I'm on an evenings and weekends package with BT and have just got my bill and I made several calls to 0845 numbers after 16 January 2009 and I've been charged for them.
I thought they had scrapped the charge? That was indeed the only reason why I phoned the number (knowing that in theory it was free). The number was an IR helpline 08453 something.
Any ideas why this might have been before I contact them?
Read carefully. 0845 - 0870 calls are only free "Within your inclusive call allowance".
:-(
Derek
Why not have a look at the documentation of the contract you have.
Ascertain what "package" you are on.
Decide how you are charged for 0845 numbers.
Report back here.
Because they are premium rate numbers.
Next time, visit
Yes, but under the new deal, they are *free* whenever a call to an 01/02/03 number would be free - depending on what package you're on.
So for the OP, they are free in evening and weekend periods, but *not* on weekday daytimes. The OP didn't specify when the calls were made.
Yep. IMHO BT have advertised this badly. I know that it's hidden in the small print, but headline claims that these calls are now free, is just plain wrong!
tim
In message , tim..... writes
Are you sure it was *badly* they may well have intended to say exactly what they have said and to have achieved exactly the result that has happened. Big companies rarely make simple mistakes in the wording of their advertising although it has happened.
Let's see what they said, as ever of course it is what they don't say or a matter of actually reading the small print. Reading this it does appear as if the calls would be free so it is easy to see how someone could believe it if they didn't check.
QUOTE (from the BT Web Site) BT £24m giveaway helps 14m customers say no to 0870 BT today offered some New Year cheer to 14 million customers by becoming the first UK telephone company to make calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers free. BT'S INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITE NEW YEAR CHEER FROM BT BT has become the first UK phone company to make calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers freein a ?24 million giveaway. 14 million customers will benefit when BT becomes the first UK telephone company to make calls to 0870 and
0845 numbers free. Customers on a low budget haven't been forgotten either as BT Basic customers will be able to call 0870 and 0845 numbers for free on weekends from April 1st.
OK, unfairly them
Yes I did consider that they might have done it deliberately, but I didn't think that someone would claim that this wasn't "bad".
tim
In message , tim..... writes
I would suggest it was misleading, as to whether it was deliberately or inadvertently misleading is another matter.
It was wrong of them to imply something that wasn't true if that is what you meant then we agree.
Interesting isn't it that many (most ?) inclusive packages are off peak (Mostly outside business hours) . Whilst nearly all 0870 - 0845 numbers are business numbers.
Derek
That's because much of the target market of domestic customers don't make
*any* day-time calls. If they included day time calls as part of the basic package (and presumable charged more for it) they would lose customers (of should that be, lose more than they are?). Business customers have a different set of charges.This is hardly BT's fault.
tim
You know, at work we are considering offering customers a free loan
*with every order* of a grass skirt and a hula hoop between 2-00am and 4-00 am until the end of February.Some people say the offer is as useful as a chocolate fireguard because they don't go Hula-Hula dancing at 3-00am and it's too cold.
This is hardly our fault.
Derek
I explained why BT don't offer included call all day, earlier.
If you disagree with my reason, I suggest you say so in the appropriate place so that we can continue the discussion on the subject properly. Making up a silly pointless analogy helps the discussion not one jot
tim
I think your explanation/reason is fallacious, because it appears to be based on a false premise:
You claim BT do not offer free daytime calls (as part of a free minutes package) because to do so would lose them customers.
You say BT would lose customers because they would "presumably" then charge more for the package.
You also say that customers in the particular sector you're talking about (domestic) don't tend to make daytime calls. But this in turn means that BT would not need to charge more for a package which includes free day calls than for one which doesn't. Hence the presumption is wrong, and so anything deduced from it by reasoning is unfounded, i.e. the argument about losing customers fails.
There is no reason why BT should not give away something for free when it isn't going to cost them anything to do so, because hardly anyone will take up the offer. It seems to me this makes Derek's silly analogy far from pointless, but rather spot-on.
Which they do. As a domestic customer you can subscribe to free all days if you wish. It costs extra.
If they were to make all days calls the normal package, they would either have to make it the same price as the current base package (and lose money) or make it more expensive and (I suggest) lose customers
A large number don't, some obviously do. And, of course some customers who are not usually in during the day do make occasional daytime calls on the few days of the year when they are at home, which they have to pay for on standard tariff not the inclusive tariff.
They would lose the extra revenue from the customers that currently do make day time calls.
They would lose money from those that do.
tim
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