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BT raises pay phone charge to 40p


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Old 26-09-2006, 22:42
MadMulla
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Making a call from a BT pay phone will cost a minimum of 40p from November, the telecoms giant has announced.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5381084.stm
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Old 26-09-2006, 22:47
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Well, privatise a public service and it no longer is a public service. Blame the government (any of them).

BT is now a public company responsible and accountable ONLY to its shareholders.

They have absolutely no legal requirement to keep the public phones going. Maybe an ethical one but again the government removed that when WE stopped paying for it via our taxes.

Bring back hanging, I say.
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:26
Andy B
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Another reason to get a mobile...
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:28
Mad Pixie
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To be fair to BT, they aren't actually raising prices, they are just saying your minimum call length is now 20 mins if you want to get best value for your money.

Before minimum charge - 30p = 15 mins.
Now minimum charge - 40p = 20 mins.
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:28
SweetyPie2006
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yeah i agree. mobile phones are actually CHEAPER now than using phone boxes.
its a joke
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:28
Carmen Queasy
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I've noticed pay phones are becoming rarer and rarer. People use their mobiles now.
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:30
Missy-em
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I'd definately say, I hardly ever see anyone in a phone box nowadays, I think they must cost more to clean and run than they make.
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:30
Ovalteenie
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this is absolutely disgraceful, its a rip off

some people do still use the public payphones when needed.

my mum is one, cos shes a technophobe & cant use a mobile phone (or any phone that involves anything more complicated than picking up the receiver to talk)
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:40
Milky Joe
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Does ANYONE honestly use those spangley ones with silly internet things inside them?...everyone walking past will see what you are doing!
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:41
Ovalteenie
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Originally Posted by Exulus
Does ANYONE honestly use those spangley ones with silly internet things inside them?...everyone walking past will see what you are doing!
can you log onto DS with those?
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:58
Sprogg
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Good grief. 40 pence. I haven't used a phonebox in years. Can't help but wonder who has used it before me.
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Old 26-09-2006, 23:58
ianx
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Originally Posted by Alfster
They have absolutely no legal requirement to keep the public phones going.
Yes they do. They have quite a few legal service requirements, and providing the network of phone boxes is one of them.
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Old 27-09-2006, 00:01
stud u like
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What a rip off. I can remember when I could phone home on tuppence as a kid in 1985.
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Old 27-09-2006, 00:29
Chunes
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Originally Posted by Mad Pixie
To be fair to BT, they aren't actually raising prices, they are just saying your minimum call length is now 20 mins if you want to get best value for your money.

Before minimum charge - 30p = 15 mins.
Now minimum charge - 40p = 20 mins.
I'm sure that'll be the BT spin on it. But I'd say in the vast majority cases, untrue. I think most people use a phonebox as an emergency, therefore their calls will be relatively short - just to, say, tell someone where they are or whatever. Wouldn't surprise me if nearly 99% of calls made in a call box where less than 10 minutes. For all those calls less than 15 minutes, it's an effective price rise.
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Old 27-09-2006, 00:32
Chunes
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Originally Posted by MadMulla
Making a call from a BT pay phone will cost a minimum of 40p from November, the telecoms giant has announced.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5381084.stm
I think it's pretty appalling really, I thought 30p minimum was bad but that's taking the pee. I'd disappointed Ofcom have let BT away with it, but then they nearly always do, so no change there. Sounds like BT wants to kill the payphone off all together, as the more they hike the prices, the less people are prepared to use them, the more justification BT has for removing them.
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Old 27-09-2006, 00:38
Johnny Seven
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And about time too I hope there priced off the streets. Get rid of these ad-hoc urinals, there an eyesore
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Old 27-09-2006, 00:43
magneticblue
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Originally Posted by MadMulla
Making a call from a BT pay phone will cost a minimum of 40p from November, the telecoms giant has announced.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5381084.stm
has it gone up from 2p then ... ah the good old days

you will be telling me next they will have a space age push button phone and not a dial any more
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Old 27-09-2006, 01:03
BeatleGod
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Phone boxes are useful though.....i've met lots of women who've accidentally left their phone numbers in there.
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Old 27-09-2006, 01:05
lnp
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What this will do for definite is reduce usage. Even lower figures will help BT justify the removal of more phones which at the end of the day can't be very lucrative in some areas. The rural ones would have gone already were there not requirements for them to be there in the first place.
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Old 27-09-2006, 02:03
Chunes
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Originally Posted by Johnny Seven
And about time too I hope there priced off the streets. Get rid of these ad-hoc urinals, there an eyesore
Best hope your mobile never breaks, you don't lose it or you don't get mugged for it, then.
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Old 27-09-2006, 02:36
PvG
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Originally Posted by BeatleGod
Phone boxes are useful though.....i've met lots of women who've accidentally left their phone numbers in there.
On a card pinned to the side of the phone? I hear those sorts of girls are very discreet.
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Old 27-09-2006, 02:38
Charnham
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its like they dont get enough money from the advertising on them
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Old 27-09-2006, 03:01
SANDGATIAN
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Originally Posted by Mad Pixie
To be fair to BT, they aren't actually raising prices, they are just saying your minimum call length is now 20 mins if you want to get best value for your money.

Before minimum charge - 30p = 15 mins.
Now minimum charge - 40p = 20 mins.
does it take 20 mins to call a taxi? rip off I say!
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Old 27-09-2006, 11:57
BeatleGod
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Originally Posted by PvG
On a card pinned to the side of the phone? I hear those sorts of girls are very discreet.
They are indeed, although they seem to be quite poor and always ask me for money, so I loan them it, then never hear from them ever again.....*sigh* i'll never find love
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Old 27-09-2006, 12:09
Spot
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I do not have a mobile phone as I rarely make phone calls when I am away from home. In fact I don't make many calls when I'm at home either. Recently, I had to use a payphone in London to call a friend to confirm arrangements for a visit before making my way to his home. This must have been the first time in ten years - probably a lot longer - that I used a payphone. The call cost 30p but for that I got ample time without having to put any more money in. I can recall that the time allowed for the basic cost was nothing like 15 minutes back in the 1960s and 1970s when I last used payphones to any extent.

Now I'm rather surprised to find that people are suggesting that it would be cheaper to get a mobile phone. I find it hard to believe I could have owned one for ten years and have paid out less that 30p in all that time. But I shall investigate further - because that sounds like such a bargain that if it turns out to be true, even I might decicde to get one!
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