SAYNOTO0870.COM - Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package

bazzerfewi

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Baz

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Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:44am

Hi Everybody

I think we have Virgin Media on the run once again, I recently learned that they now offer an additional package for 0845 numbers. For a monthly fee of £2 you are able to dial 0845 numbers (it is my understanding that the allowance is 300 miinutes a month.

I have contacted VM on a number of occassions requesting the 0845 numbers should be included in call bundles and I think now they are moving in the right direction, obviosly we still need to keep the preasure on because both 0845 and 0870 numbers need to be inclusive.

I have been posting on this forum for a number of years now and it is my belief that the industry has been brought to bare because of pressure from 0870 and they have cahnged a number of packages accordingly

Well done everybody we may not have won the war "YET" but we are going in the right direction

Baz

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sherbert Supreme Member Offline Posts: 2,011 Gender:	Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package Reply #1 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:56am 0845 and 0870 are inclusive in all calling plans with BT at no extra cost, other than their exorbitant line rental charge.
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CJT-80

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #2 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 12:12pm

sherbert wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:56am:

0845 and 0870 are inclusive in all calling plans with BT at no extra cost, other than their exorbitant line rental charge.

Sherbert out of pure interest how much do you pay for line rental?

My parents paid up front and it works out about £9.50 per month just for line rental, which I feel is reasonable value. Not to mention a lot easier for them to budget.

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Regards,

CJT-80

Any comments made are my own and are not those of SayNoTo0870.com

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sherbert

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #3 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 12:52pm

CJT-80 wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 12:12pm:

sherbert wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:56am:

0845 and 0870 are inclusive in all calling plans with BT at no extra cost, other than their exorbitant line rental charge.

Sherbert out of pure interest how much do you pay for line rental?

My parents paid up front and it works out about £9.50 per month just for line rental, which I feel is reasonable value. Not to mention a lot easier for them to budget.

After discounts about £11.50 a month. This includes evenings and week end calls for up to 60 minutes for 01, 02, 03, 0845 & 0870 numbers.

My whole bill which includes the above as well as any charged calls and my broadband and VAT comes to about £75 a quarter which equates to about £6,25 a week. To me that is a bargain as I spend a lot of my time idling away on the internet Wink

I know I am going to be told that I could get it cheaper but in the six years I have had broadband |I have never been let down by BT. So it it works I am not bothering to change for a couple of pounds a week.

Hope that helps

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CJT-80 Global Moderator Offline Posts: 1,714 Manchester Gender:	Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package Reply #4 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 1:35pm It does, I called BT for my parents, and got the Internet and Unlimited calls package, for £15.00 per month, and we had already called and paid the line rental up front. Much better for us, plus an increase in Broadband allowance.
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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #5 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 1:42pm

Returning to the topic.

bazzerfewi wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:44am:

... I think we have Virgin Media on the run once again, I recently learned that they now offer an additional package for 0845 numbers. For a monthly fee of £2 you are able to dial 0845 numbers (it is my understanding that the allowance is 300 miinutes a month.

Could this be a reference to the "Talk Anywhere x00" packages discussed in this thread?

The comments made there, including those covering BT's inclusion of 0845 calls, still stand.

The "Talk Anywhere x00" packages are no longer available for new customers - there is no reference to them on the compare packages webpage.

The tariff guide still refers to the package charges, starting at £9.20 per month for up to 200 minutes, as an alternative to £8.00 for unlimited calls to 01/02/03 numbers (in addition to line rental). When referring to call costs for 0845 and 0870, it states very clearly:
Quote:

Calls to these numbers, (and personal numbering services beginning 070XX), are not included in our Talk plans

(I take it that this means "current Talk Plans", rather than changing the terms of legacy Talk Anywhere packages. The guide does however note that calls to Mobiles are covered by Talk Anywhere.)

bazzerfewi wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:44am:

... we still need to keep the preasure on because both 0845 and 0870 numbers need to be inclusive.

... Well done everybody we may not have won the war "YET" but we are going in the right direction

Revenue sharing has been removed from 0870, but whilst it remains on 0845 I do not believe that all subscribers should be required to pay for it through their package charges. I therefore see inclusion of 0845 calls as a move in the wrong direction. This is especially true when it is offered by some providers, so that users of 0845 numbers are able to imply that there is no surcharge, apart from that imposed by some providers, as if the latter were the exceptional case.

Ofcom is currently consulting on proposals for 084 (and other NGCS) call charges to be "un-bundled", a move in totally the opposite direction to that suggested by the OP. These proposals are being discussed in this thread, where more comments on the objectives of the "war" would be most welcome.

I strongly oppose the way in which Ofcom is seeking to achieve implementation of its proposals, however I endorse the unbundling concept wholeheartedly, having advocated it in response to the "Call for inputs". Campaigners disagree about whether there should be a minimum level at which "phone-paid" services are offered, whether they should be allowed at all and about how best to move forward from where we are at present. It would however be useful to hear the arguments in favour of inclusion presented in full.

The options for the future of 0870 laid out by Ofcom include its closure - as the favoured option (see A7.233 - A7.296, starting on p390 of this pdf. There has been no detailed discussion of this proposal, or the other options, in this forum, despite its name and the fact that Ofcom refers to this site (4 times) in the document.

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Heinz

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #6 - Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 7:55pm

sherbert wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 12:52pm:

I know I am going to be told that I could get it cheaper but in the six years I have had broadband |I have never been let down by BT. So it it works I am not bothering to change for a couple of pounds a week.

I agree but negotiate with BT annually to get BT Total Broadband for £7.39/month for a further 12 months.

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After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015

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Dave

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #7 - Feb 4^th, 2011 at 11:16am

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 1:42pm:

bazzerfewi wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 9:44am:

... we still need to keep the preasure on because both 0845 and 0870 numbers need to be inclusive.

... Well done everybody we may not have won the war "YET" but we are going in the right direction

Revenue sharing has been removed from 0870, but whilst it remains on 0845 I do not believe that all subscribers should be required to pay for it through their package charges. I therefore see inclusion of 0845 calls as a move in the wrong direction. This is especially true when it is offered by some providers, so that users of 0845 numbers are able to imply that there is no surcharge, apart from that imposed by some providers, as if the latter were the exceptional case.

I agree with SilentCallsVictim here. Irrespective of how low retail call providers offer 0845 calls, they still contain a subsidy to the user via its telephone company.

We cannot have a situation where the call price for 0845 is generally (i.e. across many providers) the same as that of 01/02/03 numbers. Doing so would mean that retail prices would rise in order to cover the subsidy on 0845 numbers, and that in turn will mean more people using them which will mean more calls and higher call charges.

In the days of only one network provider, then the OP's position on this may well have been acceptable as the mechanism that passes the subsidy wouldn't exist because it is a product of the competiting market we have today (i.e. one with different network operators).

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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #8 - Feb 6^th, 2011 at 5:48pm

There has been extensive detailed discussion of this issue in another thread (replies #15-25 of this thread.) Consideration of the implications is highly relevant to that discussion, however the detail probably belongs here.

I posed a question without doing any research:

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Feb 4^th, 2011 at 11:04pm:

... Can we please sort out what these current and planned Virgin Media offers are.

I have now been able to answer my question. When I asked a Virgin Media representative for a reference to published details, I was told that there were none! I have however now found them in a published price list.

The special Virgin Media tariff for "phone review customers" referred to on the "Calling Costs" web page includes the Talk 08 £2 and Talk 08 £5 add on Talk Plans. (The representative said that retention teams are able to offer other alternative special deals. Indeed, various different options have been suggested during telephone conversations.)

This special tariff (published for now and from 1 April) shows a number of variations from the standard tariff as well as additional options. Those looking to save money on their VM phone service would be well advised to see if they could qualify as being a "phone review" customer. A threat of "leaving" may produce many further special offers.

The Talk 08 deals are extremely generous for those who regularly call 08 numbers. (See pdf page 5 of this document).

The standard charge for a 0845 / 0870 call is a connection charge of 11.24p plus 10.22p per minute; for the most expensive 08 call (type PG7 0871) it is 12.24p plus 12.26p per minute.

Regular callers to 0845 / 0870 numbers start to make a saving very quickly, e.g. one call of over three minutes each week, or one call of over 18 minutes each month costs more than £2. Those who regularly call many 08 numbers could find the £5 option worthwhile.

Whilst the 250 minute limit constrains the amount that can be saved, heavy users of 08 numbers could save a fortune. Reaching the limit produces a saving of over £20 per month.

I understand that many forum members will not call Business Rate 08 numbers as a point of principle, rather than cost, and in some cases will not engage in any way with those who use them. I strongly believe that users of "Business Rate" numbers should be required to show the "Service Charge" that they levy on callers and that this should only be paid by those who choose to call them. We currently have a terrible mess and offering these calls in packages makes the situation worse. Furthermore, any additional charge for calling 0870 numbers is totally unjustified.

Whilst campaigning for the necessary changes in practice and regulation, I do not myself believe that campaigners make the situation any worse by themselves making calls to Business Rate numbers. There are cases where there is no alternative number and the (possibly greater) cost of the call is worthwhile. I deeply regret the fact that VM is now adding to the confusion by offering these special deals, however I cannot suggest that those who would benefit from taking advantage of them should not do so.

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Dave

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #9 - Feb 8^th, 2011 at 3:12pm

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Feb 6^th, 2011 at 5:48pm:

I have now been able to answer my question. When I asked a Virgin Media representative for a reference to published details, I was told that there were none! I have however now found them in a published price list.

The special Virgin Media tariff for "phone review customers" referred to on the "Calling Costs" web page includes the Talk 08 £2 and Talk 08 £5 add on Talk Plans. (The representative said that retention teams are able to offer other alternative special deals. Indeed, various different options have been suggested during telephone conversations.)

Thanks to SilentCallsVictim for carrying out the research.

I agree that whilst we mustn't see this as a victory, it does show that Virgin Media is responding to its customers anguish over what are high 0845 and 0870 (and 0844/0871) charges (as far as landline services only go).

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« Last Edit: Feb 8^th, 2011 at 3:12pm by Dave »

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johnrambo18

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #10 - Feb 28^th, 2011 at 11:23am

When I contacted VM about 0845/0870 numbers and the fact that BT included them in its Anytime package whereas Virgin did not, I was fobbed off rather by being referred to sites such as this, and also that increasingly companies are moving to 0844 which are not included in any package! I thought this was a bit of a poor excuse really, but was interested in the option mentioned in this forum about including them for an extra £2. Even so, Virgin inclusive package is poorer value than the BT equivalent....

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bazzerfewi

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Baz

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Re: Virgin Media 0845 Addition Charge Package
Reply #11 - Feb 28^th, 2011 at 4:40pm

I contact VM on a regular basis badgering them in regard to their 0845 packages and every time I call they say there isn't any plan to either include 0845 numbers in the call plan.

I see now that they have two alternative up to 300 minutes for £2 per month or unlimited calls for £5 per month.

I don't think either of the options are of value because an individual would have to call 0845 numbers on a pretty regular basis for it to be beneficial. I don't know about anybody else but I certainly don't spend £2 on 0845 numbers and I doubt many people do.

The only trouble is that the average punter may see it as value for money when it isn't

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