Phone call costs to be simplified
No price difference between mobiles/landlines, cheaper four-figure numbers, three-colour code for free or paying calls
NEW phone tariffs coming in at the start of next month will simplify the baffling array of charges and will make 0800 numbers free from mobiles as well as landlines.
The move by telecoms regulator Arcep ends the extra costs for using a mobile and will make calls for four-figure helplines cheaper if not free. It will also mean callers using pay-as-you-go cards will pay at normal call costs.
A new colour code for special numbers gets rid of the previous azur, cristal, indigo and vert and shows call costs in two sections: the cost of the call and the cost of the service.
It uses three colours:
GREEN for free calls to free services (from landlines and mobiles, no matter what contract you have) on numbers starting 0800/0805
GREY for calls for free information but charged at the contract rate starting 0806, 0807, 0808 and 0809
PURPLE for paid-for services where you pay for the service plus the cost of the call to numbers starting 081, 082, 089.
Callers should be given information on the price of the call at the start of each call and phone operators have the choice of charging for the cost of the call or the duration of the call, not both.
Calls charged per call should not exceed €3 each and those charged by duration should not be at more than €0.80/min (except for directory service numbers starting 118).
Calls to four-figure numbers used by government organisations and companies such as the 1023 for SFR, 3949 for Pôle emploi, 3646 for Assurance maladie will no longer be outside your contract if you are on an unlimited mobile contract and, for others, will be charged at the normal call cost.
The changes come into force on October 1 and will ease life for phone users with many, especially young people, who use only mobile phones, seeing major changes.
Landline users will also find it easier to change operators and keep their phone number.
Anyone planning to change should call 3179 from the landline to be changed, be given a RIO (Relevé Identité Opérateur fixe) which is then given along with the landline number to the new operator who will take responsibility for the changeover.
Arcep and information body SVA-Plus have put a video online on YouTube giving information on the changes...
