When I was on the phone to them recently (upgrading) the subject turned to 0800 numbers and how it cost to call them. I mentioned there was a number I called (an 020 landline) that allowed me to make an ongoing 0800 call.

The T-Mobile laccy was asking me what the number was as she makes several 0800 calls each week and it would help bring her bill down blah blah.

I duly told her.

Funny then that the next time I call the 020 number I get charged for it (with no warning i might add) and now I can't call it at all (just a long silence)

Was I conned into revealing the number? I mean it's all over the web but it just seems a bit of a coincidence!

T-Mobile employees - do you lot get bonuses for this kind of thing by any chance?!

The who 08 thing is a complete con. Could be just a coincidence though.

Good for business or rip off Britain?
I do wonder how on earth is 'Scam Britain' good for us?

I often sense that Ofcom prefer to do nothing so they have more to monitor.
If they ever did what is sensibly expected they would have nothing left to do!

They claim that they have to pay to connect the call, but i always thought that it was the owner of the number who paid? Isn't that the whole point of it?
You drum up business by paying for the person to phone you!
Presumably then if you call 0800 from a mobile, the caller and the 0800 'owner' both pay? Nice little earner.

That's not how 0800 numbers work. The person taking out the number, only pays for the call from his provider.
The mobile operator has to not only bear the cost of the portion of the call on their network but also the termination charge into the destination network.
This is why mobile service providers charge for 0800 numbers. (whether they charge too much is another issue)

Err ... the termination charge for calling 0800 is lower than (or at worst the same) as than calls to 01 or 02 numbers isn't it?
Yet most mobile customers pay more for 0800 calls

There is no justification for charging more for 0800 calls than calls to 01 and 02 numbers.

btw. GiffGaff do not charge for 0800 calls, do any others do this?

Some networks make calls to certain charities or helplines on an 0800 number free I believe. Orange used to be free for all 0800 numbers until a few years ago when they started charging (and people used it to exit their contracts early)

Yes, BT Mobile scrapped charges for calling 0800 numbers in May 2009

Why the 'Er...' ? Nothing in your post disagrees with my post, which you quote. My post even mentions whether networks charge too much.

The question was not whether they charge too much, but why the calls aren't free.

My own opinion is that 0800 calls should be included in the tariff call allowance.