One assumes that the name of the number provider is shown on the bill where the geographic area is shown against a geographic number. This information to help identify the call obviously cannot be provided when a non-geographic number is called. Others fill this space with a description of the charge rate.

Clearly some are confused by being given the name of a company which is not the company that they actually called. This could readily be addressed by a few words on the body of the bill.


The Service Charge on calls to 0845 numbers is indeed lower than that on other calls, but to suggest that the cost of the call is low is misleading and in many cases false.

The implied connection with local call rate is wholly misleading. Calls to 0845 numbers originated by BT under the "BT Standard" tariff were charged at the "local rate". "BT Standard" is now withdrawn totally. It ceased to apply to the vast majority of BT residential customers in 2004.