Is it only me that thinks this whole 118 idea is a complete farce.
OFTEL are behind it with the idea that BT should not have a monopoly. That's fair enough, but the idea of having competition is that the customer gets a better deal.
In this case, it's just not going to happen. When BT 192 was free it was great - for instance, I used it a lot. When it became a chargeable service, I didn't bother to use it. As a result I didn't make as many phone calls as before. The whole idea behind 192 is that it *should be free* - after all, it leads to a phone call.
Having so many 118 numbers isn't choice, it's confusion. How on earth do you know which number ot dial? Why *wouldn't* you go for the cheapest? I've rung a couple over the last 2 days (out of necessity) and they were sooo poor at giving me the number because they are not yet familiar with geographical areas.
Ultimately it's only there as a money-spinner; it's no absolutely no use to the customer who is simply left bewildered and a few more pence short.
Stu