• How Can I Join In With The Programme?
• How is the winner chosen?
• What Happens to the Money Made from the Premium Rate Calls?
• How Do I Bar My Phone From Making Premium Rate Calls?
• I Received The Busy Tone When I Called. Why Is This?
• I Received A Number Unobtainable Tone When I Called. Why Is This?
• I've Just Got My Phone Bill And Have Been Charged More Than 25p. Why??

How Can I Join In With The Programme?
During the Eggheads programme viewers are invited to call for the chance to win a prize to be won by the end of the show. You can enter either by dialling the premium rate telephone number and leaving your name, answer and contact phone number.

Calls to the premium rate number 0901 221 24 24 are charged at 25p each from a standard BT phone line but charges from other networks may vary from this. The full rules of the competition can be read on the web address http://www.12yard.com/eggheads or you can send an SAE to Eggheads, c/o 12 Yard Productions, 10 Livonia Street , London W1F 8AF.
How is the winner chosen?
When the competition closes a winner is selected at random from all those entrants with the right answer.

We use premium rate for telephone numbers for several reasons:

• The premium rate telephone network can handle a large number of simultaneous calls, meaning our callers are less likely to get an engaged tone.
• Premium rate calls are diverted off the ordinary telephone network so they cannot disrupt emergency service (999) calls even when there are high numbers of calls being made. This is essential to protect the public.
• Premium rate calls cost the same to all callers regardless of where they have dialled from.
• Callers stand an equal chance of their call getting through regardless from where they have dialled. This is not true for all types of telephone numbers but it is for premium rate numbers.
• All telephone subscribers can bar their phone from being able to make premium rate calls (see section on next page) at no charge by contacting the company which provides their telephone service. This service is a basic consumer right enforced by Ofcom.

What Happens to the Money Made from the Premium Rate Calls?
There are lots of costs involved in running a phone system to support a broadcast programme. These costs include:

• VAT is levied at 17.5% and this goes to the Exchequer.
• Network operators charge for providing the complex routing and call-handling systems.

How Do I Bar My Phone From Making Premium Rate Calls?
If you would like to prevent premium rate calls from being made from you phone, you should firstly contact the company that provides your telephone service. All premium rate numbers in the UK start with "090". For many people their telephone service is still supplied by BT but there are many other suppliers.

• BT customers should dial 152 (this is the "BT Domestic Sales" line) and request to have premium rate numbers barred. BT will need the account number (see your phone bill) and address but then BT can put the call-bar in place immediately. This can only be reversed by writing to BT.
• BT's business customers must dial "BT Business Sales" and follow the same procedure. However, many company switchboards automatically bar the dialling of premium rate numbers anyway.
• Customers who get their telephone service from suppliers other than BT should contact their supplier. Contact details will be provided on telephone bills or on the contract for service. The procedure should be simple and swift. If anyone experiences any difficulties doing this, they should contact the network operators' regulator Ofcom.

I Received The Busy Tone When I Called. Why Is This?
There are several thousand lines on the Eggheads service but even so they may sometimes get busy. The BBC has done everything possible to reduce the likelihood of this. Viewers can always ring again after a few minutes. Most callers are not charged when they hear the busy tone though some mobile phone users may be charged even when a call has not connected. If you are calling from a mobile phone remember you may be charged more than 25p by your supplier if you get through to us and you may even get charged if you received the busy tone. We recommend that you check your mobile phone contract for details.
I Received A Number Unobtainable Tone When I Called. Why Is This?
A minority of callers may hear the number unobtainable signal (a continuous tone) or a message saying that they can't be connected when they dial the Eggheads number. There are several reasons why this may happen.

• If you are phoning from a company telephone you may not be getting through because many company switchboards automatically block calls to premium rate numbers. It should be possible for this to be changed by whoever controls the company's telephone systems.
• If you are dialling from a mobile phone, you may find that your phone contract bars you from dialling premium rate numbers. You may be able to get this changed by contacting your mobile service supplier.
• If you have a prepaid mobile with 25p credit remaining but can't get through, it may be because under your mobile contract you are charged more than 25p to get through, and therefore the credit is insufficient.
• If you are phoning from a domestic phone, it may be because premium rate calls have been call barred.
• Your phone company may have been slow to register the Eggheads telephone number and this can be overcome by dialling '1280' before the Eggheads number '0901 221 24 24. I.e. please try dialling 1280 0901 221 24 24. If this works for you please tell your phone company as they can correct the problem.

If you do not think any of the above applies to you and you are still receiving the unobtainable tone, you should speak to the company that provides your telephone service.
I've Just Got My Phone Bill And Have Been Charged More Than 25p. Why?
Calls made on a standard BT phone connection will be charged at 25p each. Calls made from a phone box will be charged at a more expensive rate. Mobile phone companies have a right to charge more than the stated 25p, as do companies other than BT. Viewers who do not use BT for their phone service may therefore be charged at a higher rate and those companies keep any extra charge. In these circumstances there should be a price list available so please contact the supplier of the telephone service for details. We are sorry if any viewers have had this problem but unfortunately the BBC is unable to control what telephone service suppliers charge.