Basically, 0845 numbers are a lower form of 0870. They are charged at at least 3p/min on phone packages. They are never 'free' on inclusive (landline) packages. To a lesser degree, the called party/company can receive revenue. This is especially true in the case of dial-up ISPs operating on 0845 prefixed numbers. Of course, they couldn't run their service without that payment.

trytry43 wrote on Mar 12^th, 2006 at 7:31pm:

I have a BT line but use call1899.co.uk to make my peak calls to 01 and 02 numbers for 3p each (as long as I want for a fixed fee of 3p).  I also have a package with Primus which gives me free calls to 01 and 02 numbers off-peak. However, instead of 3p per call peak, I have to pay 3p per minute for 0845 calls (it's less off-peak but the rip-off is the same because anything more than the nothing I normally [don't] have to pay is too expensive in my book).

Ignore me though, consider the poor pensioner who has no home telephone and has to make his or her calls from a telephone box.

To call a standard 01 or 02 number, the telephone box flat rate minimum charge of 30p buys a call of up to 15 minutes duration - probably easily long enough for most calls.

If the 'target' number is an 0845 number, that telephone box flat rate minimum charge of 30p buys only the 10p 'connection charge' and 2 time periods - each of 55 seconds.  Consequently, that same 30p minimum charge would run out after only 1 minute 50 seconds - probably just time enough to hear the first set of "Press this, press that" instructions on one of those awful automated systems.

So consider what that 15 minute call would cost if it had to be to an 0845 number instead of an 01 or 02 number.

There are just over 16 periods of 55 second in 15 minutes so, at 10p for each, the call would cost the telephone box flat rate minimum charge of 30p plus 15 more time periods at 10p each.

OK, I'll save you the bother - £1.80

How much loose change do you carry?

That's why 0845 numbers are evil - they rip us all off and they rip off the less-fortunate even more.

See also http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1141725572

kk wrote on Mar 14^th, 2006 at 6:01pm:

Didn't I say (most of) that?

Quote:


See also http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1142353027