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Many people don't realise that there are many phone providers offering cheaper calls to standard telephone numbers (those beginning with 01 or 02), which don't apply to 0844, 0845, 0870 or 0871 telephone numbers. - Please see the links page and click on Cheapest Call Provider for price details. This shows that by using multiple providers, you can reduce your call cost on standard telephone numbers to as little as 3p fixed cost (regardless of duration), whereas the cheapest provider to 0870 numbers during the day that I am aware of charges 4p/min (+ 3p connection fee) to call.

Worst still some companies that use these numbers are actually receiving a cut of the phone call costs.

If you have an 'inclusive landline calls' phone package, then it is very rare that 0844, 0845, 0870, or 0871 numbers are are included in your 'free minutes' allocation, unlike normal numbers. Many mobile phone packages also exclude freephone 0800 and 0808 numbers for your bundled minutes.

Many companies advertise a separate number that can be used when calling from abroad - This usually begins in the format +44 - There is nothing to stop you using this number from the UK (as it is a normal rate telephone call), and will be included in any inclusive minutes provided by your landline or mobile phone provider. Many others will give you a standard number if you ask.

This site is all about listing these numbers, saving you money, without having to pay additional charges. To get started and find a particular number, please click on the 'Search to find an alternative number' link at the top of the page.

They work, but many providers like Sky are starting to get onto it and make life difficult for you to get through to the right department as usually their numbers end up at the engineer installations department, and they get onto how you got there lol. So I find it quicker and less hassle to just phone the direct number 9 times out of 10 lmao!

But for some organisations, its very good, ive used it a few times.

I suppose the counter-problem of this idea will be in the end, that as a result of lost revenue from customer service calls, either the levels of customer service will decline, or the cost of end services will increase. 0870 revenue pay's a relatively high majority of the call centre staff wages.

I used it to phone sky last week, got through to customer service and they gave me a different number to ring to get to the right department and I hung up and phoned them back a min later on the same "free" number, told them that the number they gave me is unrecognised, but in all honesty I hadnt even tried it, they gave me another number, I did the same again, I did this around 4 or 5 times and they eventually run out of new numbers to give me and said, "sorry for this, hold the line and I'll put you through."

Bingo, correct department just by blagging customer service, I think it was because I was enquiring about becoming a customer.

The last time I tried it, admittadly the woman offered to put me through (which made a change) but she said there would be an 11 minute wait. So I jibbed it, rang up on the proper number and got through straight away lol.

gf foned sky up on a freefone number... got through to the wrong dept and asked to be transferred... the person said they didnt have the functions on the fone to do it - never laughed so much in all my life... a call centre in this day and age with fones that cant transfer calls... be realistic - eventually she got the line manager who ended up funnily enough being able to transfer the call lol

in my experience if you ask to be transferred, they get onto what your doing, I just play dumb, and sooner or later they will transfer you.

not many ppl dare to refuse wot me missus wants lol

good topic waddi

Aye, i enquired about setting up some 0800 numbers and 0845 numbers and as mentioned about we would get a revenue share of the call (example, the client would get charged 4ppm and we would receive 2ppm on our bills.)

The free phone 08000 numbers would charge to ourselves.