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0800 numbers are now free to call from mobiles
Before dialling an unfamiliar service number, many of us feel an overwhelming sense of dread. Not just for 0800 and 0808 "freephone" numbers, which are now free to call from a mobile, but numbers starting with 084, 087 and 09 too. From experience, you know what they represent: expensive call charges. Worse yet, it's almost impossible to know how much you'll be spending. When the latter are advertised on TV, you'll usually hear something along the lines of: "Calls cost 50p from a BT landline. Other landlines may vary and calls from mobiles may cost considerably more." It's confusing because the costs vary wildly depending on your operator and the number you're calling, and neither charge is explained properly in advance. Most of us just dial the number anyway and hope for the best, or try to avoid the call entirely. It's a mess, but from today everything is going to change. Ofcom has introduced a new system that makes call charges simpler to figure out.
