PhoneSafe charges

[rawhyde666]

The charges for calling a PhoneSafe advert are extortionate. A 10 minute phone call recently cost me ~£9 from a mobile!
Please can you make it clear in your Phonesafe info section that mobile charges will be considerably more expensive than the landline figures quoted.
It currently states "buyers will be charged only a small amount more than direct calls" which is very misleading.

[Podie]

rawhyde666 said:

It currently states "buyers will be charged only a small amount more than direct calls" which is very misleading.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/phonesafe.asp

It actually states after the charges that "All prices are pence per minute fom a BT Landline and calls from a mobile or other operator may vary"

[mmm-five]

I think the OP got confused between the 'small amount' in the first paragraph, and the mobile sentence in the second paragraph. However, he has a point about the increase in amount being significant, rather than small - at least in percentage terms.

PistonHeads said:

How much will it cost to use PhoneSafe?

There is no charge for PistonHeads sellers who want to use PhoneSafe. Buyers who contact a seller through PhoneSafe will be charged only a small amount more than direct calls. The charges are listed below:

• Day: 37.5p
• Evening: 25.0p
• Weekend: 12.5p

All prices are pence per minute from a BT Landline and calls from a mobile or other operator may vary.
PhoneSafe is a completely optional service for sellers.

BT call charges to UK landlines:

• Day: 7.95p (+set-up fee of 13.1p)
• Evening: 1.05p (+set-up fee of 13.1p)
• Weekend: free (+set-up fee of 13.1p)

BT call charges to UK mobiles:

• Day: 11.3p (+set-up fee of 13.1p)
• Evening: 5.3p (+set-up fee of 13.1p)
• Weekend: free (+set-up fee of 13.1p)

However, I'm not sure I'd call a 300-1000% more expensive call a 'small amount'.

For example:

• a 10 minute daytime call on PhoneSafe would cost £3.75 - the same call on a BT landline would cost £0.926 (305% extra)
• a 10 minute evening call on PhoneSafe would cost £2.50 - the same call on a BT landline would cost £0.236 (959% extra)
• a 10 minute evening call on PhoneSafe would cost £1.25 - the same call on a BT landline would cost £0.131 (854% extra)

You also have to take account of the fact that the OP, and many others, will have an 'unlimited' call package which doesn't include premium numbers, so the cost is infinitely more expensive.

On the other side of the argument, you've got the benefits PhoneSafe gives the seller of having the numbers of known marketeers/scammers/canvassers blocked.

Edited by mmm-five on Friday 8th June 13:32

[Podie]

mmm-five said:

I think the OP got confused between the 'small amount' in the first paragraph, and the mobile sentence in the second paragraph.

Agreed.

However, calling a non-geographic number from a mobile always ends up with a large bill - or certainly has in the last 15 years of me having a mobile.