Called hotel in Oxford and found out it wasn't a free call

Posts: 1320 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1320

I was in Oxford a few weeks ago, my wife called me at the hotel a few times. Now I found out it wasn't a free call. I thought only calls to cell phones weren't free. I now know to visit Vonage's site first and verify that the number is actually a free call.

Can anyone explain to me why this wasn't a free call? The number was for the Randolph Hotel 44 870 400 8200.

I bought a sim card for my unlocked cell phone, if I had known that this wasn't a free call I would have used the phone to call back to Canada, it only cost something like 4p a minute compared to Vonage's charge of around 35 cents a minute.

Posts: 120 · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject: National Rate Number

Hello, the reason you were charged is this type of number is called a 'National Rate' Number and you are charged a national rate toll for it, no matter where you call from in UK. So if your in Canada you will definitely get charged for it. (unfortunately no call plan in UK or possibly Canada covers these as free) Sometimes they are commonly known as 'Revenue Generating Numbers' whereas the profit from the call is shared between the phone company that own this number and also the organisation that use it, e.g in your case the hotel that you were staying at.

Posts: 1320 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1320

Thanks for the information, sounds like a scam to me. I just know in the future to look at the Vonage web page first, or better yet make my calls from my cell phone.

Posts: 46 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jun 03, 2005 Posts: 46

That's standard practice in the UK. UK numbers beginning with a 1 or a 2 (eg, +44131... or 0131 within the UK) are geographical numbers, of the sort usually covered by inclusive calls. Anything beginning with an 8 or a 9 are charged at special rates (generally 9 indicates you'll be paying an arm and a leg). Many companies use an 08 number to make a profit on incoming calls.

There are websites such as www.saynoto0870.com that can often provide a geographical number if you know the 08 number (in this case it is 01865 256400).