Special Svce on my mnthly account

[MaureenWeston]

My telephone account shows calls to "Special Svce"  What is this?

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @MaureenWeston 

Thanks for coming to the community. 

Have you been charged for the calls? Does your call log on your device show the number was called at the time showing on your bill? 

Speak soon. 

Leanne. 

[MaureenWeston]

Thank you, Leanne.

I have now worked out some of the calls charged under Special Service and they are legitimate. I think my shock is with using the home phone how much a call can be. An instance,
my husband needed doctor appointments during April and we have to telephone at 8 am and if you are lucky, you are told you are 8th or 9 in the queue so you have to hang on. He has needed attention on a few occasions in March/April this year and I have worked out it cost about £26 in total for local appointment calls. Other are legitimate although I have a further few to check. I use my mobile if I have to call but my husband is almost 90 years of age and prefers the landline. I think I will have to ask for the landline to be taken out and any calls he makes I will have on my mobile.

The total charge for calls for April was in the region of £44. I think the charge per call is high and I will visit my local EE to discuss it but I think I will have to have the landline removed.

Regards
Maureen

[Christopher_G · Accepted solution]

Hi @MaureenWeston 

I'm sorry to hear that your husband was in need of attention from the doctor. I know in those circumstances, the cost of calls isn't always your first thought.

Depending on the number you called, it may not necessarily be covered by a mobile plan either. Calls to numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03 numbers, as well as mobile numbers are generally covered by mobile plans. But, numbers beginning 08, 070, 09 and 118 generally aren't.

I'd definitely recommend speaking with our Customer Support team, or popping into your nearest EE store so they can check everything from our end too.

Chris

[MaureenWeston]

Thanks, Christopher, for your reply. I do intend to call in at Durham EE where I entered my contract last winter. They are extremely helpful and I intend to discuss with them fully all my problems. I will probably relinquish the land line as it seems to be expensive and I must have a clearer view of the charges etc.on both landline and mobile. Thanks. Maureen

[bristolian]

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@Christopher_G wrote:

Depending on the number you called, it may not necessarily be covered by a mobile plan either. Calls to numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03 numbers, as well as mobile numbers are generally covered by mobile plans. But, numbers beginning 08, 070, 09 and 118 generally aren't.

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08 needs to be split down further.

080x are free calls, the cost paid by the recipient. 084 & 087x are "service numbers" which can indeed be expensive.

I strongly suspect "Special Service" means an 084 or 087 number, which are charged in two parts - "Connection Charge" levied by the telecoms operator, and a "service charge" levied by the owner of the number. There are restrictions on the use of these numbers, and they are quite rightly a lot rarer than they used to be.

There are quite a few scenarios now, where a "standard rate" number has to be used by law. That's defined by Ofcom as  01/02/03 landline numbers, 080x freecall, or 07-mobiles.