Government Bans 084 & 087 Numbers for Customer Enquiries & Complaints

DragonQ

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23590778

Looks like SayNoTo0870 might be redundant by next summer. Calls to customer services departments should be free or come out of inclusive minutes for mobile users from 13th June 2014.

084/087 numbers can still be used for sales. I wish Ofcom would hurry up with their proposal to make 0800 numbers free from mobiles.

d123

If you look into it you'll notice a lot of companies already running 03xx numbers in tandem to the 08xx in anticipation of the new Regulation.

OFCOM even allocated 0345 number range on the basis that an 0845 owner could be granted the same number with just the 8 changing to 3.

Of course the greedy companies will run the 08xx numbers until the very last day to squeeze the last penny of profit out of the scheme.

Coopdivi

It's a misleading title because, as your link says, '...the changes will not affect government departments' helplines'. So, if you're on the dole for example, you're still going to be stung when you ring up about an employment opportunity.

Also a lot of foreign websites, including a lot of extremely dubious ones, use 0844/0845 numbers as redirects. How are they going to be policed?

Stuart_W

Under new legislation, companies will be prevented from charging more than the rate for a call to a mobile or local landline number.

But most of the major mobile operators have been hiking their standard out-of-bundle per minute rates to the 35p or 40p per minute mark.

No longer ripped off for just 0845 and 0844 calls - ripped off for all calls instead.

Is there an explicit stipulation that calls must be included in bundles/allowances? If not, it's a waste of time, unless you're on a low standard per minute rate, like Three's 3p per minute for all landline and mobile calls on PAYG. Most contracts are 35p/40p per minute for a standard call if they're not in the bundle/allowance.

DragonQ

d123 wrote: »

If you look into it you'll notice a lot of companies already running 03xx numbers in tandem to the 08xx in anticipation of the new Regulation.

OFCOM even allocated 0345 number range on the basis that an 0845 owner could be granted the same number with just the 8 changing to 3.

Of course the greedy companies will run the 08xx numbers until the very last day to squeeze the last penny of profit out of the scheme.

But few companies advertise geographic numbers, and when they do, it's usually described as "for those abroad", which is misleading.

Stuart_W wrote: »

But most of the major mobile operators have been hiking their standard out-of-bundle per minute rates to the 35p or 40p per minute mark.

No longer ripped off for just 0845 and 0844 calls - ripped off for all calls instead.

Is there an explicit stipulation that calls must be included in bundles/allowances? If not, it's a waste of time, unless you're on a low standard per minute rate, like Three's 3p per minute for all landline and mobile calls on PAYG. Most contracts are 35p/40p per minute for a standard call if they're not in the bundle/allowance.

AFAIK all mobile contracts' included minutes are for 01/02/03 geographic numbers as well as 07 mobile numbers. Can't see that changing to be honest.

jhp

Dont get too excited what they dont tell you is their are many exceptions.

This Directive shall not apply to contracts:

(a) for social services, including social housing, childcare and support of families and persons permanently or temporarily in need, including long-term care;
(b) for healthcare as defined in point (a) of Article 3 of Directive 2011/24/EU, whether or not they are provided via healthcare facilities;

(c) for gambling, which involves wagering a stake with pecuniary value in games of chance, including lotteries, casino games and betting transactions;EN 22.11.2011 Official Journal of the European Union L 304/73

(d)for financial services;

(e) for the creation, acquisition or transfer of immovable property or of rights in immovable property;

(f) for the construction of new buildings, the substantial conversion of existing buildings and for rental of accommodation
for residential purposes;

(g) which fall within the scope of Council Directive 90/314/EEC of 13 June 1990 on package travel, package holidays and package tours ( 1 );

(h) which fall within the scope of Directive 2008/122/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 January 2009 on the protection of consumers in respect of certain aspects of timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and exchange contracts ( 2 );

(i) which, in accordance with the laws of Member States, are established by a public office-holder who has a statutory obligation to be independent and impartial and who must ensure, by providing comprehensive legal information, that the consumer only concludes the contract on the basis of careful legal consideration and with knowledge of its legal scope;

(j) for the supply of foodstuffs, beverages or other goods intended for current consumption in the household, and which are physically supplied by a trader on frequent and regular rounds to the consumer’s home, residence or workplace;

(k) for passenger transport services, with the exception of Article 8(2) and Articles 19 and 22;

(l) concluded by means of automatic vending machines or automated commercial premises;

(m) concluded with telecommunications operators through public payphones for their use or concluded for the use of one single connection by telephone, Internet or fax established by a consumer.

See: http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1345459700/16#16

Kite2010

So what areas are covered by the ban?