Say No to 0870!

lipidicman · 11 March 2005 at 6:24PM

Listened to moneybox live on Radio 4 today - and they have an 0870 number. Shame on the BBC. On working lunch they said it was to pay for information lines - but for call-ins this is a bit much! Martin, have you appeared on a BBC phone in show with an 0870 number?

MSE_Martin · 11 March 2005 at 7:48PM

The BBC and 0870

I keep getting asked about this so let me put something on the record. Yes i appear on BBC shows with 0870's, quite a few of them.

However i always point it out when i do so. Often the answer is 'we dont make money from it' however i believe the editorial staff are being duped by the back office people as what they get from it is a 'telecoms system' which would otherwise need paying for - and as such they are rewarded.

Now if I'm honest, of course I don't go slagging off the programmes publically. They provide me with work and let me get many MoneySaving messages out there which help people.

So I do the work behind the scenes. I think things are changing. I have a meeting in a couple of weeks with a major bbc programme (please don't try and guess what it is on here, that wouldn't help) who uses an 0870. To explain the problem to the editorial team so something can be decided.

Am i about to shout about it everywhere i can - no to be honest - its a balance for me. The BBC is not a profit making company, and it means well, but is misguided on this one, so pressure quietly from within seems to me the best stance.

martin

zcaprd7 · 11 March 2005 at 8:24PM

GeoThermal wrote:

Strange that saynoto0870.com have Google adverts advertising companies selling 0870 numbers!

They can't really help this as google scans the page and tries its best to serve a relevant advert - however I can't believe the site gets much money from these adverts!

They might do better with a Onetel banner?

lipidicman · 14 March 2005 at 11:50AM

MSE_Martin wrote:

Am i about to shout about it everywhere i can - no to be honest - its a balance for me. The BBC is not a profit making company, and it means well, but is misguided on this one, so pressure quietly from within seems to me the best stance.

martin

Its good to know that you are on the case, I agree that you dont need to make a fuss about it if the teams are willing to listen to a discreet discussion!

I understand that the BBC have to fund their info lines, and 0870 seems fine for this, its cheap compared to other information lines. But for phone-ins like 'moneybox live' the calls make the programme what it is, and it is already a cheap way to fill half an hour of publically funded air-time. It is like reality-tv for the radio in this way, much cheaper that a 1/2 hour of drama for example.

I was impressed that working lunch was big enough to highlight this issue and point the finger at the BBC too.

The real issue is changing the marketing of these lines as 'local rate' or 'national rate' . I can see why a company might want/need an 0870 number However, it is clear that many companies think they are doing themselves and their customers a favour using an 0845 line. They don't benefit (unless the perception is it 'looks professional') and it costs us - the only winner is the telecoms companies.

JohalaReewi · 16 March 2005 at 11:28AM

Was surfing the BT site last night and found this

http://www.bt.com/btcom_redirectLink.jsp?action=redirectLink&targetLinkID=PIS_UK_Call_Prices&vStore=1314&obsPage=%2fPricing%2fpis_summary.jsp%3fshowsub%3dPIS_Residential&obsOID=30195&obsType=LINK

Just when I thought all 0870 numbers were charged at the same rate, BT introduce 0870 09, 0870 187 and 0870 188 which are charged at a different rate.

JohalaReewi · 16 March 2005 at 11:37AM

lipidicman wrote:

The real issue is changing the marketing of these lines as 'local rate' or 'national rate' . I can see why a company might want/need an 0870 number However, it is clear that many companies think they are doing themselves and their customers a favour using an 0845 line. They don't benefit (unless the perception is it 'looks professional') and it costs us - the only winner is the telecoms companies.

Too true. Many people who get these numbers for use by their business are under the impression that the caller pays the same as they would for a normal phone call. While this was true a number of years ago, it is not so now but you can still find companies on the internet using this as a sales point. There needs to be a major campaign to educate everybody that 0870 (and 0845 and 0871) calls are more expensive than normal phone calls and are (mostly) not included in any 'inclusive calls' package.

sergeant121 · 16 March 2005 at 12:07PM

JohalaReewi wrote:

Too true. Many people who get these numbers for use by their business are under the impression that the caller pays the same as they would for a normal phone call. While this was true a number of years ago, it is not so now but you can still find companies on the internet using this as a sales point. There needs to be a major campaign to educate everybody that 0870 (and 0845 and 0871) calls are more expensive than normal phone calls and are (mostly) not included in any 'inclusive calls' package.

That applies to some 0844 numbers as well - as many people will find out in the near future when they ring their GP's new 'SurgeryLine' number.

And, in all those cases, the charges from call boxes are considerably more than from a residential landline.

analyst_2 · 23 March 2005 at 4:03PM

On the subject of BBC using 0870 lines, I note that, of all people, the WATCHDOG programme uses an 0870 number too

If you wish to telephone Watchdog, our contact number is:
0870 010 7070

- oooohhh shame on them!

colin_tomlinson · 26 March 2005 at 9:20AM

JohalaReewi wrote:

Was surfing the BT site last night and found this

http://www.bt.com/btcom_redirectLink.jsp?action=redirectLink&targetLinkID=PIS_UK_Call_Prices&vStore=1314&obsPage=%2fPricing%2fpis_summary.jsp%3fshowsub%3dPIS_Residential&obsOID=30195&obsType=LINK

On this page, BT refers to "0870 premium rate services" so could this be the start of some new honesty, at long last?

It's also worth noting that 0845 numbers ARE now charged at the same rates as normal calls - at least from BT. That said, it's only the price per minute that's the same, the calls aren't included in free/5.5p for the first hour deals, etc.

avantra · 27 March 2005 at 3:22AM

I think we should complain to BBC watchdog about the 0870.
Trouble is they use.. 0870 for contacts.

Work is the worst sort of slavery.
Paul Lafargue, (1883).

Say No to 0870!

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