Ian G
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The original issue with 0870 numbers was simply that they cost much more than an equivalent call to an 01 or 02 number and were not included in call packages.
Your issue with (01, 02 and) 03 numbers is that you are being charged a high rate for those calls if you do not sign up to a call plan. It is in no way a similar issue. Presumably your provider also charges a high rate for calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers.
Once the "unbundled tariffs" system is in place, I think things will become much more clear.
Tariffs will be something like:
01, 02, 03 - calls cost X p/min or inclusive in call plan (including termination charge much less than 0.1p/min)
07 mobiles - calls cost Y p/min or inclusive in call plan (including termination charge around 0.5p/min)
080 - free
084, 087, 09 - calls cost Z p/min Access Charge PLUS a per-minute or per-call Service Charge ("enhanced termination charge") to the benefit of the called party.
If X, Y and Z are either vastly different to each other or are set at an excessively high level consumers should have grounds to make a complaint.
At present it is not easy to compare prices because Z is hidden within the overall advertised call price.
For BT customers, Z is effectively zero and this will continue to skew their call prices until such time as the "NTS Retail Condition" is lifted.
Even then, BT may continue to offer inclusive 0845 calls, but it will be clear this is BT giving their own customers a discount on these calls.
(Calls to 0500, 055, 056, 070, 076 and non-standard mobile numbers ignored here.)
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