Dialup Internet

My broadband went down early hours, couldn't establish a PPP session which Matt at Uno thought could be maintenance by TTB as the window is 00:00 to 06:00.

I started using a Dialup Internet number for Freeola, advertised at 2p a minute. Then I got my BT bill and for 16 minutes it cost me £2.444. Apparently there is a 13p per minute access charge.

Does this seem fair from BT?

In reply to a post by Banger:

My broadband went down early hours, couldn't establish a PPP session which Matt at Uno thought could be maintenance by TTB as the window is 00:00 to 06:00.

I started using a Dialup Internet number for Freeola, advertised at 2p a minute. Then I got my BT bill and for 16 minutes it cost me £2.444. Apparently there is a 13p per minute access charge.

Does this seem fair from BT?

From the Freeola website:
"The calls are charged at 0845 rates, so you can be online from only 2p per minute (plus your phone company's access charge)"

And in this case BT's access charge is 13p a minute.

So, yes, it all seems above board although 'fair' is too subjective and complex to really answer meaningfully. Charges to 0845 numbers are regulated by Ofcom so we can probably conclude that the charge is reasonable. But if your question is 'have I been misled?' or 'have I been ripped off?' the answer is not as far as I can see.

Perhaps you are conflating the two costs whereas it is in fact two separate things. Freeola is only charging you 2p a minute (as advertised). BT is charging you 13p a minute (as indicated in the pricing).

Edited by Andrue (Fri 23-Mar-18 12:09:48)

Post deleted by RobertoS

Cave usor

Looking on google for free dial up numbers, seems they all have a 13p access charge.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Looking on google for free dial up numbers, seems they all have a 13p access charge.

Gotta make your money somewhere I suppose and making it off dial-up has to be especially difficult these days. I'm rather surprised anyone still offers low cost dialog up outside of an emergency number included with an xDSL package.

It would be interesting to know how BT break down the 13p. It sounds like that's all BT but maybe some of that also goes to Freeola. Or maybe there's a hidden third party. That would make sense, actually. In this day and age there's surely not going to be many companies running dial-up so maybe there's a company that people like Freeola can sign up with. Freeola gets their 2p a minute, BT and the third party share the 13p.

Or of course maybe BT Wholesale offers a dial-up service and they take all of the 13p for that. Does anyone know?

Edited by Andrue (Sat 24-Mar-18 08:12:59)

Using VOIP an 0845 number would cost more like 3p per min. Ignorance about 084.. call costs appears to be common according to 'Which'.

Using a mobile phone wifi hot spot might well work out cheaper and faster for the OP.

In reply to a post by Banger:

Looking on google for free dial up numbers, seems they all have a 13p access charge.

which would negate the use of the word "free" indicating 0 cost...

This confusion is a result of changes mandated by OFCOM:

In reference to www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/phone...:

From 1 July, charges for service numbers will be made up of an 'access charge' going to the phone company, plus a 'service charge' set by the company or organisation being called.

So the company provides a service at zero cost, but to access it you have to pay your phone company their �access charge�. The other company doesn�t get any of that; it could be zero depending on your own phone company�s tariff.

In reply to a post by DougM:

This confusion is a result of changes mandated by OFCOM:

In reference to www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/phone...:

From 1 July, charges for service numbers will be made up of an 'access charge' going to the phone company, plus a 'service charge' set by the company or organisation being called.

So the company provides a service at zero cost, but to access it you have to pay your phone company their �access charge�. The other company doesn�t get any of that; it could be zero depending on your own phone company�s tariff.

As far as I am aware no telephone company provides calls (or minutes) to dial-up numbers. I would (as I am not in the industry) assume that all of the providers know what numbers are used for dial-up and therefore charge per minute for them, regardless of if they don't charge for regular calls to 0845 numbers.

Regarding it being "free" from Freeola they don't "charge" anything on top of the cost of calling the number, do they (as they provide line rental) offer it without any charges at all?

At the cost per minute I presume they make next to nothing on these connections.