🚀 go-pugleaf

Is this a reason to have a demon support group?

I asked before whether anyone here had written a script to choose the phone
number for Surftime, and why there had to be two different numbers.

Since then I have wandered over to alt.<something>.btinternet, and
uk.telecom, and have got this reply as the most relevant one.

Note it doesn't explain why BT don't provide a charging rate that is more
suitable for the users. Just that we don't need yet another rate, and that
the present arrangement should be good enough.

It doesn't even say why Demon choose not to allow the calls at the g5 rate
during the day. Can any demon person answer that?

The problem with the script I have written is that it is not invoked
whenever the system decides to dial, only when the user chooses to invoke
the script.

Tim.


>In article <timl-ya02408000R1502010014090001@news.demon.co.uk>
>           timl@kulath.demon.co.uk "Timothy Lyons" writes:
>
>> In article <982069005snz@dsl.co.uk>, bhk@dsl.co.uk (Brian {Hamilton Kelly})
>> wrote:
>> 
>> >
>> >The simple answer to that is that calls via BT to g5 rate numbers (when a
>> >SurfTime discount does not apply) cost considerably less than 2p/min.
>> >
>> (Presumably the problem here is that at a lower rate, Demon do not get
>> enough out of their cut of the phoone call to make it workable for them,
>> and hence have to bar the number at their end).
>
>I don't believe Demon get any cut out of any of the 0844 numbers.  I *do*
>believe that the g4 rate is intended to encourage non-excessive use.
>
>> Yes, but why doesn't BT provide a different rate number that costs the 2p
>> so I don't have to change the phone number?
>
>Why should BT introduce YACB[1] merely for your convenience?
>
>> >Remember, there are six combinations of SurfTime and PC/PCP that may be
>> >selected by Demon customers: each of five of these will be the most
>> >financially attractive for some class of customers.
>> >
>> >    Extra payment   Daytime     E & W/e
>> >    Nothing extra   g4 rate     g5 rate
>> >    PCP to Demon    g5 rate     g5 rate
>> >    SurfTime e&w    g4 rate     "free"
>> >    STe&w + PCP     g5 rate     "free"
>> >    ST24/7          g4 rate     "free"      (This choice is silly)
>> >    ST24/7 + PCP    "free"      "free"
>> >
>> >(I can't remember the exact rates, but I *think* it's 2p/1p/1p for g4,
>> >and 1p/0.6p/0.5p for g5.)
>> 
>> Why do BT make you dial different combinations of numbers to get these
>> rather than dialing say 5 different numbers, one for each combination?
>
>Demon provide you with *two* (just two) different numbers to be dialled;
>one is charged at g4 rate and the other at g5. This ought to be enough
>for any competent person to use to implement their desired charging
>regime.
>
>> >I did not see the start of this thread; I presume you (or someone) is
>> >moaning about mistakenly dialling the g5 number in daytime, and without
>> >being a PCP customer?  If so, I would suggest getting yourself some
>> >software that prevents this occurrence (it's childishly simple to arrange
>> >for the correct number, depending upon time of day, to be used by a
>> >dialler program).  I commend you to the demon.ip.support.* newsgroup
>> >relevant to your operating system
>> 
>> I wasn't really maoning about mistakenly dialing the wrong number, (the
>> T&Cs are clear, so there doesn't seem much point in moaning).
>> 
>> I was actually asking why BT provide this service in an inconvenient way.
>> (which has not been answered)
>
>The answer is that BT merely provide the opportunity for different
>charging bands; it is up to the destination whether they accept all calls
>on each number at any particular time of day.  (AIUI, it's not just Demon
>that have such a regime: some companies provide a g5 number for off-peak,
>with the possibility of using under SurfTime, but do not accept any calls
>at peak rate, except through their usual 0845 numbers.  Also, at one
>time, BTi used to have an 0800 number that only worked from
>18:00--23:59.)
>
>> And whether anyone has such a program to select numbers. I have since found
>> out that such programs exist for PCs (for others, e.g. shareware.com under
>> DUN managers or such). However, I am using a Mac. I asked the question
>> first off on the relevant Demon support, but got no good answer. I believe
>> the probem also exists for other ISPs (e.g. BTInternet?)
>> 
>> I have since written a script to select the number according to the time,
>> but still want to know whether anyone else has a better solution, and why
>> BT make it hard.
>
>There, that wasn't so difficult after all, was it?  I use OS/2, and dial
>up either with the old KA9Q program, or with ISDNpm V3.01.  For the
>former, I added a REXX script which runs at the time of dialling, sets an
>environment variable, and the latter then controls the number dialled by
>the KA9Q dialling script.  For ISDNpm, which does my dial-on-demand
>stuff, I have alternate set up files, and these are swapped at the
>relevant times of day by a cron job; the correct setup is chosen by a
>script that runs at boot time, for the rare occasions on which this
>machine is rebooted.
>
>Nevertheless, I am surprised that no one on demon.ip.support.mac was able
>to point you towards a suitable program/script.  I trust that you have
>shared your efforts with those users, for surely you are not alone in
>that need.
>
>[1] Yet Another Charging Band  ---  as if there weren't far too many
>different rates already.
>-- 
>Brian {Hamilton Kelly}                                          bhk@dsl.co.uk