supposed to know about such numbers and the implications?

How can we find or obtain a comprehensive list of all such numbers?    Should Ofcom be required to update their regulations to prohibit them?

The BT Wholesale Carrier Price List sets out the termination payments it makes to other providers. It suggests that the cost of terminating calls to 078221 numbers could perhaps be quite a bit higher than to the main Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) which are 3, EE which comprises of Orange and T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone.

The rate is 10 pence per minute at all times.

But from the 1st of this month the termination rates paid by BT Wholesale to the main MNOs is 0.848 pence per minute at all times. In 2011 the rate was about 3 pence per minute and has been dropping in stages, as a result of Ofcom intervention.

I suspected that the termination rate must be higher than to the main MNOs as they would be making a loss by paying out 3 pence per minute.

So it would appear that call providers are charging a higher retail price because it costs them more to connect calls.

If these calls are to be charged the same as other mobile numbers then the termination rate must be brought into line with other mobile numbers. We can't have a situation where call retailers are forced to bring retail call prices into line when the costs they incur for onward connection are greater. Doing so would mean that callers as a whole would be carrying the cost of such calls.

bigjohn wrote on Apr 19^th, 2013 at 3:06am:

Note they say: "Please note that you will not receive any revenue for calls received from users of O2 UK or any of its MVNO's "

Perhaps, just perhaps, O2 had a dispute with the provider and that, as a result, the payments for termination that it makes are lower which is why they don't pay the 3 pence per minute to the end party.

O2 lists special numbers and on that page it says:


Quote:

Temporarily Suspended Numbers The following numbers have been temporarily barred as O2 is currently in dispute with the providers of these services. We are trying to resolve this so that access can be restored. 079785, 078225, 079789, 078730, 078931, 079118, 079112, 078223, 079780, 0871955, 074060*, 074061*, and 074062*