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Re: [LUG] 0870 numbers ...

 

On Thu, 2 Jul 2009, Brad Rogers wrote:

> On Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:41:19 +0100 (BST)
> Gordon Henderson <gordon+dcglug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hello Gordon,
>
>> clamped down on them after people were dialling 0800 numbers to then
>> use a calling card to make cheaper calls than the mobile companies
>> would give them...
>
> Obviously, I came to the party late;  That must have happened before I
> got a mobile, as I wasn't aware of such possibilities.

You call an 0800 number - the recipient then has to pay (say) 3p a minute 
to terminate the call. You then take a pre-paid calling-card number, and 
present a dial-tone - punter dials a new number, and gets connected to 
(eg) Poland. Card co. charges punter 4p a minute off their card, so makes 
a net of 1p a minute...

But all the time the mobile co's. are getting nothing, but having to 
maintain the towers, network, etc... So they got fed-up and started to 
charge for 0800 numbers at a rate over what it would save you by using a 
calling card...

I've never paid much attention to this whole calling card things - plenty 
of people seem to do it though and it's quite popular in the US and other 
countries with less well developed infrastructure and greedy monopolies 
;-)

Gordon

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