I guess I am beginning to feel more than a little paranoid about the apparent spread of 0870 (and 0845) numbers in the UK. I realise that this site is doing a fantastic job, and I read with glee the comment from DVLA demanding you all stop calling their geographic switchboard! Wonderful! "Stick it up 'em, Mr Mannering....!"  ;D

However, yesterday I was attempting to book a short trip to Europe whilst on holiday in the UK. Every UK travel site I visited had a 0870 number. Yep - every single one (and I must have looked at a dozen or so). In addition, I subscribe to a couple of UK magazines which I get delivered here in the US. I note that probably 80 to 85% of the advertisers have a 0870 number - with absolutely no mention of an alternative geographic number.

So just how pervasive is this scam? Are we attempting to 'stick our finger in the d**e'? Are the big guns of BT aligned against us? Does anyone have any idea just how much they are creaming from this gigantic - and monopolistic - scam? (I seem to remember some enormous figure being mentioned in this or another site, but I can't recall how much it was). Does ANYONE in the UK have a geographic number any more?  :-/

And - last but not least, does anyone have any idea of how many 0870 numbers are in use - and what the current uptake rate of them is? It would make interesting - and depressing - reading, I'm sure....

Or am I just being overly pessimistic?  :-/

Whilst I don't know how many 0870 and other rip-off numbers are in use, I do know is that unless Ofcom gets its finger out of its backside, it will not be long before virtually every business, organization, non-profit and governmental department uses a non-geographic number. Area codes will only be used by individuals. To call any non-individual will require an examination of the first eight digits of a number in order to be able to determine the cost. This scam is unbelievable from a developed country. Living here in Miami, I dread having to make any call to a British organization such as a bank or government agency. Using geographic equivalents, it is often necessary to explain to the recipient of the call that the 0870/0845 number cannot be called from overseas, at least not easily or cheaply. The whole process is tortuous and time-consuming. Just what do the idiots at Ofcom think they are doing? Despite efforts by some MPs and others within the BBC and media, the whole 0870 rip-off remains misunderstood by the British public. This whole mess is Ofcom's fault - the same idiots that made a complete balls-up of the DQ system. Ofcom needs to be held accountable and liable for this numbering nonsense.