The SayNoTo0870 Article Discussion Area

Lugh_Chronain

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I was on saynoto0870.com earlier and spotted this:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/saynoto0870/

hurrah

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=196836&page=6

bunking_off

Notice the wording of it is;

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to compel all organizations using non-geographic numbers (e.g. 0845, 087* prefixes) to also publicize an equivalent geographic number (e.g. 01* / 02* prefixes) where they can be reached (and which can usually be called more cheaply than an 0845 / 087* number)."

Now, if the wording was to compel organisations which are publicly funded not to use 08 numbers, then I might have signed. However, to ask government to interfere in commercial relationships between businesses and their customers is ludicrous. What next? Should I put a petition on there asking the PM to mandate that Tesco provide free beans, Man Utd let me in Old Trafford for free and Barclays not charge for credit?

If you don't like that e.g. your bank uses an 0870 number, choose one that doesn't. Unfortunately, with public bodies you don't have that choice, which is why the petition would have been fine if aimed at the right target.

hot-ice

Girlfriends daughter moved house and had a problem with the new meter, girlfriend phoned British gas and was on hold for 45 minutes (i was out at the time) when i came back she told me the situation and i used saynoto0870 ,within 30 seconds i was through to a customer service employee i put the phone down and redialled (on a mobile) again straight through so girlfriend put down the phone and dialed the number i gave her ,straight through again, problem solved.
daughter had spent £7 on phone calls(mobile, no landline) trying to get through, misses spent 45 minutes with no luck, i emailed british gas three times as to how this could happen and i don't expect you'd be surprised to hear i have had no response ,just talked the daughter into leaving britsh gas

Victors_Bruvver

hot-ice wrote:

Girlfriends daughter moved house and had a problem with the new meter, girlfriend phoned British gas and was on hold for 45 minutes (i was out at the time) when i came back she told me the situation and i used saynoto0870 ,within 30 seconds i was through to a customer service employee i put the phone down and redialled (on a mobile) again straight through so girlfriend put down the phone and dialed the number i gave her ,straight through again, problem solved.
daughter had spent £7 on phone calls(mobile, no landline) trying to get through, misses spent 45 minutes with no luck, i emailed british gas three times as to how this could happen and i don't expect you'd be surprised to hear i have had no response ,just talked the daughter into leaving britsh gas

I suggest that you write or email BG complaints department, the postal address is I think shown on their bill if you have one to hand. Repeat one for word what you have said here about hanging on and the total cost of the calls and then copy it to both Watchdog & the energy regulator, Ofgen?. Just make sure that the copy to BG shows that you are copyng it to Watchdog & Ofgen and then sit back and wait for the phone call offering some compensation!!

DonnyDave

The discussion thread on Say no to 0870 about this is here. It is gaining signatures by the hour since Daniel put a message about it on the home and search pages of Say no to 0870.

I agree with bunking_off's comments, but it will help bring this to the attention of the media. I'm sure that journalists look at the Petitions website and in particular, those that have many signatures.

Whilst another petition could be created, it would mean that efforts would be spread between both. Will those who've signed the current one sign another one?

Lugh_Chronain

I would definitely sign another petition even if it just meant bringing the issue more to the attention of the media. Hopefully then this might put more pressure on Ofcom to act on this.

bunking_off

I'm not sure what more is expected of Ofcom, to be honest.

There's regulation going through which will make it mandatory for 0870 to be charged at max geographic rate of the telecoms provider involved, unless a pre-announcement is made. Because no-one will implement that announcement, it means that 0870 will be geographic national rate and defacto there'll no longer be any revenue share on these numbers.

Companies using 0870 numbers have a number of options;

- stick on 0870 and lose their revenue share (in fact, it could well be that they'll have to pay to receive the calls...depends how fancy their call-plan is whether geographic termination rates will cover the cost).
- move to the new 03 range...commercial implications as 0870, but with a number change thrown in for good measure, or
- move to another 08 range (e.g. 0844, 0871) which will be at a retail price point that'll allow for the revenue share...some of these fall under ICSTIS regulation but that isn't vastly onerous.

All of the above is, as far as I know, happening, but there has to be a transition period to allow companies to make/implement the decision they make (can't recall what it is off the top of my head...months rather than years). Will be interesting to see what happens, but my bet is that the saynoto0870 crew won't get their way, because I believe most companies will opt for the third option above. Admittedly, a different number being used means an end to the "calls cost national rate" confusion around 0870, but this could equally have been done via advertising standards without meaning a lot of companies have to change their number....the cost of this has to come from somewhere, and ultimately it's our pockets.

Lugh_Chronain

I’d forgotten about that, your first point that is. My impression was that Ofcom may have been influenced through lobbying by the companies that provide 08 numbers.

It does seem pointless in companies further providing 08 numbers if regulation goes through which will make it mandatory for 0870 to be charged at max geographic rate. I agree with you that the saynoto0870 crew WON’T get their way because I think that it’s highly unlikely that companies will agree to the first option, hence the reason for me thinking that companies have influenced Ofcom. Too many vested interests would be out of pocket as mentioned by jimjim on saynoto0870.

Heinz

bunking_off wrote:

All of the above is, as far as I know, happening, but there has to be a transition period to allow companies to make/implement the decision they make (can't recall what it is off the top of my head...months rather than years).

1 February 2008 - 364 days away.