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NAME AND SHAME! OFCOM and others

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  • Steve_xx
    Steve_xx Posts: 6,979 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    bbb_uk wrote:
    I know 08xx calls are attached to a geographical. I was speaking from my own experience because I know of a company that changed its geographical number when it got an 0870 number. The reason being is to stop existing customers calling the geographical number.

    In fact there was (not now) a recorded message when you rung their geographical number informing me of the number change and asking us to ring the 0870 number instead. Therefore, I assumed at the time of getting an 0870 number they purposely got a new geographical number (disconnecting their older geographical number) and the 0870 would then be transferred to this new geographical number. If they don't tell anyone their new geographical number then we have no choice but to ring the 0845/0870.

    That's just how devious companies can be when they want. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of other companies did something devious like that if they thought about it.

    Yes, I understand your point, and you are correct in that the company concerned was clever enough to have a new geographical number set up to attach its 08 number to.
  • zx2011
    zx2011 Posts: 309 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker

    Most companies charge more than BT too!!!
    [font=Verdana]Company daytime evening weekend[/font]
[font=Verdana][b]0870[/b]
BT 7.51 3.75 1.5
call18866 [color=red]9 9 9[/color]
NTL [color=red]8.1 4.3 2.75[/color]
Kingston Communications [color=red]7.91 3.95 2[/color]
Sky Talk [color=red]7.91 3.95[/color] 1.5
Telewest [color=red]7.91 3.95 2.95[/color]
Tiscali [color=red]7.91 3.95 2[/color]
first:telecom [color=red]7.9 4.2 2.9[/color]
One.Tel 7.51 3.75 1.5
TalkTalk 7.51 3.75 1.5
Toucan Telecom 7.51 3.75 1.5
Post Office [color=yellowgreen]7.5[/color] 3.75 1.5
Tele 2 [color=darkgreen][color=yellowgreen]7.5[/color] 3.7[/color] [color=red]2[/color]
Tesco [color=yellowgreen]7.5[/color] [color=red]3.9 1.75[/color]
call1899 [color=yellowgreen]7[/color] [color=red]7 7[/color][/font]
 
[font=Verdana][b]0845[/b] 
BT 3 1 1
TalkTalk [color=red]4.5 1.5 1.5[/color]
NTL [color=red]4.45 1.75 1.45[/color]
call18866[color=red] 4 4 4[/color]
Sky Talk [color=red]3.95[/color] 1 1
Telewest [color=red]3.95[/color] [color=red]1.49[/color] 1
Tiscali [color=red]3.95 1.48[/color] 1
first:telecom [color=red]3.9 1.5 1.4[/color]
Tele 2 [color=red]3.9 1.5 1.2[/color]
One.Tel [color=red]3.6 1.2 1.2[/color]
Tesco [color=red]3.6 1.2[/color] 1
Post Office [color=red]3.3 1.1[/color] 1
call1899 3 [color=red]3 3[/color]
Toucan Telecom 3 1 1
Kingston Communications [color=yellowgreen]2.94[/color] [color=red]1.26[/color] [color=yellowgreen]0.85[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana]
[/font]

    Black = same as BT
    Red = more than BT
    Green = less than BT

    Note: Errors and ommisions are expected and your tarriff may be different from the above.

    Some companies will allow 0845 and 0870 numbers in their Calling Circle/Friends and Family type discount plans.

    Some 0845/0870 numbers are charged at different rates than those shown above.

    My view is that all 0845/0870 numbers should be charged as they were orginally under 0345/0990 and these days would now be the same as calling a standard 01/02 number.
  • April2
    April2 Posts: 508 Forumite
    MSE_Martin wrote:
    Despicable anti-consumer 0845 and 0870 numbers have reached a new height. Telecoms regulator Ofcom's consumer complaint line now uses one. These numbers are effectively premium rates, much more expensive than normal calls, and not included in free-minute packages.

    Ofcom isn’t alone. The BBC (sadly including some programmes I appear on - I've lobbied I promise), the Inland Revenue and the DVLAalso use them.

    Worse still some commercial companies actually make profits when we call to complain. I'm considering starting a petition about this. Meanwhile, I'd like to know your thoughts.

    Also read Say no to 0870.
    Ofcom's website lists (although, unhelpfully, not on its home page) both an 0845 and an 020 number (020 7981 3040) now but, better still, their letterheads quote ONLY their 020 numbers (Tel: 020 7981 3000, Fax: 020 7981 3333).

    Unfortunately, their position on discrimination against the disabled appears to need some work - they only list an 0845 number on which Textphone users can contact them.
    Their - possessive pronoun (owned by them e.g. "They locked their car").
    They're - colloquial/abbreviated version of 'They are'
    There - noun (location other than here e.g. "You can buy groceries there") OR adverb (in or at that place e.g. "They have lived there for years") OR adverb (to or towards that place e.g. "Go there at noon") OR adverb (in that matter e.g. " I agree with you there").
  • ajvj1812
    ajvj1812 Posts: 26 Forumite
    I'm not sure whether it's just me but I nearly always find that calls to companies who use 0870 numbers are long (e.g. utility or phone companies).

    I had some issues with O2 that resulted in a 45 min (daytime) call. Lucky for me I found an alternative geo number on saynoto0870 and used call18866 to make the call. Potential call cost using BT £3.38 (+ connection charge), actual call cost with call18866 £0.02. Daylight robbery comes to mind :mad:

    Count me in; I'd love to sign the petition!
  • derrick
    derrick Posts: 7,424 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    MSE_Martin wrote:
    Despicable anti-consumer 0845 and 0870 numbers have reached a new height. Telecoms regulator Ofcom's consumer complaint line now uses one. These numbers are effectively premium rates, much more expensive than normal calls, and not included in free-minute packages.

    Ofcom isn’t alone. The BBC (sadly including some programmes I appear on - I've lobbied I promise), the Inland Revenue and the DVLAalso use them.

    Worse still some commercial companies actually make profits when we call to complain. I'm considering starting a petition about this. Meanwhile, I'd like to know your thoughts.

    Also read Say no to 0870.


    With reference to the petition, I think it would be better for everyone who wishes to sign to send in their own letter of complaint (Martin could even draft one, it only needs to be a 2 liner) as a petition is effectively one letter and can easily be discarded, but if everyone who wished to sign posted their own letter there would be hundreds if not thousands of letters, and everyone would have to be opened therefore making it more time consuming and emphasising the consumers disgust with these numbers
    Don`t steal - the Government doesn`t like the competition


  • April2
    April2 Posts: 508 Forumite
    I remember a campaign some years ago for which those wishing to participate were urged to post a Valentines card to the appropriate minister. Rumour had it he was inundated but whether that merely caused him annoyance or helped the cause, we'll never know.
    Their - possessive pronoun (owned by them e.g. "They locked their car").
    They're - colloquial/abbreviated version of 'They are'
    There - noun (location other than here e.g. "You can buy groceries there") OR adverb (in or at that place e.g. "They have lived there for years") OR adverb (to or towards that place e.g. "Go there at noon") OR adverb (in that matter e.g. " I agree with you there").
  • drrdf
    drrdf Posts: 14 Forumite
    As usual the point everyone seems to be missing is queuing. What makes all of these non 09 NGNs so unacceptable is that although they are Premium numbers queuing is allowed!
  • JohalaReewi
    JohalaReewi Posts: 2,614 Forumite
    flyer wrote:
    So 0845 is a local rate?

    There isn't a local and national rate anymore. All geographical phone calls cost the same regardless of where in the country you call from. 0845 is branded as Lo-Call by BT but it has its own tariff. More insidious is the branding of 0870 as 'National Rate' which gives the misleading impression that it is charged at the same rate as a national (geographical) call. Perhaps BT should rebrand 0870 as Hi-Call ?
  • JohalaReewi
    JohalaReewi Posts: 2,614 Forumite
    bbb_uk wrote:
    I know 08xx calls are attached to a geographical. I was speaking from my own experience because I know of a company that changed its geographical number when it got an 0870 number. The reason being is to stop existing customers calling the geographical number.

    In fact there was (not now) a recorded message when you rung their geographical number informing me of the number change and asking us to ring the 0870 number instead. Therefore, I assumed at the time of getting an 0870 number they purposely got a new geographical number (disconnecting their older geographical number) and the 0870 would then be transferred to this new geographical number. If they don't tell anyone their new geographical number then we have no choice but to ring the 0845/0870.

    That's just how devious companies can be when they want. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of other companies did something devious like that if they thought about it.


    Just like Vodaphone did a few years back when they went to "07" numbers for everything. Now they have moved on to 0870 which they say, are charged at 'the national rate' (whatever that is).
  • bbb_uk
    bbb_uk Posts: 2,108 Forumite
    Having just read this page from OfCOM's website and this 0870FAQ page in the related items section (top right-hand side) also from OfCOM's website, I noticed this:-
    The potentially misleading ‘national rate’ and ‘local rate’ descriptions for 0870 / 0845 calls will no longer exist. BT customers will know that they will never pay more than 8p per minute for an 0870 call or more than 4p per minute for an 0845 call.
    It looks like they plan on removing the deliberately misleading "national rate" and "local rate" descriptions because of the number of complaints they've received over them. They're not stopping the use of these numbers though (I don't personally expect them to) but they should stop these companies from keeping us "waiting" or "queuing" on the line just so the company concerned can increase their profits.
    :j SayNoTo0870.com
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