View Full Version : Blocking or Barring Calls
Hey guys, im in a bit of a problem, basically im on XL Phone, however my mum racks up the bill by calling back home (international), mobile, 0845 and 0870 mostly. The thing is Ive tried ringing Virgin Media about call barring which 1.75 quid a month but that service only bars international and mobile calls. So how can i bar the 0845 and 0870 numbers. I know its a local rate but every month the call usage charges comes to around 18 quid. Is there anything else i can do to block all chargeable calls.
p.s im still 18 so dont mention anything about me living with my mum lol :angel:
Raistlin
01-08-2008, 15:39
Who's paying the bill?
If it's you then you'd better tell your mother to start paying her fair share, if it's her then surely it's up to her how much she spends?
My mothers paying the bill :D lol but thats not the point, i always keep an eye on the houses income and outgoings and with current price increase in the mortgage, electricity, gas and food, im trying to keep bills that can be controlable to a minimum. just recently ive tied into a new contract with E-On our energy supplier meaning any price increases come winter, we will still be paying what we're paying now, even though its expensive right now.
Im XL Broadband too but i dont want to downgrade to L Broadband and save 12 quid when I know i can save that amount by blocking all chargeable calls, my mum cant help it and shes even told me to block all these calls. Any more help or advice....?
My mothers paying the bill :D lol but thats not the point, i always keep an eye on the houses income and outgoings and with current price increase in the mortgage, electricity, gas and food, im trying to keep bills that can be controlable to a minimum. just recently ive tied into a new contract with E-On our energy supplier meaning any price increases come winter, we will still be paying what we're paying now, even though its expensive right now.
Im XL Broadband too but i dont want to downgrade to L Broadband and save 12 quid when I know i can save that amount by blocking all chargeable calls, my mum cant help it and shes even told me to block all these calls. Any more help or advice....?
you can block such outgoing calls, yes. call customer services on 150.
you can block such outgoing calls, yes. call customer services on 150.
if you read my 1st post, ive already rang 150 and was about to go ahead with call barring until they told me they cannot block 0845, 0870 or 0844 numbers because it is local rate and can only block mobile and international...so im just wondering is there any external services which allows me to block all outgoing calls or is the person i spoke to on 150 mis-informed
dave_dph
02-08-2008, 16:22
if you read my 1st post, ive already rang 150 and was about to go ahead with call barring until they told me they cannot block 0845, 0870 or 0844 numbers because it is local rate and can only block mobile and international...so im just wondering is there any external services which allows me to block all outgoing calls or is the person i spoke to on 150 mis-informed
You can choose which levels of calls to bar.
If you want, you can bar all calls, I'm not sure if there is a level which will bar numbers beginning with 08.
Have a look at page 11 of this guide...
http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/pdf/phone-user-guides/main-guide.pdf
The guide will tell you which levels are available in your area. Dial 1765 from your vm phone to establish which colour to refer to.
if you read my 1st post, ive already rang 150 and was about to go ahead with call barring until they told me they cannot block 0845, 0870 or 0844 numbers because it is local rate and can only block mobile and international...so im just wondering is there any external services which allows me to block all outgoing calls or is the person i spoke to on 150 mis-informed
they can be blocked, is just that they don't have the permissions... (and if they did, they wouldn't do it as a whole)
If you want, you can bar all calls, I'm not sure if there is a level which will bar numbers beginning with 08.
http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/pdf/phone-user-guides/main-guide.pdf
The guide will tell you which levels are available in your area. Dial 1765 from your vm phone to establish which colour to refer to.
cool...thanks dude but im a red area which has less functions than all the other areas...why is this then?
cool...thanks dude but im a red area which has less functions than all the other areas...why is this then?
certain areas in the UK do. you've got langley, bromley, ex-ntl etc... you don't happen to know which one you're in?
dave_dph
03-08-2008, 20:00
cool...thanks dude but im a red area which has less functions than all the other areas...why is this then?
The colour actually identifies the type of switch for your franchise area. The red areas have the DMS switch - most of the ex-TW areas are red. Is there not a level of barring to suit your needs in the red list?
When they say "local calls" I guess they mean those geographical numbers considered local from where you are, rather than 0845 numbers, but I could be wrong. You could always add it to your account and try the different levels, it only takes a call to customer services to change the barring level, you still use the same code and PIN to over ride it.
I'll say one thing for Call Barring in the red areas - you have to over ride it on a per-call basis with *80 and your PIN, in other words you can't accidentally forget to switch it back on after you have made a call. In the other areas that use *34_*PIN# you have to switch it back on every time you have made a call, if not then Call Barring is not in place.
The colour actually identifies the type of switch for your franchise area. The red areas have the DMS switch - most of the ex-TW areas are red. Is there not a level of barring to suit your needs in the red list?
When they say "local calls" I guess they mean those geographical numbers considered local from where you are, rather than 0845 numbers, but I could be wrong. You could always add it to your account and try the different levels, it only takes a call to customer services to change the barring level, you still use the same code and PIN to over ride it.
I'll say one thing for Call Barring in the red areas - you have to over ride it on a per-call basis with *80 and your PIN, in other words you can't accidentally forget to switch it back on after you have made a call. In the other areas that use *34_*PIN# you have to switch it back on every time you have made a call, if not then Call Barring is not in place.
thanks man just added call barring now and yes im in a telewest area too...i went for level 6 in a red area which bars all calls except free and 999, so hopefully numbers like 0845 and 0844 will be blocked...havent tried it yet but how long does it take for call barring to take place after ordering it...?
Should be within 24 hours.
Virgin count 0845 numbers as local numbers and 0870 as national numbers, so you have to have that level of barring on to block them
dave_dph
04-08-2008, 17:17
thanks man just added call barring now and yes im in a telewest area too...i went for level 6 in a red area which bars all calls except free and 999, so hopefully numbers like 0845 and 0844 will be blocked...havent tried it yet but how long does it take for call barring to take place after ordering it...?
Level 6 will bar all calls so that includes 0844/5, 0870 etc.
Should be within 24 hours.
Virgin count 0845 numbers as local numbers and 0870 as national numbers, so you have to have that level of barring on to block them
Shame they don't count them as the premium rate numbers they are, so you can block those rip off numbers, but continue to call proper local and national numbers.
Shame they don't count them as the premium rate numbers they are, so you can block those rip off numbers, but continue to call proper local and national numbers.
0845 is tagged as being local as it's routed locally. that's why it's a local rate number. there is absolutely nothing premium about it.
0845 is tagged as being local as it's routed locally. that's why it's a local rate number. there is absolutely nothing premium about it.
Yes, 0845 are a premium to call. They cost more than real local rate numbers and why 0845 are called lo-call rate and shouldn't be called local rate..
Unless you take a special package they are included like real numbers are.
0845 and 0870 cost a premium over the cost to call real local and national numbers. That makes them a premium. They may not be 090x numbers, that doesn't stop them costing more than regular numbers and therefore costing a premium.
Real local and national rate numbers cost: 4p/min daytimes, 3.25p/min evenings and Inclusive weekends on the basic package.
Real local and national rate numbers cost: 4p/min daytimes and Inclusive evening and weekends on the mid package.
Real local and national rate numbers cost: Inclusive daytimes, evenings & weekends on the top package.
0845 numbers cost: 6p/min at all times.
0870 numbers cost: 10p/min at all times.
So as you can see both 0845 and 0870 cost a premium over real local or national numbers.
As they cost more than real numbers, then you should be able to block these out and only be able to dial real local and national numbers.
(OK my phones at home allow a dialling lock, and I lock out 084, 087, 09, 070, 118 numbers, so doesn't matter that VM don't offer a decent block, but it would be decent of them if they did).
Could anyone tell me what's the difference between premium rate calls and premium rate services, as they are listed seperately by vm for call barring. I've had a month long battle with vm over billing etc, and they had given me a load of bull telling me that they would give me call barring on mobiles, international, and premium rate numbers and it would only be 1.75. Now today i find ot its only one of them for that. They gave me a level 3 which was only international and then a stupid woman told me i would have to ring a premium rate number in order to see if it was barred, and this has been the problem that we don't ring them. I did ring a mobile and found it was still calling. Phoned them again and got a different story and told to do level 6 which is prem services not prem calls (hence the question regarding the difference). Put in the code and was told that all outgoing calls were barred which should be level 1, but on trying nothing was. I also read that you are supposed to enter your pin after the code, is this correct as they didn't tell me this. The whole issue makes me wonder if they want you to actually bar calls especially premium ones. I recall somewhere in the forum someone using call barring, but the calls still being made so mabe they need to check on what they have been told.
I again refer people to http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/pdf/phone-user-guides/main-guide.pdf Page 11 especially
There is no distinction. There is a specific level to block any number starting with 09 no matter where you live
Thanks for your reply, very helpfull regarding my question. part of post however was to make people aware of the problems I've had when dealing with vm customer care, customer concern, and the helpline. I would have thought that the people working in those departments should themselves be aware of the procedures, as a lot of what is in this guide they did not tell me about, and no I've never had a copy either. Indeed the first contact didn't even tell me I needed a pin, and the others didn't tell me how to use it once I had it, and there was no mention of coded area's. Hopefully I should be able to sort it out now.
If you add any call feature you should automatically recieve that user guide a few days later
Had nothing from them its like blood out of a stone. Read the info and checked the barring and found that it was still set on international calls which the first guy from vm set up which i didn't want. Cancelled this as directed and then reset it for my area (which I checked), which said 6 was premium call barring. checked the barring again and it said outgoing calls are barred. Does this mean all or just prem, as on checking normal calls they went ahead as usual, so how do you check premium numbers barring is on without incurring costs by trying them, and if it is on why doesn't the automated reply say premium numbers are barred.
yorkshireborn
17-08-2008, 10:59
Hey guys, im in a bit of a problem, basically im on XL Phone, however my mum racks up the bill by calling back home (international), mobile, 0845 and 0870 mostly. The thing is Ive tried ringing Virgin Media about call barring which 1.75 quid a month but that service only bars international and mobile calls. So how can i bar the 0845 and 0870 numbers. I know its a local rate but every month the call usage charges comes to around 18 quid. Is there anything else i can do to block all chargeable calls.
p.s im still 18 so dont mention anything about me living with my mum lol :angel:
get her to use this site to look for the freephone number http://www.saynoto0870.co.uk/search.php
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