I write this not so much as a complaint, but more a warning to anyone thinking of using these.

I am working abroad and want to call back to the UK. I signed up to this service hoping to use the onefone software, which I couldnt get to work.

So as a backup I thought i'd use the local access number service instead. It worked, I was happy. ....well, I WAS happy until this morning.

After only 4 days of using the service I decided to check my vodafone bill online. And after picking myself up off the floor, discovered that to call the local access number costs pretty much the same as it would cost to call the uk direct, approximately  £1.60 per minute. After 4 days my bill this month is now already 2.5x what I would normally pay  (and i'm not on a cheap contract!).

So to customers, check how much it is going to cost to call the number BEFORE you sign up.

And to the people who run this service, what the hell is going on!?!

Hi,

I am sorry you could not get oneFone to work. Please let me explain these Local Access Numbers so no one experiences the charges that you did.

You mentioned that you are working abroad and calling the UK. Which country are you calling from and are you a UK Vodafone customer? Obviously if you are you are roaming and will be charged as so. If you were in the UK using the UK access number you could call internationally at local rates.

The Local Access Numbers are meant for local SIM cards and landlines calling the relevant number in the home country. These will ALWAYS be charged at local rates and will never be charged as international.

I hope that clears things up and am sorry you were a little misunderstood on this but please ONLY call the access number from a SIM card or landline registered in the same country. When doing so they work great and rule out the need for Wi-Fi connection.

Its good that you've cleared that up. I wouldnt want anyone else falling into the same trap.

I really think you should change the main page of the website. It tells you how to use the local access numbers -ie how I used them. The phrase

'phone from any mobile or land line' really should go don't you think!

Secondly, the instructions just say, 'dial the local access number of the country you are calling, regardless of where you are in the world'. That is exactly what I did, but is clearly not what you are supposed to do and it is not nearly as simple as that!. Surely alot of the people using this service would  be in a similar situation as me-that of being abroad and not necessarily living in the country they are wanting to phone from.

One thing I am still not exactly sure about is that the indications you gave in your last post say to dial the local access number of the country you are in, yet the official instructions say dial the country you are calling to.

I am in egypt at the moment by the way and yes, I am a UK vodafone customer.

Regards, Steve.

Hi Steve,

I thank you and note your points which i will pass on.

As i said you should only use these numbers if it is a local call for either your SIM card or landline. As it stands with yourself we do not have an Egyptian local access number and even if we did you would have to register an Egyptian landline as you are roaming overseas with your UK Vodafone SIM card.

If you were in the UK wanting to call Egypt you would use the UK Local Access Number 01300 310100 and then enter the international number you want to call.