I have been very pleased to see the way that people have given so freely to the people so devastated by the Tsunami.
My query is this.
0870 numbers cost to call. So is the revenue from these calls going towards the fund?

I would hope that it would. But as I have recently found this site and the useful info contained. I do wonder. Much of the aid needed has been slow to get there and governments have been slow with thier financial help.
I hope this is just my suspicious fears of greed.
I'm sure someone out there can clarify.
Thanks

The charity organising donations via the 0870 number, probably plough all profits from this, and interest from money left into accounts, into their work.

Sometimes not all the money given goes direct to help, because of admin costs, such as bank charges, or credit card fees, but sometimes banks do waive charges in these situations.

What we should however ask, is whether the company providing the 0870 number is donating any of it's profits to the cause, or providing revenue at a higher rate, as a gesture of goodwill to the cause.

Also, will other telecoms companies, that carry 0870 calls (mainly BT and mobile phones) donate anything from their profits of that number?

My concern also. I cannot understand why this appeal has to be an 0870 number.

Has anybody an explanation?

northern boy

The use of 0870 by DEC is simply because these numbers are now all pervasive; virtually every aspect of telephone use now requires 0870, from government to banking, from customer support to sales, from rail accidents to natural disasters. The DEC is simply jumping on the NGN band wagon and probably believes it to be "sexy" to have such a number. It is disgraceful and a sad indictment on what is happening in the UK. It also demonstrates the complete ineffectiveness of the so-called regulator. Just who does Ofcom serve?

In this instance I would accept that the DEC wanted to use every available spot of income. Premium Rate on 09X would have been more honest, but possibly off-putting. Because, of course, so few people (sayNo's 1116 members notwithstanding) know that BT has redefined 0870 as Premium Rate.

So they opted for 0870. Most operators could have provided 0845 or 0800, so perhaps we should ask the DEC whether the operators are also donating their share. I am sure that their shareholders would approve - good PR etc.

Come on guys - no excuses now.

The Disaster Emergency Commison is a public body covered by the Freedom of Information Act.

Ask them the questions by letter or email and include your name and address.

They must reply in 20 working days.

In this instance, I don't think we should criticise the DEC for using 0870. It isn't the same as a customer phoning a company to complain. If they didn't receive revenue from 0870, some of the donations might have to be used to pay for running the call centre. I think I heard them say BT are providing the lines, and BT are usually generous when it comes to charity (after all they can afford to be!), so probably aren't profiting from this. If anyone really objects to paying for the 0870 number, can I suggest calculating how much it has cost and subtracting this from the amount you would otherwise have donated :-/

At least the Foreign Office's number was a London number, despite being one people from all over country might need to call. Some people from abroad might have needed to use it too. Maybe the government is finally realising that 0870 numbers are not a good idea.

I see no problem in being critical of the DEC operating a revenue-generating number. Such numbers not only generate revenue for the recipient (DEC) or its provider (BT), but additional revenue to the providing operator due to the uplift in charge. Can we be sure that all additional revenue from all operators will be passed on? Of course not. BT could easily provide, at no cost to the DEC, a call center terminating on a geographic number. After all, it did this before these rip-off numbers ever came into being. Whilst the use of geographic numbers also creates revenue somewhere in the chain, it is nowhere near as significant as that contributed by 0870.

Regarding the FCO, the emergency 020 number is not to be used, according to the FCO, for travel queries - the 0870 number must be used for that advice! That clearly makes contact from overseas difficult. Why do those that provide these services seem to be so utterly stupid? Why does the UK have clueless government? The US Department of State has a toll-free number for those that live in the United States and a normal area code for those trying to call from overseas.  Why can't the FCO provide the same facilities for its citizens? Probably because it doesn't give a toss about them.

wrote on Jan 5^th, 2005 at 1:32pm:

Why does the UK have clueless government?

It is rumoured that we will have an opportunity to make that point at the ballot box later this year.

I fear only a rumour - certainly about any effectiveness

idb is correct. One always finds parasites lurking when there's a disaster. BT could easily have implemented an 0800 line as its own contribution to the fund. Government departments, and presumably NGOs, have been instructed not to use the 0870 company.
As usual, we are not asking the right questions. I would want to know about Government Ministers and politicians involvement in 0870, including directorships down to shareholdings, with special attention to anyone working in the FCO. Why haven't the investigative journalists in the Beeb and Fleet Street hot-footed it down to Companies House?
The scams will continue until the good citizens can be fully informed about 0870 iniquities. As Tony, himself, says : Education, education, education.
SS.

It has been mentioned here that "BT are usually generous when it comes to charity ", but they subsidise none of the thousands of calls made to The Samaritans each year.  They must make an enormous amount of money out of this.

I notice that the mobile networks have set up a premium rate text number for donations. The whole £1.50 goes to DEC and the operators don't take any cut. Even no VAT is applied..

Wonderful forward thinking?

So that future donations can be part of a habit without, necessarily, the Operators' generosity...

DEC relationship with BT

http://www.dec.org.uk/uploads/documents/dec0poliACF1A.pdf

British Telecommunications Plc
i. BT’s prime responsibility is to set up a network of telephone
connections around the UK so that a large number of calls are quickly
routed to the appeal telephone number(s). Calls are paid for by the
caller at the national rate, and BT makes a discretionary donation to the
DEC.

ii. BT also provides BT staff and volunteers free for the DEC on the
appeal launch evening to answer telephone donation calls at BT Tower
London.

>>

I wonder exactly what the 'discretionary donation' comprises?

All the usual BS from BT that we are accustomed to! As folks here know well, 0870 numbers are NOT national numbers, as advertised, they are scam lines.
BT is so mean and greedy that they wouldn't even set up an 0845 true national number at local rates. Shooting their CEO would be too kind - better he were cast away on a desert island, and you can guess the location to choose....

I'm glad, or should I say saddened that I'm not the only one fearing the worst. Unfortunately we do live in a greedy and selfish society. But we can change that, although slowly, and with a lot of work.
Also some other very good points made. Glad that the mobile networks have not succumbed to greed, but am appalled to find that they do not asist the Samaritans.
We still need some concrete information, so I urge people to find out and to write to the DEC and BT. Remember when M Thatcher tried to take the tax for the Band Aid song but Geldoff made it public and put pressure her, maybe this is a similar.
If I get news I'll lt you know. And please post if you do know what the exact situation is.
I am not a fan of BT more pressure needs to be put on them to change their greediness.
I do hope that this awful catastrophe makes people more aware of the world around them, good and bad, and more inclined to help those in need.