The SayNoTo0870 Article Discussion Area

Truepat

Heinz wrote: »

This is getting silly now.

I do not think so
I went back and re-read a lot of this thread
I really do not think that there is as much clear water between different peoples opinions, some people are just allowing themselves to become entrenched in their 'cause'

Is it not a case that there is a time and a place for everything including 08 numbers
Just as long as it is transparent
The only problem is that it is impossible to legislate against customer stupidity and ignorance through laziness

bbb_uk

Bunking_off,

I've always agreed there are legitimate reasons for the popular use of 08x numbers.

It's not just price transparency that needs to be sorted but the fact is that as a consumer I believe I have the right to know if I'm ringing a premium rate number (ie the company called is receiving revenue from the call).

I do also think that some companies were mislead into thinking 0845/0870 is just local/national (even now most CPs still claim this) and therefore they're helping their customers and at same time more than likely gaining revenue. This is a complete and utter lie and has been for many years now.

However, you can't really say for sure that all uses of 084x/087x numbers is to help pay for call centre when you see one man companies using these numbers as well. In fact, I recently saw what looked like a one man company van (I'd never heard of them and I live in same area) that gave a 070 personal number costing over 30p/min but stating it was a mobile. Now, although revenue sharing is not meant to be possible on 070 for the person/end company using the 070, there are ways around this like Patientline have done.

Really though, you could in a round about way say that companies using an 08x number are possibly making more profit simply because the money from the calls that may be used to off-set call centres costs therefore increases profit for the company that they would otherwise have to pay from elsewhere which could mean loss of profit and/or increase in cost of service, etc.

You have to admit the temptation of being able to receive money from people calling you without them, in most cases, knowing is the reason why these numbers have taken off so much with the exception of 0845 simply because a lot of companies using these numbers are just in for the network features and many don't receive revenue from the calls at all. However, the use of 087x is clearly to receive money.

You have agreed in the past yourself that if we had two companies competing with each other, selling same products, etc at same price, etc however one company uses an 0871 and one uses an 09x costing 10p/min, that it is obvious that most consumers would ring 0871 simply because they're not aware that they're ringing a premium rate number even though it would most likely be cheaper ringing the premium rate 09x number.

theloft

How anyone can argue that these rip-off 0870/71 numbers are justified to help with company costs is either misguided or talking arrogant nonsense. It might be justified if the "call-centre" we are paying for answered the phone promptly and efficiently but, oh no! we get all the ususal menu choices, tinny music etc. all while we are paying per minute and then we are told - "all our operatives are busy, you are being held in a queue" or similar. A few decent companies still use 0800 and a few still give their landline number, good for them and I will use this type of company whenever I can.

Newbold

theloft wrote: »

How anyone can argue that these rip-off 0870/71 numbers are justified to help with company costs is either misguided or talking arrogant nonsense. It might be justified if the "call-centre" we are paying for answered the phone promptly and efficiently but, oh no! we get all the ususal menu choices, tinny music etc. all while we are paying per minute and then we are told - "all our operatives are busy, you are being held in a queue" or similar. A few decent companies still use 0800 and a few still give their landline number, good for them and I will use this type of company whenever I can.

Spot on!!!

DonnyDave

theloft wrote: »

How anyone can argue that these rip-off 0870/71 numbers are justified to help with company costs is either misguided or talking arrogant nonsense. …

Indeed. Broadly speaking, the call charge rates for these numbers (particularly with 0845/0870) have been arrived at by BT's 'pre-competition' rates. Telcos who 'sell' them to companies have no interest in driving down the cost of the call that the caller pays.

See my post on Say No To 0870 here.

suzysweet_2

What annoys me about premium rate numbers especially Littlewoods catalouge is you phone them and after 3 mins+ of options it says "sorry we are busy please call back later" surley these companies cannot charge these rates for you to listen to options?
Since hearing about saynoto0870 my phone bill has reduced by a lot.

scheming_gypsy

theloft wrote: »

It might be justified if the "call-centre" we are paying for answered the phone promptly and efficiently but, oh no! we get all the ususal menu choices, tinny music etc. all while we are paying per minute and then we are told - "all our operatives are busy, you are being held in a queue" or similar.

so do you want them to employ more staff who may sit around doing nothing for x amount of time and use an 09** number charging £1.50 a minute to cover the employees costs?
or are you one of the misguided who think that call centres just keep you on hold for longer to get more money from you?

theloft

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

so do you want them to employ more staff who may sit around doing nothing for x amount of time and use an 09** number charging £1.50 a minute to cover the employees costs?
or are you one of the misguided who think that call centres just keep you on hold for longer to get more money from you?

Employ more staff if necessary to deal with their own CUSTOMERS - YES, but why does it have to be an 09** number, if it was a standard geographic number and the number was engaged, the calling costs would be zero.
Or have you got an axe to grind ?

Truepat

theloft wrote: »

Employ more staff if necessary to deal with their own CUSTOMERS - YES, but why does it have to be an 09** number, if it was a standard geographic number and the number was engaged, the calling costs would be zero.
Or have you got an axe to grind ?

A possibility
How are you going to put together a cost benefit for the additional staffing overheads though?
Where are you going to get additional revenue from to pay for them?


Another simple example
PC World uses a high rate premium line for support
Should they make that a freephone number and then charge another £50-100 on the retail price of a PC or another £20 for a printer whether or not you use it?
Not very MSE

bbb_uk

Not sure if this has been mentioned but someone has started a petition with regards to surgeries using 0844 costing 5p/min (from a BT landline but potentially upto 40p/min from some mobile networks) to ring surgeries and according to the telephone number suppliers website, surgeries can make money as well from the call.

The petition can be found here and is discussed on SayNo here.