Not able to access 0345 numbers

[AdrianHe_762048]

Hi I need to contact my water company and there contact number is an  0345. Number when I try to call them I get the message not allowed why is this happening I thought 0345 was just a local rate call ? Many thanks  Adrian 

[MSF]

@AdrianHe_762048  They are normally included within your plan - confirmed via Price Guide. I have experienced the same thing before but I left it a while and tried again then all was fine.

I have a suspicion about many companies using telephony via internet - I think this can cause connection problems.

[WelshPaul]

0345 numbers are not free to call as they are not standard UK landlines and cost anywhere from 3p to 65p a minute to call. You need to purchase calling credit to call these numbers.

[MSF]

@WelshPaul  How can we tell that they are not standard UK landline number?

I looked at the Price Guide and there is nothing to suggest that those calls are charged. Have you got any info that you can signpost us to please?

The cost of 0345 is given as the same as any 01, 02, 03 numbers according to https://www.gov.uk/call-charges

[WelshPaul]

Technically 033 are classed as standard UK landline numbers, 030 are non for profit and 0345 are non-geographic numbers. The prices in the OFCOM link above show the amounts per minute a network is allowed to charge for such calls. Most companies allow you to make calls to 03 for free. e.g. Three allow pay monthly customers to call 0345 numbers at no extra cost but charge pay go users 35p per minute. As SMARTY is Pay Go, owned by and run by THREE, I suspect they are also charging 35p per minute to call these numbers.

All that being said, I suspect this is an oversight by SMARTY because all documention indicates that all 03 calls are free on the SMARTY network. No mention of 0345 numbers on the page linked to below either:

https://help.smarty.co.uk/en/articles/1088481-premium-freephone-and-service-numbers

[MSF]

@WelshPaul  Yes - that's the point I was probably trying to make.....badly, as it goes! Thanks!