The SayNoTo0870 Article Discussion Area

I-LOV-MONEY

Heinz wrote: »

There's nothing confusing about the use or publicity of 0370 and 0345 numbers.

0370 and 0345 numbers are direct replacements for previously-used identical 0870 and 0845 numbers (the digit 3 replaces the digit 8 in each case).

Thanks for your quick response.

So are they being charged at a premium rate as 0845 and 0870 would be?

DonnyDave

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

Granted that calls made to 03 numbers are the same as 01 and 02. Why are some organisations (I think of the BBC as a prime example) confusing the issue by giving out numbers eg 0345 and 0370 which suggests they are premium numbers?

The prefixes 034x and 037x have been set aside for direct migration from 084x and 087x, respectively. BBC Information changed from 0870 010 0222 to 0370 010 0222.

Thus, the 034x or 037x prefixed numbers are only available to those who have a 084x and 087x number.

Heinz

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

Thanks for your quick response.

So are they being charged at a premium rate as 0845 and 0870 would be?

No, as you said yourself,

Granted that calls made to 03 numbers are the same as 01 and 02.

I-LOV-MONEY

Heinz wrote: »

No, as you said yourself,

That is the confusion. I think people associate 0x7 and 0x4 calls as premium numbers.

So, as Dave says they are a direct migration; the BBC are very generously allowing those that have to pay for 084 and 087 numbers to have them free or cheaper.

DonnyDave

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

That is the confusion. I think people associate 0x7 and 0x4 calls as premium numbers.

Does this apply to a number that starts 07714 or 01403? I suspect you will say no because the stronger "brand" which is seen when reading these two numbers is that they begin 07 and 01 and that these convey mobile and geographic respectively.

Logically, 03 means a geographic charge (same as 01/02), and thus it follows that 034 and 037 must be. However some probably perceive the higher third digit mean higher cost (as is generally true with 08 numbers) and this is because "03" isn't as widely understood as "01", "02" and "07" are.

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

So, as Dave says they are a direct migration; the BBC are very generously allowing those that have to pay for 084 and 087 numbers to have them free or cheaper.

The BBC decided to replace its 0870 numbers with 03 ones and chose the 0370 migration path. The donation lines for Children in Need and Comic Relief were 0845 and are now 0345.

Heinz

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

That is the confusion. I think people associate 0x7 and 0x4 calls as premium numbers.

Sorry, don't follow that way of thinking (my home number starts 0178 and my sister's starts 0148 and there's no confusion with them).

I-LOV-MONEY

Heinz wrote: »

Sorry, don't follow that way of thinking (my home number starts 0178 and my sister's starts 0148 and there's no confusion with them).

No confusion there, because they both begin with 01. The confusion is that 0845 and 0870 were chargeable NG numbers at a premium rate. They are using the same suffix but with 03 prefix, which means they are charged at the geographical rate.

I-LOV-MONEY

DonnyDave wrote: »

Logically, 03 means a geographic charge (same as 01/02)

We are not all logical !

DonnyDave

I-LOV-MONEY wrote: »

We are not all logical !

What do you suggest as the solution to the problem? You have yet to tell us how you would have done it.

I-LOV-MONEY

DonnyDave wrote: »

What do you suggest as the solution to the problem? You have yet to tell us how you would have done it.

On the basis that probably not many people remember the number for CiN and RND from one year to the next, why not start a completely new number with 03? 0312 345678 for example, presuming all numbers are available.