0870 numbers

diablobear

Hiya, I've just decided to have a little rant!!! To get it out of my system!!! Dealing with the government and similar bodies, I just get a bit angry (understatement), when they only give 0870 numbers as their contact.

In paticular the DVLA & TV Licencing
You legally have to have a TV Licence, Driving Licence etc., so why do they charge "joe public" extra to ring them on 0870 numbers when you NEED to!!! :mad:

Yes, I nip over to http://www.saynoto0870.co.uk/ to find out the free or geographical number, but it does really bother me when these agencies decide to make money out of you when you HAVE to ring them.

Aaaaaagh

That's it rant over, I feel better now!

Bren106

Coincidence indeed, within an hour I decided to post this website as well.
Quick and easy - and you can add numbers you get as well for others.

Ian_W

BBC2's Working Lunch covered this recently, report HERE.

DVLA say they will be moving to 03 numbers shortly, which cost the same as 01/02 numbers, but do they come as part if "inclusive calls" packages I wonder?

I also find it outrageous that co's who I already pay handsomely for insurance, sat TV and so on feel they can fleece further money out of the punter using these rip off numbers. For Govt Dept's to do it just about says it all. :mad:

Still no use ranting ... barstewards!!

geordie_joe

Ian_W wrote: »

Still no use ranting ... barstewards!!

It's always worth ranting, if nobody ranted nothing would be done.

john_s_2

The one justification I've read for 0845/0870/0871 (et al) numbers is that when a company changes the location of their call centre, either through choice or need, their customers won't be inconvenienced as the same phone number can be used to call the new location.

This is the relevant quote, from the SayNoTo0870 site:

We operate over multiple sites. By using 0845 numbers and automated menus we have greater flexibility in routing calls to the most appropriate location and ensuring our customers speak to the right person first time. This network level routing is also a critical part of our Business Recovery plan. In the event of us having serious technical problems at one of our sites or if we suffer an event that causes a building to be unusable we can immediately route calls to another location or to one of our disaster recovery partners sites. Doing that with standard geographic numbers is almost impossible.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1122928578

I can sympathise with this. But what I DO NOT sympathise with is where companies don't offer geographical alternatives for those customers (like us!) who don't mind making the effort of searching for it. And don't mind that the number they used to ring changes and they have to search for the new one.

So that's pretty much most large companies then?

I used to work in a DSS office in the early 90s. We could put phonecalls through to other offices. So if the civil service could use geographical numbers and put calls through to other locations 15 years ago, I'm sure the technology still exists to do so today. So the multiple site argument doesn't hold any water.

They are doing it for profit, and profit only. That doesn't annoy me. A company must make a profit - it's their raison d'etre! What annoys me is their mealy mouthed lies, trying to claim that's not the reason.

It will be interesting to see how many companies take up 030 numbers. Are they actually in use yet?

LittleVoice

I believe the 030 numbers are for government and similar organisations, not commercial organisations.

john_s_2

No, they're available for all organisations.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/11/nr_20071113

What's more, they've been available for ages! Ofcom uses them and reckons they've allocated "over 13 million 03 numbers to more than 80 communications providers..."

I don't think seen one of them! Probably more chance of winning the lottery! (Nearly 1 in 14 million with one ticket...)

Edit: I'm not so sure now. That article finishes off by saying, "We expect consumers to see the advantages of these new numbers as they start to be used by more and more public service organisations."

Well, no wonder I haven't seen one. The Public Services move as slowly as a sloth that's been nailed to the floor. (I should know, I still work in them...)

dzug1

They are doing it for profit, and profit only.

Not any more - they no longer get a cut of 0870 call charges. (As of last January)

diablobear

I have no problem with commercial businesses making money, that's what they do. I'm quite happy to search for a while and find the geographical or (if I'm lucky) freephone number for them.
What annoys me is the government agencies as I said before - DVLA & TV Licence only providing their 0870 number. I can even deal with 0845!!! But - What's next - is Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, Incapcity Benefit etc. will we have to phone premium rate, 0870, then????

Plus.... as said before in this thread will the 03 number be included in the "free weekend & evening calls" packages???

Incidentally, I put Tax Credits on my friends & family circle with BT!!
I have friends & family but don't phone them when BT charge me!!

Ian_W

geordie_joe wrote: »

It's always worth ranting, if nobody ranted nothing would be done.

OK joe, I'll rephrase that ...
No point me ranting on an anonymous chat forum. I should be ranting at the co's that wire me off!! :mad:

diablobear wrote:

I have no problem with commercial businesses making money, that's what they do.

I agree but [apart from Govt departments with rip-off numbers] the most annoying to moi are co's where you have to ring 0870 [or similar] to get them to do properly what you're already paying them for in the first place. A previous ISP was a prime example, billed me wrongly several times and expected me to pay them to put it right!!
Oh, God - sounds like another rant!! Off for me Horlicks.

john_s_2

dzug1 wrote: »

They are doing it for profit, and profit only.

Not any more - they no longer get a cut of 0870 call charges. (As of last January)

Are you sure? This isn't something I follow closely (despite my ranting above! but I've just finished the washing up so am a lot calmer now ;-) but according to this sticky on Say no to 0870:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1173396748

The proposed changes haven't taken place yet. Wikipedia doesn't mention it either.