Will all providers comply with Ofcom's new rules from 1 July 2015?

LazyTyper

Most companies are now moving to 03 numbers, thanks to Consumer Contracts Regulations.

If the company you are calling do not have a 'standard rate' number then they must compensate you for the call. A lot of companies now play a recorded message telling you to hang up and redial an 03 number if you call on their 0845/0870 number.

As a result it's less important for residential packages to include calls to 0845/0870.

Ian011

Nuuk wrote: »

Talktalk has to take the prize though - they are removing 0845 and 0870 calls from the calls packages

Currently when you call an 0845 number your landline or mobile provider has to pay out about 2p per minute to the benefit of the organisation you are calling and their telecoms provider. From 1 July, this will increase to up to 7p per minute (up to £4.20 per hour), the same as for 0843 and 0844 numbers. This is why 0845 will no longer be inclusive.

Revenue sharing was suspended on 0870 numbers in 2009. Currently when you call an 0870 number your provider has to pay out about 0.5p per minute. From 1 July, revenue sharing returns and the payment will increase to up to 13p per minute (up to £7.80 per hour), the same as for 0871 and 0872 numbers. This is why 0870 will no longer be inclusive.

Nuuk wrote: »

I pay Talktalk £5 a month for an 'anytime' calls package that includes 0845/0870 calls. We all need to call these numbers on an increasing basis these days,

You should be calling these numbers less and less these days.

Since 13 June 2014, retailers traders and passenger transport companies have been required to use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers for post sales helplines. Similar regulation will shortly also apply to financial services including banks and insurance companies.

Following Cabinet Office guidance published in December 2013, government departments, their agencies and other public services including local authorities have largely abandoned 0845 numbers in favour of 0300 and 0345 numbers.

084 numbers have been banned throughout the NHS since 2010. A ban on the use of 087 and 09 numbers was put in place in 2005. Lax enforcement means that some cases remain.

From 1 July 2015 all remaining users of 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers are required to declare their Service Charge everywhere their number is advertised. Those who cannot justify this charge must change their number to stop imposing it.

Ofcom has offered a simple migration from 084 to 034 and from 087 to 037 since 2007. Nowadays, there should be almost no need to call 084 or 087 numbers.

Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and on mobiles.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219756
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5220589
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5223890

Nuuk

Well, that's not so bad if 03 numbers are still included in my calls package, and the 0870/0845 are changed to 03XX. Time will tell how things work out, but it does look as though this shake-up has resulted in price increases for those that don't have an inclusive calls deal.

I wonder why Talktalk didn't explain the 03 issue when I made my complaint to them?

Ian011

03 numbers will remain inclusive. It's an Ofcom rule that they have to be included and that rule has been in place since 2007. Ofcom recently confirmed that the only range of non-geographic numbers that will have price parity with calls to 01 and 02 numbers is the range starting 03.

Businesses now have a clear choice of three types of non-geographic numbers to use and clear rules on their pricing:

080 - free call from landlines and mobiles.

030, 033, 034, 037 - calls cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers; for most people this means the call is inclusive on their landline or their mobile.

084, 087, 090, 091, 098 - calls incur an Access Charge paid to the benefit of the caller's landline or mobile provider and a Service Charge paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider.

Clearly, a business that is not offering a chargeable service should not be using a number that imposes a Service Charge on callers.

Ian011

With just over two weeks to go, Zen has now added some information to their website, as has Lyca Mobile.

The other providers listed above have not.

7thfebruary

I have just been emailed by Utility Warehouse regarding the new Ofcom ruling. According to UW they are compelled by the ruling to charge me for 0845 numbers which I am currently getting free of charge. I get them free because I pay £5 per month extra. I cannot see anywhere on the Ofcom web site that says that UW have to charge me extra. I think they are using this ruling in order to charge me more money where they are not required to do so. Is anyone else as angry as I am?

Ian011

Currently when you call an 0845 number your landline or mobile provider has to pay out about 2p per minute to the benefit of the organisation you are calling and their telecoms provider. From 1 July, this will increase to up to 7p per minute (up to £4.20 per hour), the same as for 0843 and 0844 numbers. This is why 0845 will no longer be inclusive.


'Essential services' have been directed to use 03 numbers in place of 084 and 087 numbers. This includes government departments and their agencies and other bodies across the wider public sector landscape as well as NHS services including GPs.

Regulation from BIS covers post sales helplines for retailers, traders and passenger transport services. The FCA will shortly publish similar regulation for the financial sector.

There should be almost no need to call 084 and 087 numbers.

Ypaymore

7thfebruary wrote: »

I have just been emailed by Utility Warehouse regarding the new Ofcom ruling. According to UW they are compelled by the ruling to charge me for 0845 numbers which I am currently getting free of charge. I get them free because I pay £5 per month extra. I cannot see anywhere on the Ofcom web site that says that UW have to charge me extra. I think they are using this ruling in order to charge me more money where they are not required to do so. Is anyone else as angry as I am?

Your only allowed by MSE to discuss that company here:in this dedicated thread.https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2473547

You pay £5 for inclusive peak 01/02/03 and 0845/0870 calls.They are included at no extra charge at evenings and weekends. Like Talk Talk and others they have decided not to include them as explained.They dont have their own network they mainly use Talk Talk.

Ian011

With just ten days to go until the deadline, most of the networks listed in the first post of this thread still have nothing on their website about the forthcoming changes.

Post Office home phone has a section in the home phone FAQ briefly mentioning the changes and referring the reader to another page for further information. That other page does not have any such information.

Utility Warehouse has no announcement on their website. They have simply amended their price list for 'summer 2015' with no explanation of what has changed. It doesn't even mention the 1 July start date.

Zen has a small announcement about the changes. On the same page they also detail their Access Charge as (quote) *ppm in one place and (quote) 8ppp in another. Almost a week after the announcement was made, the typos remain.

Lyca Mobile now has a clear announcement and also states their Access Charge will be 23p per minute.

thewinelake

I wonder why Ofcom didn't cap the access charge to the cost of calling a geographic number (and eligible for inclusive calls allowance)?

The notion of telcos charging such wildly varying rates have turned this into a complete fiasco. TalkTalk - 7p/minute?!!

BT seem to be saying that they'll not even publish the access charge until July 1st!

Also, 08 numbers will take ages to disappear - particularly financial services companies. And also, some suppliers regard themselves as being B2B and hence exempt - not great news for small businesses.

Telcos that charge extortionate access fees should be named and shamed, with their customers being urged to use various forms of indirect access to save money.