The SayNoTo0870 Article Discussion Area

henzerani

Suzy_Babe wrote: »

... there are times when I could not get alternative 0870 or 0845 numbers, and - for the sake of speed - I could not take the 'write a letter' route, so I HAD to pay the ridiculously-high charges.

However, we have a Virgin Media 'phone/tv/broadband package, and were contacted last week to see if we wanted an 'add on' which would give us 250 minutes per month of 0870 (but not 0871) and 0845 (but not 0844) telephone numbers, for a monthly cost of £2.

Were you contacted as part of a sales drive and did you have to upgrade to anything else? I have a Virgin phone. It effectively comes free with the subscription. 08 numbers are all we use it for as we use mobiles for everything else. A £2 subscription would save us £4 a month.

CAHA

Friends of ours sent us some Vue gift vouchers to say thank you for something we had done for them. We were really touched by the gesture and we still are but really cheesed off with Vue because to use the vouchers we have to activate them via an 0870 number. There is no alternative neither is there any mention of having to use an income generating telephone number on the gift card section of their web site. I have contacted Vue Customer Services and their response is equally disappointing :-
Please be advised that, for security purposes, Gift Cards that are purchased via our website are sent to the recipient in an inactive state. This is so that they cannot be used in the unlikely event that any Gift Cards are lost or stolen whilst in the postal system. Once the Gift Card is received, the recipient must then call our Gift Card activation line in order to activate the card, at which point the pre-paid credit is loaded onto the card to use at the cinema.I am sorry to learn that this method is not a desirable way to activate a Gift Card, and please be assured that your comments will be addressed with senior management for future consideration on improvements to our services wherever possible. Please note, however, that currently, the only way to activate a Gift Card is via the telephone line found on the sticker attached to the Gift Card upon receiving it.

This is an unacceptable response considering the many different methods that are available these days and I am saddened that a company that I previously held in some regard can use such an underhand and deceitful way to generate income.

derrick

CAHA wrote: »

Friends of ours sent us some Vue gift vouchers to say thank you for something we had done for them. We were really touched by the gesture and we still are but really cheesed off with Vue because to use the vouchers we have to activate them via an 0870 number. There is no alternative neither is there any mention of having to use an income generating telephone number on the gift card section of their web site. I have contacted Vue Customer Services and their response is equally disappointing :-
Please be advised that, for security purposes, Gift Cards that are purchased via our website are sent to the recipient in an inactive state. This is so that they cannot be used in the unlikely event that any Gift Cards are lost or stolen whilst in the postal system. Once the Gift Card is received, the recipient must then call our Gift Card activation line in order to activate the card, at which point the pre-paid credit is loaded onto the card to use at the cinema.I am sorry to learn that this method is not a desirable way to activate a Gift Card, and please be assured that your comments will be addressed with senior management for future consideration on improvements to our services wherever possible. Please note, however, that currently, the only way to activate a Gift Card is via the telephone line found on the sticker attached to the Gift Card upon receiving it.

This is an unacceptable response considering the many different methods that are available these days and I am saddened that a company that I previously held in some regard can use such an underhand and deceitful way to generate income.

Put Vue into the company search box HERE, there are plenty of geo alternatives.

Vue seem to have gone over to 0871 numbers, as most of the verified & unverified geo numbers are from 0871.


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I-LOV-MONEY

I realise this is not much help, but when you ring, how do they know it is 'you', and not somebody that has 'found' the cards in the postal system ? Is there some personal information that your friends may have given them ?

CAHA wrote: »

Please be advised that, for security purposes, Gift Cards that are purchased via our website are sent to the recipient in an inactive state. This is so that they cannot be used in the unlikely event that any Gift Cards are lost or stolen whilst in the postal system. Once the Gift Card is received, the recipient must then call our Gift Card activation line in order to activate the card, at which point the pre-paid credit is loaded onto the card to use at the cinema.I am sorry to learn that this method is not a desirable way to activate a Gift Card, and please be assured that your comments will be addressed with senior management for future consideration on improvements to our services wherever possible. Please note, however, that currently, the only way to activate a Gift Card is via the telephone line found on the sticker attached to the Gift Card upon receiving it.

OldGreyFox

CAHA wrote: »

really cheesed off with Vue because to use the vouchers we have to activate them via an 0870 number. There is no alternative neither is there any mention of having to use an income generating telephone number on the gift card section of their web site.

Ofcom stopped income generation/ revenue sharing on 0870 numbers over 2 years ago,and networks were instructed then to not charge more for calls to 0870 then to geographic 01/02/3 numbers ,and to include 0870 calls in call packages on the same basis as geographic calls.

derrick

OldGreyFox wrote: »

Ofcom stopped income generation/ revenue sharing on 0870 numbers over 3 years ago,and networks were instructed then to not charge more for calls to 0870 then to geographic 01/02/3 numbers ,and to include 0870 calls in call packages on the same basis as geographic calls.

The only part of that statement that is true is the stopping of revenue sharing.


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OldGreyFox

derrick wrote: »

The only part of that statement that is true is the stopping of revenue sharing.


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So when Ofcom said "Ofcom has introduced new rules for 0870 calls that come into effect from 1 August 2009. These are designed to encourage communications providers to charge 0870 calls at the same rate as calls to geographic number rates (01, 02 or 03 numbers) i.e. charged at the same pence-per-minute rates and included in communications providers’ call packages price plans on the same basis as geographic calls. " it didnt work out then ?

Heinz

The word 'encourage' is the relevant part of that statement.

Ofcom mandated that 03 charges must be the same as 01/02 charges but the 0870 aspect was left (typically of Ofcom) for each provider to decide.

derrick

OldGreyFox wrote: »

So when Ofcom said "Ofcom has introduced new rules for 0870 calls that come into effect from 1 August 2009. These are designed to encourage communications providers to charge 0870 calls at the same rate as calls to geographic number rates (01, 02 or 03 numbers) i.e. charged at the same pence-per-minute rates and included in communications providers’ call packages price plans on the same basis as geographic calls. " it didnt work out then ?

That is correct, as Heinz says, Ofcom only "encouraged", no mandatory term was used. Try and find a mobile network that allows 0870 at the same rate as 01/02/03 numbers or includes them in bundles, check out landline suppliers, (excluding BT as they are regulated differently), and you will see that they all charge more for calls to 0870 than to 01/02/03.


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zagfles

derrick wrote: »

That is correct, as Heinz says, Ofcom only "encouraged", no mandatory term was used. Try and find a mobile network that allows 0870 at the same rate as 01/02/03 numbers or includes them in bundles, check out landline suppliers, (excluding BT as they are regulated differently), and you will see that they all charge more for calls to 0870 than to 01/02/03.


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TalkTalk don't, they change exactly the same for 0870/0845 as for 01/02/03 numbers, and include them in inclusive/free calls. I thought all landline providers did?

My works mobile also charges same for 0845/0870 as 01/02/03 numbers.