NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
But there is still a huge difference in the cost of a 30 minute call to your Aunty Vera and a 30 minute call to a customer service department or a government advice line (eg NHS Direct) that is a very real difference. […]
Indeed there is. I've already suggested why that might be. That is to encourage people to use Payphones by way of lowering the apparent charge to "1 pence per minute".
NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
[…] Why do you wrongly assume that all calls do not exceed the minimum call charge. That is garbage. The fact is that calls to customer service centres on 084/7 often take 10 to 30 minutes to complete (especially due to call queuing).
If you bother to read my post, you will see I was referring soley to geographical calls made from Payphones. It is they who will generally not go over 20 minutes.
So my point has nothing to do with "customer service centres" on 084/7 numbers. I must pull you up on one further point and that is that I never said
all calls will not exceed the minimum charge, whether geographical or otherwise.
NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
Why would BT charge so much more for 0845 and 0870 if these calls did not in fact constitute a huge part of the revenue it expects to earn from Payphone calls? […]
Perhaps it is geographical calls which cost "less" rather than 0845 and 0870 which cost "more". This would seem to be the case, bearing in mind we have already said that Payphones are a loss maker anyway.
NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
[…] Also how is it acceptable for NHS Direct to use a number that costs £6.20 to call for a 30 minute call instead of only 50p for a normal priced phone call from a Payphone for 30 minutes to 01/02.
I do not believe it is acceptable. It is, however, a matter for NHS Direct to address.
NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
Your saying it is only headline grabbing is to accept that you think it is acceptable for marketing men to behave in this deceitful way. Especially when the whole gigantic 084/7 con is reliant on people wrongly thinking 084/7 numbers are normal priced local and national rate phone calls.
Again, you are obviously not reading in full my postings before jumping in and replying. Indeed, I believe that your response is rushed as the first word in this quote should be "you're" and not "your".
In response to this point, I did not say it was acceptable, I merely suggested that that is why it is as it is.
NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 30
th, 2008 at 12:39pm:
If most people didn't pay any more than the minimum payphone call charge then why would BT want to charge so much more for calling 084/7 then Dave?
As less and less people use Payphones, the associated charges to those who do will have to go up. An example of this is the 40 pence minimum charge which used to be 10 pence.