On 31 Dec 2006, <fgfgbgbg@googlemail.com> wrote:
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> Finarea (18185, 1899, 18866) are missing a trick by not offering a
> 07744 access number. They currently offer the 18185, 1899, and
> 18866 Carrier Selection numbers for BT lines, and 0800 and 0208
> numbers for access from non BT landlines and from mobiles. 07744
> access numbers can be used out of inclusive mobile minutes for
> Orange, T-Mobile and Virgin customers (while o2 customers have
> inclusive 0870, so a 0870 access number would also be useful).
> 07744 numbers provide revenue, which can then be used to provide
> calls to overseas (or to UK 0870 and 0845 numbers), allowing
> customers to make international calls or 0870 and 0845 calls out of
> their inclusive mobile minutes. However, for many international
> destinations (particularly mobile phones and less developed
> countries) 07744 numbers either provide insufficient revenue to
> provide the service, or only allow it at peak times - when the
> numbers are able to charge the highest termination charges (07744
> numbers follow mobile numbers in their peak, evening and weekend
> charging structure).
>
> With Finarea already having the telecom infrastructure, online
> customer management, and billing facilities they are in an ideal
> position to save their customers money, gain market share, and make
> more profit by offering 07744 access numbers. With their billing
> facilities they can offer all destinations 24/7 by allowing revenue
> from the 07744 number to be topped up by invoiced charges (taken
> from debit/credit card or direct debit - as Finarea currently do).
> A tariff message would come up before they are connected to their
> destination number saying how much, if any, was to be charged to
> their invoice.
>
> If Finarea want to make it even better, and more complex, they
> could allow customers to accumulate credit (deducted from their
> invoice) when using the 07744 access number to make calls to cheap
> numbers (e.g. UK landlines or the USA) - since revenue from 07744
> more than surpasses the cost of placing the call. More
> controversially they could also allow customers to call the 07744
> access number, not call any destination, but just accumulate credit
> on to their account. Maybe if a customer was more than say £10 in
> credit, they could have the option of having it credited to their
> debit/credit card, or put into their bank account.
>
> Because the 07744 charging structure changes with peak rate, off
> peak, and weekend, it might necessary to briefly include a tariff
> message mid phone call (audible only to the caller, with the
> receiver hearing something like "We will reconnect the call
> shortly"). Alternatively, it might be better to abandon tariff
> messages altogether.
>
> Links:
> 07744 access number providers:
> [url]http://www.yourcallworld.com/[/url]
> [url]http://www.planetcalling.com/[/url]
> Finarea:
> [url]http://www.1899.com/[/url]
> [url]http://www.18185.co.uk/[/url]
> [url]http://www.call18866.co.uk/[/url]
>[/color]

Nice post but there is almost no chance Finarea is listening. Like
Tricky says, Fiarea are already dodging and diving with the skill of a
master.

See if you can get your payment tracked to FInarea through LIMMIT (part
of BoS but in Cambridgeshire). No chance.