Commenting on the launch of Three’s tariffs for new customer which include free calls to 0800 numbers, Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Considering it costs nothing to call a 0800 number from a landline, charges for calling ‘freephone’ numbers from mobile phones should have been outlawed years ago. But until that happens, Three’s new price plans are most welcome, and should help keep monthly bills down. Not only do the new price plans give new customers the chance to call non-geographic numbers from their mobiles for free, but other numbers beginning with 08 now cost only 5p/minute instead of the usual 35 or 21p.
“According to Uswitch research, almost half (48%) of pay-monthly mobile customers pay extra on top of their set tariffs every month, with more than a quarter (26%) of these customers overspending due to calling premium rate numbers.
“If a number is ‘free,’ then it should be free wherever you call from. By enabling consumers to set self-imposed limits on calling these costly numbers, Three is giving mobile users greater – and much-needed – protection from higher than expected bills.
British mobile users do still face a long wait for Ofcom to scrap charges for 0800 numbers altogether – this is not expected to happen until June 2015.
“However, whilst these new tariffs bring down the price of calls, a sting in the tail is that they also spell the end of the generous allowances previously offered by the One Plan, as the ‘personal hotspot’ tethering allowance has now been capped at just 2GB.”
Maja Hauke
Phone: 0207 148 4663
Email: maja.hauke@uswitch.com
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