Calls cost Xp/min from BT landlines, other providers and mobiles may charge more

Ian011

"Calls cost Xp per minute from a BT landline. Other providers and mobiles may charge more".

As of 1 July 2015, this form of words, or anything vaguely similar, may no longer be used to describe the cost of calling 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.

Instead, the service provider must state the Service Charge that applies to their number and mention that the caller's provider will add an Access Charge.

http://www.ukcalling.info/industry

The recommended form of words is:
"Calls cost Xp [per minute] [per call] plus your phone provider's Access Charge".
or similar. Depending on where you look, some examples substitute "phone company" or "network" in place of "phone provider".

If you see (or hear) the old form of words with a BT call price being used on a TV (or radio) broadcast, this breach of The Broadcast Code can be reported directly to Ofcom.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code/

Elsewhere, such as on a website, promotional email, leaflet, brochure, print-media advert, etc, the breach can be reported directly to either the Advertising Standards Authority (for all 084 numbers and for 087 numbers with a Service Charge of up to 7p per minute or per call) or to PhonepayPlus (for 087 numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute or per call and for all 09 and 118 numbers).

http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-08-numbers-General.aspx

Likewise, where a declaration of price is completely missing, the above organisations are also responsible for enforcement.

notbritishgas

I followed a lorry today and on the back as well as advertising the business there was a contact number 0870xxxxx.
Should it have included the cost?

Ian011

Yes. There should be some sort of statement about the cost. It doesn't matter if it's an 084, 087, 09 or 118 number, they are all now subject to the same rules on call cost declaration.

If the Service Charge for that 0870 number is more than 7p per minute or per call, then it's already a Controlled Premium Rate Service and subject to additional PhonepayPlus regulation.