chinnybloke

Hello,

My memory is going in my old age, do you pay to receive a call on your mobile phone in the UK?

I was in the Aliant shop in Fredericton and they seemed amazed when I acted surprised that you have to pay to receive a call. I was so surprised I thought surely that cannot be true. But, then I got thinking, maybe it is like that in the UK and I just never checked my bills enough.

Are all networks like that in Canada? I'm off to the Rogers shop tomorrow.

Thanks,
CB

wizzard

Weird isn't it. In the UK you pay for calls you make, in North America you pay (unless you have certain unlimited type plans) for airtime, whether the time is for incoming or outgoing calls. If your phone is active on the network for 10 minutes you pay for 10 minutes no matter whether you called someone or they called you.

chinnybloke

Pants, no avoiding it then.

Steve_P

You can avoid it, if you really don't need the cell phone don't get one.

geedee

I am constantly surprised about the myth of the North American so-called "service" culture. They're supposed to be the best in the world at it.... and the longer I stay here, the more I realise it's total codswallop. They don't have a look-in compared to the UK.

garvard

But, may be it possible to have a plan with unlimited incoming???!!!
I saw that almost all providers have such plan.

Biiiiink

Mobile nos. in the UK are non-geographic higher rate calls, the caller pays more to ring you. Here mobiles have an actual area code - if you move to a different one you need to get a new number - so assuming you're calling from a landline in the same city, it won't cost you a penny to call a mobile. So it's not all bad. But mainly it is

R I C H

I think in this instance it's more a profit culture - if cell phone providers can find a market for air time being paid for in this way, then good luck to them. The service culture is the experience you should receive in the store or to a helpline.

As Steve said, if you don't like the deals, don't use a phone. I've happily managed without one for 3yrs.

gingnut

All who are complaining about paying for incomming calls need to remember the nasty surprise on the bill when you called someone on their mobile. I still haven't forgot that after being back home for 6 years. Of course the mobile companies in Canada are greedy, evil, inept, but are the british ones really better?

kazbob

I've always wondered who pays for the call when you call someone on their cell from your cell? Do both parties pay?

I'm not planning on getting one when I get out there, I barely use my one here now, just a few texts now and then.

Karen

cheepnis

landline telephony is worse here in blighty; my GP has an 0844 number. since everyone has been using the fab saynoto0870.com site to circumvent the more expensive calls, loads of companies are switching over to 0871, which are more expensive still.

before long 0800 (free dial) numbers are gonna go the way of the dodo...

gotoronto

I think on the whole, the way UK mobile phone companies charge worked better for me - especially on a pay-as-you-go. Here, with a pay-as-you-go you still have to pay a monthly systems access fee, even if you don't call anyone at all.

The other annoying thing here is that you have to pay extra to get voicemail or caller ID! We opted against a $6 charge for caller ID. But paid the $6 for voicemaill.

But probably it all depends on how people use their phones and it may be a matter of getting used to it.

Biiiiink

The receiver will pay for certain. The dialler may have minutes included, or free local calls at evenings/weekends... but if not, then yes, the dialler pays for call too.

bandit

That sucks....

That is one thing I'll have to learn to live with, but gosh, seems harsh....

Bx

Biiiiink

I don't pay for caller ID so I get shirty with wrong numbers who cost me a minute each time