Charges for calls of more than one hour

[#1]

Only just realised that I get charged for calls lasting more than one hour!  Another way of milking even more money out of me - I pay for the 'Anytime' calls package.  The more I think about it, the less attractive Plusnet is.  Unless I'm mistaken, there is no equivalent of a 'calling circle' that I had with TalkTalk, and so if I do go over the hour on a call, I get the full charge, whereas with TalkTalk such calls would more than likely be to a number stored in my calling circle, so at least the cost of the call after the one hour would be less.  Still, not much more than 10months to go on my Plusnet contract before I can jump ship! 

[#2]

What's the problem after 59 minutes ring off and call again 

[#3]

You're not a happy bunny are you !
You do seem to be having a lot of problems !!

60 minutes + charge has been a standard with many providers for many years now, you must have been aware of this !
And most home phones these days show call duration.
If you make a lot of 60+ minute calls, use a timer set to less than 60 minutes, and call again .......

[#4]

From the TalkTalk website - they also have a 60 minute limit - and there is nothing apparent which exempts calling circle calls from that

[#5]

Quote from: Plusnetthepits

Only just realised that I get charged for calls lasting more than one hour!

Is there any Anytime tariff provider where that doesn't apply?
PN don't exactly hide it -
[quote=Two clicks from PN home page]
Anytime calls: Means calls to UK landlines beginning with 01, 02, 03, 0845 and 0870 at anytime.
Hang up and re-dial before 60 minutes and you won't be charged. Calls to indirect access numbers and dial up internet access are excluded. See the Home Phone FAQs page for more details about call charges.

[#6]

Yes, you're right.  It seems that this is a common practice.  I thought Plusnet might be different, but they clearly are just pretty much the same as the rest of them - money grabbing bastards!  Crap Broadband service - my speed is slow and my connection keeps dropping.  And mediocre telephone service.

[#7]

PN are just a reseller of BT telephony, so if BT are charging PN after an hour PN will pass this cost on.

[#8]

Vonage has a 4 hour limit per call. Skype doesn't have a per call limit.

[#9]

It's difficult to say that Plusnet are the same as all of the other companies. It would be difficult for Plusnet alone to allow their customers to pay £3.50 per month for the Anytime Phone Package and let customers call whoever they want for as long as they want, that would not be cost effective.

[#10]

Quote from: Plusnetthepits

Only just realised that I get charged for calls lasting more than one hour!  Another way of milking even more money out of me - I pay for the 'Anytime' calls package.

Excuse me.  From what I understand of anytime call charges, you only get charged for the minutes in excess of 59 minutes and not for the whole lot.  So, I do not see why you're so heckedup about these charges.  OR is it in your nature that you have find something to gripe about? 

[#11]

You understand correct
dick:quote

[#12]

Quote from: AlaricAdair

Vonage has a 4 hour limit per call. Skype doesn't have a per call limit.

Don't compare VOIP service with normal landline service.
Plusnetthepits: If you are not happy with the service I suggest you use a mobile phone and see what you pay then.

[#13]

Quote from: Ellis

.. Don't compare VOIP service with normal landline service. ...

Why should the public not compare VOIP with landline service? Is there some regulation which says the public must endure poor charge structures from BT and its subsidiary companies? The call quality on Skype and Vonage is just fine. Indeed even BT offers VOIP telephone service to the general public. Many of the large organisations have switched their entire voice telecoms infrastructure to VOIP. Indeed you should be thankful the competition is out there to constrain BT's worst instincts.

[#14]

Quote from: AlaricAdair

Indeed even BT offers VOIP telephone service to the general public.

Have you checked this recently?

[#15]

Quote from: AlaricAdair

Why should the public not compare VOIP with landline service? Is there some regulation which says the public must endure poor charge structures from BT and its subsidiary companies? The call quality on Skype and Vonage is just fine. Indeed even BT offers VOIP telephone service to the general public. Many of the large organisations have switched their entire voice telecoms infrastructure to VOIP. Indeed you should be thankful the competition is out there to constrain BT's worst instincts.

There is a vast difference between the two. A VOIP call between computers is not tying up a landline between the two users, only their BB service. A landline call is tying up a line between the two users for the whole of that time, that is local/trunk/local line. If however, you call VOIP to landline then you will be charged from the outset. I wonder how much BB usage is taken up with a hour long VOIP call, perhaps a staff member would like to explain.
As to large companies switching their voice telecoms entirely, can you prove that? If they do not have a traceable service then emergency calls will not work. I doubt if a VOIP call can be traced. I worked in telecoms in the 1970/80's for BT (before Broadband)