[Stuart]

Originally Posted by cih

Thank you for your replies.

Well as I never paid it with Telewest why should I pay it now. Why don't they own up and say it's £12 for line rental.

You're comparing Apples and Pears. If NTL/Telewest charged line rental, you would have to pay it to use the phone. Itemised bills are optional.

So next time you are in Tescos or Waitrose (If you are Tory) will they charge you £1 for scanning the items or just look at them and say that's £89.56 please. Maybe not so, so why does the telecom industry do so.

Actually, from an evironmental point of view, I wish the big supermarkets would charge for reciepts. Imagine how many trees would be saved if even a fraction of the customers said no?

Anyhow, the supermarkets *do* charge for scanning. Ok, so they aren't upfront about it, but a fraction of what you pay does go to paying the costs involved in you being in the supermarket (heat, light, staffing etc). This is business.

I've solve the problem by switching all my calls to Skype, cancelling my itemised billing and insisting Telewest start sending an old fashion paper bill. So who did it cost this time? Please all do the same. With Skype you can see itemised bill anytime and it's up to date.

Skype seem to be catching up with the other bandits now by introducing connection charges but it is telewest that takes the biscuit with a 9 pence charge just to know the other person is on the line or not answering. Now that's daylight robbery. So that's why all the telecoms companies give free answering service. Nice money.

TBH, Skype aren't always that cheap. Particulalrly if you make a lot of international calls to non-skype customers.

There alt to be a warning that you are about to be transferred to a answering service. What's wrong with the old fashion number engage signal?

For you 30 something’s (Ant and Deck look a likes) it was a rapid single toned sound. I might suggest the sound of money chinking could be a good warning you are just about to be transfered.

Eh?