0843 numbers
| Number type: | 0843 numbers |
| Usage: | Service numbers with a surcharge |
| Call costs from landline: | Typically 11p to 28p per minute, plus up to 7p per call (see below) |
| Call costs from mobile: | Typically 55p to 72p per minute, plus up to 7p per call (see below) |
| Introduced: | May 2007 |
| Similar numbers: | 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871, 0872 |
What are 0843 numbers?
Telephone numbers starting with 0843 are 'service numbers' charged at special rates which are usually higher than the cost of calling a normal landline number.
The costs of calling 0843 numbers includes of a surcharge or 'service charge' that is used to pay for the service being provided. Typical uses include:
- Chargeable information and support lines
- Event ticket and travel booking services
- Conference call services
- Pre-sales information lines
Unlike traditional landline phone numbers, 0843 numbers are not associated with any specific geographic location.
0843 number call costs
The total costs that apply when calling 0843 numbers are made up of two separate parts:
| 1. | Access charge | Set by your phone company and charged whenever you call any number starting 084, 087, 09 or 118. | Varies from around 13p per minute on landlines to up to 65p per minute from mobiles. |
| 2. | Service charge | An extra charge that benefits the organisation you are calling. They are responsible for informing you of what charge rate applies. | Up to 7p per minute, 7p per call or a combination of both. |
This means that 0843 numbers will usually cost more to call than a normal landline. They will not be included in any free call allowances or bundled minutes that your tariff offers.
Using 0843 numbers for customer service lines is now forbidden by law and most reputable companies no longer use such numbers for enquiries.
Missed calls from 0843 numbers
Some low-value scams have been run using 0843 numbers. Typically, the owners of a rogue 0843 number will automatically ring thousands of regular landline and mobile phone numbers, but hang up almost immediately. The people who receive these calls then see the 0843 number in their list of missed calls – and many will call the number back out of curiosity.
The 0843 number's owner then makes money from each call back they receive. Often, they will arrange for the 0843 number to connect the caller to a long recorded message or even a fake ringing tone, as a way of keeping them on the line for longer and increasing the call cost.
This kind of scam is often known as a 'callback scam', 'cost trap' or 'wangiri'.
The easiest way to avoid falling victim to the scam is simply not to call back unfamiliar numbers that start with 070, 084, 087 or 09.
Expensive 0843 numbers for companies and public services
Companies are prohibited from using service numbers such as 0843 numbers for post-sales customer service lines and most organisations have also stopped using them for other enquiries due to their unpopularity with the public.
If you find an 0843 contact number for an organisation when searching online, double-check the details on their own official website first. The number you have found may well be a money-making number that belongs to a third-party and not the organisation itself.
See also:
