TalkTalk 0845 Ripoff

PaddyW

TalkTalk used to provide free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers but are now using the new rules about more transparent charging costs to end this free service. I contacted them to complain and their line was almost that they had to follow this new approach. What nonsense. MSE should start a campaign were we write to all the CEOs of companies that use these numbers to complain. Santander's emergency number for example is 0844 and this just seems to me to be bizarre. TalkTalk will now charge me 5p per minute to talk to them if there is an emergency plus Santander also charges 5.2p per minute. My 15 minute call will now cost me £1.53 or £3.78 if the call is made from a TalkTalk mobile. I have pasted the extract from the TalkTalk website for your convenience. Notice that they omit to mention that using these numbers was previously free.
Many banks have stopped using 0845 because of this transparency rule and we need to take action to put pressure on those who stick with this ripoff.
PaddyW

Service Numbers

Numbers beginning 084 and 087 are general service numbers for contacting organisations. Those beginning 09 are premium rate service numbers, while those beginning 118 are directory enquiry numbers.

From 1 July 2015, the cost of calling any of these numbers will be split into two parts:

The Access Charge: This is what TalkTalk charge you, per minute, for connecting the call. This charge is 5 pence per minute from your TalkTalk landline and 20 pence per minute from your TalkTalk mobile.

The Service Charge: This is the rest of the call charge. The organisation you are calling will tell you how much this is.

Adding the above two charges will give you the exact cost of your call.

joe134

PaddyW wrote: »

TalkTalk used to provide free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers but are now using the new rules about more transparent charging costs to end this free service. I contacted them to complain and their line was almost that they had to follow this new approach. What nonsense. MSE should start a campaign were we write to all the CEOs of companies that use these numbers to complain. Santander's emergency number for example is 0844 and this just seems to me to be bizarre. TalkTalk will now charge me 5p per minute to talk to them if there is an emergency plus Santander also charges 5.2p per minute. My 15 minute call will now cost me £1.53 or £3.78 if the call is made from a TalkTalk mobile. I have pasted the extract from the TalkTalk website for your convenience. Notice that they omit to mention that using these numbers was previously free.
Many banks have stopped using 0845 because of this transparency rule and we need to take action to put pressure on those who stick with this ripoff.
PaddyW

Service Numbers

Numbers beginning 084 and 087 are general service numbers for contacting organisations. Those beginning 09 are premium rate service numbers, while those beginning 118 are directory enquiry numbers.

From 1 July 2015, the cost of calling any of these numbers will be split into two parts:

The Access Charge: This is what TalkTalk charge you, per minute, for connecting the call. This charge is 5 pence per minute from your TalkTalk landline and 20 pence per minute from your TalkTalk mobile.

The Service Charge: This is the rest of the call charge. The organisation you are calling will tell you how much this is.

Adding the above two charges will give you the exact cost of your call.

For what it's worth, you've my vote, I too am in the same boat, I've put a piece of paper by my phone, NO 0845,0870,0844, numbers, kids et.al, always using it, because it is/was free, part of my package.Now, I will have to use " no to 0870" every time it arises.my doctors still have 0845,et.al Been with Aol,TT donkeys years.:D

Ian011

When you call an 0845 number, your landline or mobile provider has to pay the organisation that you are speaking to and their telecoms provider. From 1 July 2015 this fee will be up to £4.20 per hour, the same as for 0843 and 0844 numbers. This is why the calls cannot be inclusive.

Your complaint should be made to the organisation that is making you pay a Service Charge for speaking to them. The FCA will shortly publish regulations banning financial service companies from using this type of number. Retailers, traders and passenger transport companies are already banned from using them for post sales helplines.

GP contracts were amended in 2005 to ban the use of 087 and 09 numbers and in 2010 to ban the use of 084 numbers. Usage of expensive numbers should have ended five years ago.

Ofcom originally made replacement 034 and 037 numbers available in 2007. Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and mobiles. Many organisations have made this move in the last couple of years and many more will follow.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219756
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5220589
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5223890
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5261203

Ypaymore

Talk Talk are apparently increaseing the 5p a minute landline access charge again sometime in August 2015.

https://planet-numbers.co.uk/news/phone-operators-access-charges-from-1st-july-2015/

When you say emergency number i assume you mean one of the card support protection emergency numbers EG: 0844 848 2914.

The 5.2p a minute rates you quote above are the old rates. Santander will have to declare the access charge by 1/7/2015 if they dont change it to a 01/02/03 or 0800/0808 number.

http://www.santander.co.uk/uk/help-support/contact-us/call-charge-
information

https://www.ukcalling.info

joe134

Ypaymore wrote: »

Talk Talk are apparently increaseing the 5p a minute landline access charge again sometime in August 2015.

https://planet-numbers.co.uk/news/phone-operators-access-charges-from-1st-july-2015/

When you say emergency number i assume you mean one of the card support protection emergency numbers EG: 0844 848 2914.

The 5.2p a minute rates you quote above are the old rates. Santander will have to declare the access charge by 1/7/2015 if they dont change it to a 01/02/03 or 0800/0808 number.

http://www.santander.co.uk/uk/help-support/contact-us/call-charge-
information

https://www.ukcalling.info

is this across the board with all providers, on the same date?

Ian011

All landline and mobile providers have to change to the new call charge system on 1 July 2015.
See: http://ukcalling.info/.

With just two weeks to go, a number of landline and mobile providers still have nothing on their website about the change.
See: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5252399.
Several others still haven't declared their Access Charge.

All users of 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers must declare their Service Charge from 1 July 2015. Those who cannot justify this charge must change their number to stop imposing it.

teddysmum

Many businesses, including banks, have changed the 8 for a 3, so 0345 etc which are inclusive in call packages.

PaddyW

I received a telephone call from TalkTalk today about my complaint. She told me that their customers had accepted the new approach to charging for the 0845 numbers as it was designed to improve the service. You can imagine my response. It seems that if people don't complain it means they are happy with the change.

She also said that this was a business decision and they could not change it. I told her that all business decisions can be changed and that is why I wanted my complaint to be passed to the CEO who has the power to initiate change.

I think this matter should be taken up by MSE as a campaign as we will not be able to change things individually. They have provided standardised or template letters for other good causes and they should do the same for this one. Every time I deal with a company that provides an 0845 or 0870 number I am going to send them a pre prepared email setting out my complaint.. I really hated being ripped off and 0845 numbers are the equivalent of picking my pocket and that is why I am so annoyed by it,
PaddyW

Ian011

The whole point of the re-organisation is that businesses who want their customers to be able to call them using inclusive minutes on a landline or mobile select a number starting 034 (such as 0345) or 037 (such as 0370) or select a number that is completely free to call (080). Those who are providing a chargeable service paid for as the call is being made (such as sports results and horoscopes, competitions, voting on a TV show, etc), select a number starting 084 (such as 0845), 087 (such as 0870) or 09 (such as 0904) and declare the Service Charge wherever their number is advertised.

It is only right that the caller that called the chargeable service pays the Service Charge that was incurred. If TalkTalk has to pay out up to £7.80 per hour to the organisations that you call, why are you expecting other TalkTalk customers to pay for the calls you made? These calls cannot be inclusive.

For far too long, businesses have used 084 and 087 numbers for inappropriate purposes such as customer services, etc, receiving subsidy from callers all the while pretending these numbers are cheap to call. The forthcoming requirement to declare the Service Charge reveals the truth.

Regulations introduced in June 2014 mean that these numbers can no longer be used for customer services. Banks have largely stopped using them. Government departments and public services are phasing them out.

The forthcoming requirement to declare the Service Charge should be a wake-up call to all those who use these numbers for sales lines and pre-sales enquiry lines. Continuing to use them for these purposes will be sending a clear message to potential customers to take their business elsewhere.

Rather than campaign about the cost of calling 0845 and 0870 numbers - they are supposed to cost the same as calling 0843, 0844, 0871 and 0872 numbers - it is time to ask businesses that use them to justify and declare the Service Charge, else change their number to stop imposing it. The migration from 084 to 034 and from 087 to 037 has been available since 2007. Businesses now need to take it.



See also
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5219756
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5220589
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5223890
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5261203

Big_John_246

You can always have a look at this web-site which gives you Alternative Telephone Numbers to contact at the same company. :T

I use it all the time and 8 times out of ten I will find a normal land line number. :rotfl:

http://www.saynoto0870.com

poppasmurf_bewdley

joe134 wrote: »

For what it's worth, you've my vote, I too am in the same boat, I've put a piece of paper by my phone, NO 0845,0870,0844, numbers, kids et.al, always using it, because it is/was free, part of my package.Now, I will have to use " no to 0870" every time it arises.my doctors still have 0845,et.al Been with Aol,TT donkeys years.:D

Surely, your Doctor is acting illegally by having an 0845 number? Haven't they all been instructed by the NHS that they must not use these premium rate numbers?