This is not new.

I posted this at the end of last year here http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1262085157/5#5

Also I think I posted this even earlier

Oh well, pardon me. I searched for 'AA' and there was nothing there (I see now that I should have looked under T instead of A!!!). So I then searched for 'Automobile Association' and a few unverified entries came up. It was news to me, so I thought it would be to others.

I wonder why the AA is only actively publicising these numbers now, if they've been around for so long? The aforementioned leaflet makes them sound brand new! If only I'd known about them a few weeks ago when I had to call out the AA for a puncture!! I couldn't get through on the 08 number, and realised it was because of the Vodafone Freedom (ahem) Pack into which I had turned my credit! Luckily a friend was with me so I used her phone. Had I been alone I would have had to look for a phonebox - not an attractive option at night.

At least this leaflet makes their motive clear. It should still be welcomed.

I must point out that the AA has always been happy to do mobile callbacks if credit is a worry, but these geographic numbers are the icing on the cake!

Trenod wrote on Sep 17^th, 2010 at 12:26am:

Along with the renewal information I received last year was a sheet entitled Important Information and changes to your AA Membership, reference TCPA09B (05/09). This would appear to be the same sheet (different version) quoted above.

The previous year's Important Information & Changes to you AA Membership [TCPA07 (11/08)] does not make mention of these numbers. So they have been introduced somewhere between November 2008 and May 2009.


Trenod wrote on Sep 17^th, 2010 at 12:26am:

"Freephone" (0800/0808/0500) numbers can be dialled from mobile phones and billed as geographic calls by using a dial through operator such as 020 0222 0900. Dial the number, and when it answers it will prompt for the destination number.

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 27^th, 2010 at 9:38am:

There may be some misunderstanding here.

Unless I am out of date, there is no range of numbers that are free to call, at the expense of the recipient, including from mobiles.

By arrangement through the Helplines Association, most mobile provider waive their charges to callers on calls to registered "helplines". These are advice services provided mostly by charities and in a few cases government bodies. They can be on any 080 number, although the 080880 range is reserved exclusively for such approved helplines.

The Department for Work and Pensions has come to a private arrangement with most of the mobile providers to waive their charges on calls to its 0800 numbers. The potential exists for the motoring organisations to do the same; this would however be a special arrangement.

I believe that this situation is likely to resolve itself once the mobile companies have been compelled to find alternative ways of funding access to their networks when the excessive termination rates on inbound calls have been removed. It is possible that rates for outbound calls will be raised to compensate, however I think this unlikely. I also believe that there would be great difficulty in implementing a per-call charge for receiving calls. Ofcom presently demands that a message be played whenever is a charge is levied on a call to a 080 number. When the final phase of the termination rate reduction process is reached, Ofcom should review the situation with 080 calls.

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 27^th, 2010 at 12:05pm:

I was referring to the current situation; the word "are" gives it away. "including from mobiles" means that I was referring to numbers that are free to call from all types of telephone, including mobiles.


A very strong case is made for all stranded motorists being rescued at public expense, rather being left in the hands of commercial organisations. The "AA" used to make a case for being nationalised when it offended the coastguard service.

Whilst it may be very frustrating for those who break down with limited credit that their motoring organisation will not return their call, should we not also consider those who have no mobile phone, or have drained the battery, or cannot get a signal, or are not a member of any motoring organisation?

I make these points for consideration in the light of comments made; however I do not believe that I have expressed a personal opinion about the relative positions of any of the many types of victims being discussed here. I try to look for whatever solutions there may be for anyone, trying to avoid assigning priorities and setting one case against another, except where it is necessary.

NGMsGhost wrote on Sep 27^th, 2010 at 12:05pm:

The voluntary selective waiving of charges for calls to 080 numbers is not an ideal situation. I am not a great lover of philanthropy generally, however I do recognise the good that it does and would not wish to see it prohibited or undermined unless the alternative was clearly better.

There is an argument for a statutory regulator determining which are and are not deserving cases, however many of us would be concerned about any regulatory body making the right decisions, as we would see it. I do not believe that the Office for Communications, which regulates the telecoms market, is the right type of body to make a decision about which companies should benefit from free incoming calls.

It is always a cheap and easy shot to say that if a regulator had to make decisions based on rules and principles, then parents and pupils phoning in to Eton College would probably get preference over stranded motorists, because they are calling a registered charity rather than a commercial business.

Under the present circumstances, I believe that it is for the motoring organisations to look to follow what DWP has done. It could well be that the money saved on callbacks (assuming that they are presently offered) will, as for the DWP, offset the cost of a "free to caller" arrangement. If there were to be a net cost, it would be a matter of seeing if members in general, or alternatively shareholders, would be prepared to bear it.

Dave wrote on Sep 27^th, 2010 at 5:33pm:


I believe that as a last resort 999/112 will operate on any available network, even when your own network has no coverage.  Certainly it will do if you remove the SIM card from the phone.

But I agree I find it totally ludicrous that when I go abroad I can use all available GSM networks in the majority of countries as a visitor but in my own country I cannot use a rival company's transmitter, even at a higher premium rate per minute, where my own network has no coverage.  I believe this is to do with some ludicrous idea that OFCoN had that this would encourage each of the four network operators to build as many transmitters as possible to develop their networks.  Quite how this was good for cost effectiveness or preserving rural beauty in sparsely populated areas has always been beyond me.  However for all I know the Chairman of OFTEL and then OfCoN may perhaps have held a larger number of shares in the companies responsible for building mobile phone transmitter masts.

Dave wrote on Sep 17^th, 2010 at 6:37am:


FYI, I just tried 020 0222 0700 and 0900 and neither of them connect on T-Mobile ("calls to this number are not being connected...") Either the service has stopped or TMUK is actively blocking it (as opposed to allowing it and charging as OOB).

However, some other dial-through numbers for 0800 which I found as working:

(via http://dovischeiner.blogspot.com/2009/05/calling-0800-numbers-via-mobile-update.... and http://www.0800buster.co.uk/)


pre-dial > 0200-222-0700;
pd-dial > 0200-222-0900;
QX Dial+ > 01635-774-305
QX Dial+ > 01635-774-325

0800Buster > 01249 20 0800

01635 578 107
01635 578 562
01793 23 82 80
01793 23 82 80

As of 2008 those last four could also dial 0845 and 0870 at weekends, not tried them yet. (just copypasta). Posted in this thread because it ranks highly on Google when searching for dialthrough services for 0800 (and when searching for the old 0200 numbers).