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John Lewis and 0844 numbers
vm2pensioner
Posts: 144 Forumite
in Phones & TV
John Lewis Partnership - the ones with the reputation for customer friendliness - have switched to 0844 numbers to contact the stores. How mean!
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Comments
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Yes its bad. Why cant a business have a normal landline these days. Why do business's expect people (customers) to pay to speak with them?
I think it would be great marketing for any business to write on their adverts "It does not cost money to speak with us on the phone"
You can still email John Lewis https://www.johnlewis.com/contact-us0 -
Interesting as from some point next year they wont be able to use them under this EU law.
Article 21 of Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights will be enacted. It states “ Member States shall ensure that where the trader operates a telephone line for the purpose of contacting him by telephone in relation to the contract concluded, the consumer, when contacting the trader is not bound to pay more than the basic rate.As they cant tell whether you are calling about a past or future sale they will have to revert to basic rate number0 -
the consumer, when contacting the trader is not bound to pay more than the basic rate
But who will decide what 'the basic rate' is? There are so many telecoms providers offering so many packages with different call costs, that there isn't a basic rate.
If, because of this, they decide to set the basic rate at 3p per minute or above, then 0844 numbers can/will still be used.
Unless I'm not reading it correctly, it just seems like another ambiguous law to add to the many we already have?0 -
Just Emailed them stating my disappointment, i await a reply.0
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But who will decide what 'the basic rate' is? There are so many telecoms providers offering so many packages with different call costs, that there isn't a basic rate.
If, because of this, they decide to set the basic rate at 3p per minute or above, then 0844 numbers can/will still be used.
Unless I'm not reading it correctly, it just seems like another ambiguous law to add to the many we already have?
I'm hoping it will be 01, 02 or 03, but that will await to be seen.
CK💙💛 💔0 -
If you can find a local competitor charging less for their 0844 number, won't they match it?
In all seriousness, it's not the best move from someone with such a good rep for CS. But, fact is and it's something many JL fans tend to ignore, their prices on the whole aren't exactly great and I only ever use them when I can get a price match TBH.0 -
CKhalvashi wrote: »I'm hoping it will be 01, 02 or 03, but that will await to be seen.
CK
Good point. Depends how the UK puts it into law, they can make it stricter than the EU law.0 -
david29dpo wrote: »Just Emailed them stating my disappointment, i await a reply.
A reply I had from JL customer services states "The 0844 numbers that we use reflect a move to our centralised contact handling operation and to provide customers with the means to contact us at a standard rate, which is set by the customer's telephone operator, and is the same regardless of the time of day" - ie, higher!
The fact that the same would also be true of 0800, 0845 and 0300 numbers obviously escapes JL; likewise the fact that phone companies (including JL's own brand, through Plusnet) do not generally include 0844 numbers in call packages, and the cost of phoning 0844 from mobiles is prohibitive.0 -
But who will decide what 'the basic rate' is?
The new regulation is very specific. See:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-implementation-of-the-consumer-rights-directive-2011-83-eu
and in particular, section 39 (2) here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226625/bis-13-1111-the-consumer-contracts-information-cancellation-and-additional-payments-regulations-2013.pdf
The new regulation will allow only:
- 01 and 02 numbers,
- mobile numbers (not including 070 etc),
- 080 numbers,
- 03 numbers.
Be aware that various provisons surrounding:
- mobile numbers (reducing their termination rate so that it is on a parity with the landline termination rate - this will allow calls from landlines to mobiles to be included within call packages),
- 080 numbers (making them free from both landlines and mobiles), and
- 03 numbers (defining numbers with a Service Charge as "non-basic", and defining both geographic rate and inclusivity as "basic rate"),
have yet to be put into place by Ofcom.
Draft legislation for this is expected within a few months.0 -
It may be worth noting that the local numbers still work (for now at least).
What a terrible excuse for the change. They still claim to be John Lewis Edinburgh and not a central department when I call.0
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