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Is the Support Team phoneline freephone?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
December 18, 2023
21 replies
2143 views

I just tried to initiate a webchat to ask about changing tariffs. The chat ended abruptly with this instruction:

Is that really a freephone number?

If not, would someone please put the chatbot right?

Best answer by Abby_OVO

Updated on 26/04/24 by Emmanuelle_OVO:

Hey @Firedog

Thank you for flagging that to us. I’ve checked all of this with the team.

Like Jeffus mentions, with some phone providers you’re covered by any free minutes you might have in your contract for a number of different phone lines, including our 0330 303 5063. So if you’ve not got such a phone plan, the line is then charged at your standard rate.

We do now plan to remove the mention of 0330 303 5063 as being a freephone, as it’s not clear from this the terms of how this would be free.

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Firedog

Author

Super User

I finally found a charge sheet (!). It includes these details:

Standard rates

Landlines	55p/min
O2 mobiles	55p/min
Other network mobiles	55p/min
Text message	30p per message

Assuming, then, that the OVO 0330 number counts as a landline, it would cost me 55p/minute to call it. No thanks!

Will @Emmanuelle_OVO or @Abby_OVO please try and get the misleading text removed from the bot’s response [“… please call us on 0330 303 5063 (freephone).]?

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |

Jeffus

Rank 20

I finally found a charge sheet (!). It includes these details:

Standard rates

Landlines	55p/min
O2 mobiles	55p/min
Other network mobiles	55p/min
Text message	30p per message

Assuming, then, that the OVO 0330 number counts as a landline, it would cost me 55p/minute to call it. No thanks!

Will @Emmanuelle_OVO or @Abby_OVO please try and get the misleading text removed from the bot’s response [“… please call us on 0330 303 5063 (freephone).]?

Have you got zero inclusive minutes and text and data in your plan then?

Do you pay for every call and text you make other than freephone numbers?

Firedog

Author

Super User

Have you got zero inclusive minutes and text and data in your plan then?

Do you pay for every call and text you make other than freephone numbers?

I don’t have a plan as such. There’s a little robot somewhere that sucks £10 out of my bank account and squirts it into my phone account when it’s at a low ebb, last on 28 July. I think I get a notification telling me how little is left each time I make a call, which isn’t often as you’ll understand at that price. I just checked, and the last call I made before yesterday’s was to 999 on 24 October; it looks like that was free, too.

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |

Jeffus

Rank 20

Have you got zero inclusive minutes and text and data in your plan then?

Do you pay for every call and text you make other than freephone numbers?

I don’t have a plan as such. There’s a little robot somewhere that sucks £10 out of my bank account and squirts it into my phone account when it’s at a low ebb, last on 28 July. I think I get a notification telling me how little is left each time I make a call, which isn’t often as you’ll understand at that price. I just checked, and the last call I made before yesterday’s was to 999 on 24 October; it looks like that was free, too.

Then you might want to shop around as those rates are very high. Just in case you have to make calls for any reason.

For example asda who use Vodafone.

I assume you have to make a chargeable call or text every so often with O2 to keep any credit. With Asda for example it is every 180 days.

You may find cheaper than Asda, it was just the first one I looked at.

There is no monthly fee, free minutes etc with this plan. Voicemail is free which can be good in case ovo ever leave you a voicemail. You may find some plans charge for voicemail. You pay for voicemail with your O2 plan.

VOIX, giffgaff and Tesco are more expensive than asda for example and all charge for voicemail.

https://www.voxi.co.uk/charges

https://www.giffgaff.com/pricing

https://www.tescomobile.com/help/payments-and-charges/call-charges/call-charges-for-pay-as-you-go

The alternative is 1p mobile where you pay 1p a min but this would work out a minimum of £30 a year so this may be too expensive.

https://www.1pmobile.com/1year-SIM

https://www.1pmobile.com/classic-sim

Abby_OVOSolved

Community Manager

Updated on 26/04/24 by Emmanuelle_OVO:

Hey @Firedog

Thank you for flagging that to us. I’ve checked all of this with the team.

Like Jeffus mentions, with some phone providers you’re covered by any free minutes you might have in your contract for a number of different phone lines, including our 0330 303 5063. So if you’ve not got such a phone plan, the line is then charged at your standard rate.

We do now plan to remove the mention of 0330 303 5063 as being a freephone, as it’s not clear from this the terms of how this would be free.

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Firedog

Author

Super User

For example asda who use Vodafone.

That looks interesting, so thanks for digging it out. Off to do some research ...

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |

Jeffus

Rank 20

For example asda who use Vodafone.

That looks interesting, so thanks for digging it out. Off to do some research ...

I am not sure this meets your needs but just for comparison with plans with inclusive minutes.

99p a month for 6 months then switch elsewhere. So £5.94 for 6 months.

300 min a month but voicemail comes out of this allowance.

https://www.lebara.co.uk/en/msm/p/441223.html

BPLightlog

Super User

There are a number of options out there.
I use giffgaff who piggyback on O2 and it’s a ‘no-contract’ offering where you buy a month of access. I pay £6 per month and have a package of calls and texts included plus 2Gb data and I can change it every month or miss a month or two if it’s not needed.

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