I texted an 07 mobile number today and got charged £1.75

unwashed potato! · 24 Feb 2019 at 01:24

I texted a standard UK 078xx mobile number and I got charged for it by ee.

Anyone want to guess why? I have the answer but it totally shocked me and is something I find ****ING ridiculous that this is a thing.

MissChief · 24 Feb 2019 at 01:41

Some 078 numbers are not standard mobile numbers but are more expensive. It's also possible this number was in the Channel Islands which, I believe, doesn't count as part of the UK for telephone calls and mobiles. Your mobile provider will likely be able to explain more if you ask them.

cheesyboy · 24 Feb 2019 at 06:54

Dick pics are levied with a network surcharge?

unwashed potato! · 24 Feb 2019 at 08:53

MissChief said:
Some 078 numbers are not standard mobile numbers but are more expensive. It's also possible this number was in the Channel Islands which, I believe, doesn't count as part of the UK for telephone calls and mobiles. Your mobile provider will likely be able to explain more if you ask them.

Yes it was a mobile number from Guernsey. Ee told me not to worry as when I call they give me about 2.5 nanoseconds of warning to that it will charge and to hang up. I explained I text and she said that yeah they don't warn you then. So you can get charged to text a UK mobile number!

Even more stupid I found out that if I call or text a UK number that has gone to say France and I don't know, I get charged for that too.

I think this is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Its possible to text or call a UK mobile number and get charged for it.

Semple · 24 Feb 2019 at 08:56

More to the point, who uses texting these days!

Participant · 24 Feb 2019 at 10:06

Semple said:
More to the point, who uses texting these days!

Fairly sure the answer is no one.

StevieP · 24 Feb 2019 at 10:23

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
Even more stupid I found out that if I call or text a UK number that has gone to say France and I don't know, I get charged for that too.

Not sure this is correct - my wife is with EE and if she calls or texts a UK mobile number, while she is in the UK, it is included within her allowance! (After all, as you say, you don't have any knowledge or control over where that number is!)

UberTiger · 24 Feb 2019 at 10:27

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
Even more stupid I found out that if I call or text a UK number that has gone to say France and I don't know, I get charged for that too.

Pretty sure that's not the case (it certainly isn't the norm). The sender of the text or phone call gets treated as if they're texting a normal UK number, regardless of where the recipient is. The recipient may get charged to receive that call or text depending on where in the world they are and what plan they're on with their carrier, has nothing to do with you though.

mrochester · 24 Feb 2019 at 10:49

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
Yes it was a mobile number from Guernsey. Ee told me not to worry as when I call they give me about 2.5 nanoseconds of warning to that it will charge and to hang up. I explained I text and she said that yeah they don't warn you then. So you can get charged to text a UK mobile number!

Even more stupid I found out that if I call or text a UK number that has gone to say France and I don't know, I get charged for that too.

I think this is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Its possible to text or call a UK mobile number and get charged for it.

Guernsey isn’t the UK so texting a Guernsey mobile number will result in an international text charge.

mrochester · 24 Feb 2019 at 10:50

UberTiger said:
Pretty sure that's not the case (it certainly isn't the norm). The sender of the text or phone call gets treated as if they're texting a normal UK number, regardless of where the recipient is. The recipient may get charged to receive that call or text depending on where in the world they are and what plan they're on with their carrier, has nothing to do with you though.

This is correct. Regardless of where in the world a UK number is the person calling or texting it from the UK won’t pay for the privilege. It’s the recipient of the call or text that’ll pay (if there is a charge to receive).

andy_mk3 · 24 Feb 2019 at 11:18

cheesyboy said:
Dick pics are levied with a network surcharge?

Charged at a £1/inch rate

UberTiger · 24 Feb 2019 at 11:25

unwashed potato! · 24 Feb 2019 at 16:08

mrochester said:
This is correct. Regardless of where in the world a UK number is the person calling or texting it from the UK won’t pay for the privilege. It’s the recipient of the call or text that’ll pay (if there is a charge to receive).

This is what I believed but she insisted that what is aid above is correct that we get charged.

unwashed potato! · 24 Feb 2019 at 16:10

mrochester said:
Guernsey isn’t the UK so texting a Guernsey mobile number will result in an international text charge.

Yes I agree but then they should not have 07 numbers. UK mobile numbers start with 07 and I don't feel it should be possible that a number can look exactly like a UK mobile number, and not be one

mrochester · 24 Feb 2019 at 16:19

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
Yes I agree but then they should not have 07 numbers. UK mobile numbers start with 07 and I don't feel it should be possible that a number can look exactly like a UK mobile number, and not be one

Well I don’t know whether we can dictate what numbers Guernsey uses! They are their own sovereign state. All they share with the UK is an international country code.

matt100 · 24 Feb 2019 at 17:04

A million years ago I went through training with CPW and I remember being told the principal was if the sender or caller was ignorant of the location of the recipient the recipient paid.

So if you don't use a country code the recipient is on the hook.

So basically you'd sent a text to a premium number which should have been obvious and you've known it, you've used a country code and known it or it's a mistake you can easily challenge..

Done.

mrochester · 24 Feb 2019 at 17:11

matt100 said:
A million years ago I went through training with CPW and I remember being told the principal was if the sender or caller was ignorant of the location of the recipient the recipient paid.

So if you don't use a country code the recipient is on the hook.

So basically you'd sent a text to a premium number which should have been obvious and you've known it, you've used a country code and known it or it's a mistake you can easily challenge..

Done.

The only oddity in this situation is that although Guernsey is a different country it shares the UK international code so there is no international dialling code attached to the number.

Jersey and the Isle of Man fall into the same category.

matt100 · 24 Feb 2019 at 17:15

Well then following the principal, it's not your problem.

This sort of thing is regulated so it's either a UK number or it isn't, if it isn't then you'd have to know before you called or text it to make the charge applicable.

Seriously networks are so heavily controlled to ensure they can't hide charges you'd need to be supplied with a list of all non applicable numbers to make it chargeable. It just wouldn't be workable.

Otherwise, it's on EE basically.

mrochester · 24 Feb 2019 at 17:17

matt100 said:
Well then following the principal, it's not your problem.

This sort of thing is regulated so it's either a UK number or it isn't, if it isn't then you'd have to know before you called or text it to make the charge applicable.

Seriously networks are so heavily controlled to ensure they can't hide charges you'd need to be supplied with a list of all non applicable numbers to make it chargeable. It just wouldn't be workable.

Otherwise, it's on EE basically.

I think they do tell you in the T&Cs which number ranges are not UK numbers.

matt100 · 24 Feb 2019 at 17:36

Trust me.. 078xxx is not in that range... 100%

I know a couple of people with 0787xxx etc, no way you could know that was Guernsey