With a lot of confusion over telephone call costs in Spain, one consumer group has decided to offer information as to what each prefix number refers to, and the associated costs. However, the prices are for normal, fixed line calls, and are often very different if phoned from a mobile or similar network.
The first thing to note, they say, is that only calls with the prefix 900 and 800 are free, remembering that we are talking about normal, fixed land line tariffs.
If you call a number that begins with 900 or 800, the call will be free to you as it is paid for by a third party, usually the company you are calling. However, to reduce their costs, some companies block calls from certain places, for example, a company that only offers a local service can block their number from being used by somebody outside their geographical catchment.
When you dial a number beginning with 901, you pay a portion of the call cost, usually the equivalent of a local call, and the owner of the number pays the rest.
If you dial a 902 number, it is you that pays the full cost of the call, which is usually the equivalent to an interprovincial or national call rate. Numbers beginning with 902 are common for customer service centres, although electricity and gas companies are required to have a free phone number.
To emphasise the point, problems often occur when these calls are made from the increasingly popular mobile network, often used instead of landlines these days, but are not usually covered by the mobile tariff plan. If the call lasts a long time, such as being put on hold, then the price can quickly escalate.
Now we move onto premium rate numbers, often used to provide a service during the call, and the cost is usually shared between the company providing that service and the telephone company.
Each of these premium rate services are defined by the first 3 digits. Calls beginning with 803 are “adult” services, such as chat lines or dating services. Those with the prefix 806 are for entertainment, such as tarot readings, games etc. The prefix 807 is for a professional service, such as a doctor or consultants. Telephone numbers with 905 at the start are for “televoting”, such as the type of call used in X-Factor or similar TV events, usually with a fixed cost amount per call.
There is also a secret price guide hidden in the fourth digit of these numbers. The higher that number, the more you pay. So much so, if that fourth digit is higher than a 6, is usually requires special authorisation by your telephone service provider. As always, call from a mobile will be even more expensive, but as the costs to these numbers are already high, the difference is not as great as in the 901 or 902 series.
One final mention has to be to the directory enquiry services, now all grouped together under the 118 prefix, and often with just a short number after that. Each service can effectively set its own price, with some charging up to 4 euro per minute and this price also increases when they offer the courteous “Would you like me to connect you?” question, for which you pay more and they cream a portion of that fee. For these services, although they are in Spanish mostly, it is always best to check the small print that must accompany advertising for each of them, or better still, if you´re looking for a local trader, just flick through the pages of The Leader and find one with ease, and without the cost of a premium rate call.
Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/38713/
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