London Bombings - Profit oppertunity from the misery of others

1connect

Is it just me? or it it totaly unacceptable for the main information line to be a 0870 number where 50% of the revenue of this 9p+ per minute call is "kicked back as profit" to someones pocket or balance sheet.

What justification can there be for making money out of the misery of others in such circumstances?

Shouldn't this line be a normal geographical number, or even free (0800) and funded ultimatley by central government?


This is the [url="http://Media Quote: <br /> "Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on <b>0870 1566 344</b>."&quot;]Media Quote Sky news + other news channels + tabloids printed and broadcast[/url]

[url="http://Media Quote: <br /> "Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on <b>0870 1566 344</b>."&quot;]Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on 0870 1566 344.[/url]



Personaly I find it distastefull insensetive and pretty disgusting.

So it it just me - or is this totaly out of order?

1connect

Petal_3

I completely agree! What do we do about it?

worldtraveller

1connect wrote:

Is it just me? or it it totaly unacceptable for the main information line to be a 0870 number where 50% of the revenue of this 9p+ per minute call is "kicked back as profit" to someones pocket or balance sheet.

What justification can there be for making money out of the misery of others in such circumstances?

Shouldn't this line be a normal geographical number, or even free (0800) and funded ultimatley by central government?


This is the [url="http://media quote: <br /> "Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on <b>0870 1566 344</b>."&quot;]Media Quote Sky news + other news channels + tabloids printed and broadcast[/url]

[url="http://media quote: <br /> "Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on <b>0870 1566 344</b>."&quot;]Friends and relatives worried about loved ones can call the casualty helpline on 0870 1566 344.[/url]



Personaly I find it distastefull insensetive and pretty disgusting.

So it it just me - or is this totaly out of order?

1connect

I noticed this as well as probably a lot of other MSE users and you beat me to the post. I really cannot understand it either and also find it disgusting, unless someone can enlighten me as to a reasonable explanation.

Also heard on the radio this morning that people were reporting that some hotels had doubled their "normal" rates yesterday.

Also see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4662809.stm

If this is the case then I find this very sad indeed and maybe a sign of what our once fair city has developed into.:(

IvanOpinion

Is it possible that the charge will simply cover the staffing and other costs related to providing information? I doubt if anyone will be profitting from it - I am guessing that they will bring in a load of additional people to help staff the lines, gather and collate information, data entry etc. these may be 'volunteers' or could be staff that have to be paid overtime.

On the other hand we can always wat for Michael Moore to do one of his 'documentarys' ... he seems to be very good at gaining vast amounts of profit from other peoples suffering (strange that nobody challenges his profiteering)

Ivan

Nile

Shame on them.:mad:


It is a pity that we can't have a 'Name & Shame' list of those London hotels who increased their room prices yesterday. I'm sure that foreign visitors, especially from the USA, would vote with their feet and avoid these shameful hotels.

worldtraveller

IvanOpinion wrote:

Is it possible that the charge will simply cover the staffing and other costs related to providing information? I doubt if anyone will be profitting from it - I am guessing that they will bring in a load of additional people to help staff the lines, gather and collate information, data entry etc. these may be 'volunteers' or could be staff that have to be paid overtime.

Fair point Ivan, but I still feel that in these circumstances when we are talking about probably a lot of very distressed people wanting to find out about their loved ones it should have been a freephone number. Of course I appreciate that someone has to pay for it and ultimately probably the taxpayer in some form. Nevertheless, I hope not many people would begrudge paying a few pence for this (I don't need to mention at this time some of the other c**p we pay for!)

jockettuk

who gives a toss how much or who or what is making a profit when your loved one hasnt come home you will ring whatever number there is to see if you can get information.. yes these numbers are making money for someone but at this time i dont really care and im sure eventually it will probably go to the victims fund. as there are hundreds of people who will be affected..

sorry if this seems to not agree with you lot but i sat for 3 hours yesterday waiting to find out if my other half who is a tube train driver was involved.

surfcat

As far as the hotels go it's absolutely disgusting but then I would expect that from most of the 'sevice' industries in this country.

On the phone line side tho', no I'm not disgusted. I'm sure anyone worried about their relatives would have far more important things to worry about than the few pence. The 0870 is a way of dealing with he cost of this part of the massive operation, spreading it out among many people rather than taking it from central government.

Smiley_Mum

I was surprised at the 0870 number but like someone posted up the thread, if I was searching for info on a missing loved one, I'd pay whatever to find out they were ok. As for the hotels doubling their rates, well I think that's a pretty poor show but they are probably thinking that there will be a drop in tourist numbers due to the attacks so make money while they can... :-(

margaret_3

I heard on the news that a London hotel did everything possible for those affected, feeding them and supplying drinks---everything free and if they couldn't get home they were given FREE accommodation.

Hopefully someone will know the name

---

I think it could have been the Metropolitan.

Wicker_Man_3

jockettuk wrote:

who gives a toss how much or who or what is making a profit when your loved one hasnt come home you will ring whatever number there is to see if you can get information.

Precisely.

And like the infamous e-mail on 11/9/01, I bet there someone who made the decision to make some money. Who knows, if nobody moans, maybe next time it will be an 09 number - knowing that when someone hasnt come home people "will ring whatever number there is".

If the income was going to help victims, would not this have been announced at the same time?

I have written to my MP already.