Family Mobile have recently switched from a 0800 Customer Service Number to an 0843 one for non mobile callers .

Contact numbers: Phone (Family Mobile handset): 4532 Phone (other): 0843 523 5566*


*Normal calling rates apply which is no more than £0.06 per minute from a landline or £0.14 from a mobile

http://www.yourfamilymobile.co.uk/need-help


A backward step and I am puzzled how they come to their rate  for calling from a mobile.

There old number 0800 112 4350  no longer works.

The claim is that "normal calling rates" of no greater than 6 pence per minute apply from a landline. This is a g6 number and the level of Service Charge is about the same as the aforementioned alleged highest landline bundled call rate. Therefore it is claimed that it is "normal" for landline providers to impose no Access Charge on these calls (effectively originating them at cost). There is no mention of any call set-up/connection fee which is typically somewhere in the region of 10 pence to 15 pence.

The cost of calling a g6 number from a mobile is up to 41 pence per minute. I do not understand how the figure of 14 pence per minute was arrived at.

Ofcom is working on radical changes to simplify the charges for these numbers and make clearer which party gets what portion of the presently bundled charge. It is surprising therefore that a telephone company which has switched to a g6 number now has decided not to lead the way by being open about its Service Charge, but rather conceal it by claiming that the bundled charge of operators who impose no Access Charge is "normal".

Dave wrote on Jul 14^th, 2013 at 11:09am:

The claim is that "normal calling rates" of no greater than 6 pence per minute apply from a landline. This is a g6 number and the level of Service Charge is about the same as the aforementioned alleged highest landline bundled call rate. Therefore it is claimed that it is "normal" for landline providers to impose no Access Charge on these calls (effectively originating them at cost).

I don't think they are specifically claiming that landline providers impose no AC on these calls (ie orginate at cost).  They (Family Mobile) probably don't even know what Ofcom has got planned with the confusing AC/SC as it's likely their NGN provider hasn't mentioned it until it has no choice as it's not in their (NGN provider's) interest.

I think they meant "normal" as in its not an "offical" premium number (as defined by Ofcom/Paypal) although we know it's a stealth premium rate number.

Family Mobile is obviously a MVNO and is probably so small that they aren't aware of actual charges or definitions of these type of calls as they probably just get told by the actual mobile network who they use what they, Family Mobile, will be charged for each call type and so they base their prices of the wholesale price list.


Quote:

...It is surprising therefore that a telephone company which has switched to a g6 number now has decided not to lead the way by being open about its Service Charge, but rather conceal it by claiming that the bundled charge of operators who impose no Access Charge is "normal"...

My guess is that a lot of companies whether telephone company, normal companies like Sky, etc have no interest in publishing any AC/SC until they are legally obliged to and even then many will not until forced to by Ofcom/ASA.

Not only can Family Mobile not count, looks like they cant type either, perhaps it is a typo, which should have been 41p, or maybe they thought to snare unwary customers with their advertised low call rate, either way they should sack their Accounts Dept before they go bust, or have the ASA on their backs.

CAP updated advice on how this info should  be presented is

"At present, for calls that are charged by the minute, we recommend:

“Calls cost Xp plus up to Yppm from BT Unlimited Weekend Plan. Mobile and other providers’ charges may vary”.

Alternatively, if they know the total cost of the call, for example, because callers are being invited to hear a message of limited length or because calls are charged at a set price, marketers could state “Calls cost Xp from BT Unlimited Weekend Plan”. "

http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-0844-and-0871-numbers.aspx