Lebara mobile charges

[mikewb20012000]

I have been charged for mobile calls on an inclusive phone package. When I queried it, this is the response I received:

So, I would like to inform you that are you dialing the numbers those belong to the Lyca or Lebara, then none of the service providers can give the call usage in entire UK. As, no one covers these providers according to the OFCOM's policy. I hope you understand?

Can someone explain this to me? As the numbers dialled are 077xx. How would I know before dialling a mobile number the provider? 

Thx

[mpmc]

There are a whole bunch of 07 numbers that look like inclusive mobile numbers, personal 070 numbers being the main one the others being special or forward mobile numbers. VM have some info, https://www.virginmedia.com/help/landline/landline-call-costs, see "Call cost outside of my bundle" for the PDF.

The response you received doesn't make much sense, or they confused call usage and call costs.

If you search online with the first five digits of the number, which is OK to share btw, and prefix it with "non standard mobile number" it should give you some more info. ID on the Three network have a helpful table here https://www.idmobile.co.uk/nonstandard07numbers 

HTH 

[goslow]

---

@mikewb20012000 wrote:

I have been charged for mobile calls on an inclusive phone package. When I queried it, this is the response I received:

So, I would like to inform you that are you dialing the numbers those belong to the Lyca or Lebara, then none of the service providers can give the call usage in entire UK. As, no one covers these providers according to the OFCOM's policy. I hope you understand?

Can someone explain this to me? As the numbers dialled are 077xx. How would I know before dialling a mobile number the provider? 

Thx

---

Bottom of page 5 in the 'Everyday Call Charges' booklet mentions this in the footnote

https://www.virginmedia.com/callcosts

Discounted and inclusive mobile calls are to all UK mobiles. This doesn’t include other services beginning with 07, such as Personal Numbering, Mobile WiFi,or Paging services etc. This also incorporates all calls on charge bands FM1-FM17.

There's a nice, 'easy-to-use', PDF here (all 218 pages of it)

https://www.virginmedia.com/content/dam/virginmedia/dotcom/images/mobile-browse/downloads/010420_Cal...

which allows you to look up the codes to see if you will be charged. I think the 'FW' codes are the ones which look like ordinary mobile no's but are chargeable 'wi-fi' mobile numbers. Some in the 077xx range appear as 'MB' codes but doesn't seem to be any 'FW' codes.

However, all those codes listed in the iDMobile link don't seem to appear in the VM document (although the VM doc is from 2020 and I can't find a newer one).

What's the next 2 digits of 077xx which has led to the charges and can you match them with the 218 page VM document?

Also I think you would be charged for any excess time over 60 min if your call lasted longer than an hour.

In any event, having to consult a 218 page manual before you place a call, to a number which looks like a generic mobile, is ridiculous.

[mpmc]

goslow

Thanks for digging that out and finding the exact pages!. It's very useful to me* as is to OP.

* I'll be sure to block those number ranges on my PBX.

[goslow]

---

@mpmc wrote:

goslow

Thanks for digging that out and finding the exact pages!. It's very useful to me* as is to OP.

* I'll be sure to block those number ranges on my PBX.

---

The problem for the average customer is that these chargeable 'wifi' number codes seem to be sandwiched in between mobile number blocks which are not chargeable so no easy way to spot them.

Just picking some examples at random from the 218 page list, 07404 and 07405 are coded FW7 and seem to be listed to Lycamobile (so presumably chargeable) but are sandwiched in between 07403 and 074064 coded FM6 and FM1 (presumably 'free' within an inclusive VM package)

No mention of 'wifi' calling for 07 numbers in OFCOM's latest info (dated 30 June 2022 at time of posting)

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/how-muc...

Can't help but think this is one of those legacy leftovers from an earlier mobile phone world that has not been dealt with as yet by OFCOM and which VM continues to exploit.

[mikewb20012000]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

The numbers charged are 07700 and 07797 for clarity, but I cannot see these listed as lebara numbers. I wonder if these numbers have been ported to lebara,  but again, if this is the case, how would you know?

[goslow]

---

@mikewb20012000 wrote:

Thanks everyone for your responses.

The numbers charged are 07700 and 07797 for clarity, but I cannot see these listed as lebara numbers. I wonder if these numbers have been ported to lebara,  but again, if this is the case, how would you know?

---

I think you will need to go beyond the first 4 digits to find the owners and charge bands.

You can find the number owner data from the OFCOM spreadsheet lists here 'S7.xlsx'

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/numbering/numbering-d...

(miss off the leading zero when searching the spreadsheet in column A so search for 7700 to identify the owner of 07700)

Look in the VM 218 page charging document to find the call charge band.

Best guess from the partial numbers you have given is that the number may belong to Sure (Jersey) Ltd and in the 'MB' band for VM charges. From past topics, I think the channel islands are not classed as UK for charging purposes (if this also applies to mobile no's too?)