The BBC has reached new lows of disgraceful behaviour in its relentless and cynical scamming of its viewers by perpetually using 0870 numbers for a wide range of contact numbers whilst then cynically lying to viewers who complain to BBC Information that "its just the ordinary BT National Rate sir".  If then challenged and asked whether they are not personally aware that these calls do cost more than other 01 and 02 national numbers they grudgingly admit that they do know this since the alternative is to look as though they are total morons, which to be honest they in any case already do a pretty good job of.

The latest and most audacious yet BBC 0870 scam is that the BBC2 series Coast (shown at 9pm on Sunday evenings) has come up with a series of 30 new coastal walks for which it has posted signs along the routes of the walks.  These signs are actively encouraging people to ring 08705 100789 on their mobile phone without making any mention that these are premium rated calls on most mobile phones (especially Pay as You Go) costing up to 50p per minute to call.

It seems that the BBC has no consideration at all for imposing vast and unnecessary extra costs on its viewers, many of whom will inevitably be teenage schoolchildren proudly wielding their first mobile phone.  All it seems to care about is getting its call handling and routing services from cable & wireless for free instead of paying the going commercial rate for the service as it quite clearly should do.

BBC Director of New Media, Mr Ashley Highfield, should be ashamed of himself.

According to the Beeb:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast/faq/#m3

<<
What is the cost of listening to one of the mobile phone walks?
The BBC provides the content free of charge, but operator charges apply at national rates. The average cost of listening to 8-10 walk points is likely to be in the region of £2-3. But this depends on your own tariff, so some customers - particularly those on 'pay as you go' - may be charged significantly more. If you are concerned about network charges, please check with your operator before starting the walk.

Why aren't the calls free?
The BBC has provided all the content of the Mobile Phone walks, but cannot pay for the cost of the calls themselves. The BBC does not get any money from the cost of the calls.
>>

So the old 'national rate' excuse again.

But as we know the ASA has clearly stated it is no longer acceptable to stay silent on the cost of these calls and pretend that they are only at the national rate.

It is far more despicable that the BBC should have used 0870 for a number specifically dedicated to mobile phone use, especially when many of the callers will be teenage or preteen schoolchildren.

wrote on Jul 30^th, 2005 at 2:30am:

But as we know the ASA has clearly stated it is no longer acceptable to stay silent on the cost of these calls and pretend that they are only at the national rate.

But, like most of these so-called regulatory authorities (ICSTIS, Ofcom etc), they have neither the authority nor the ability to take any meaningful action. Being told off by the ASA is nothing more than a slapped wrist.

wrote on Jul 30^th, 2005 at 2:35am:

But, like most of these so-called regulatory authorities (ICSTIS, Ofcom etc), they have neither the authority nor the ability to take any meaningful action. Being told off by the ASA is nothing more than a slapped wrist.

But surely a public body like the BBC has a far greater duty to abide by these guidlines than a commercial company.

The powers of ICSTIS to impose fines look relatively formidable except that they do not have jurisdiction in this area and instead concentrate their effors on overseas 09 scamsters who generally do not then pay the fines.

For these uk entities using 0870/1 the ICSTIS level of fines would be highly effective but unfortunately they are not available for 084/7 type calls.

wrote on Jul 30^th, 2005 at 2:59am:

But surely a public body like the BBC has a far greater duty to abide by these guidlines than a commercial company.

True, but it has sold out to all-powerful Capita.


wrote on Jul 30^th, 2005 at 2:59am:

The powers of ICSTIS to impose fines look relatively formidable except that they do not have jurisdiction in this area and instead concentrate their effors on overseas 09 scamsters who generally do not then pay the fines.

I vaguely recall reading something along the lines that ~90% of fines are never collected! PRS scammers just love the UK. They make millions, wait for the fines, clear off and set up with another identity. ICSTIS just can't see how easy it would be to stop, or at least significantly reduce the rip-offs with PRS, or perhaps it can but is so inherently useless.

wrote on Jul 30^th, 2005 at 3:11am:

True, but it has sold out to all-powerful Capita.

In fact all Capita staff maintain the 0870 contract is direct between the BBC and Cable & Wireless and that neither they or the BBC earn any revenue share kick back.

According to Geoff Brighton at Ofcom he has been told that the BBC get most of their outgoing calls for free from Cable & Wireless due to the 0870 deal plus the BBC also get the small number of 0800 lines they set up for free.  But Cable & Wireless seem to require about 30 minutes of 0870 for about every one free minute of 0800 in return.

So the BBC are in practice getting a hidden kick back from the deal but because they don't get a cheque from C&W they can pretend there is no revenue payback.  Talk about playing with words.

Clearly those with high ethical or moral standards no longer make it the top of the BBC or the civil service.

Quote:

Clearly those with high ethical or moral standards no longer make it the top of the BBC or the civil service.

Did they ever?   ;)

wrote on Jul 31^st, 2005 at 8:27pm:

Did they ever? ;)

Back in the 1950s and 60s as I recall it.

I don't know if I am in the correct thread for this subject or not so apologize in advance. Through reading this website it was my understanding that 0870 number couldn't be called from abroad, this company would seem to suggest otherwise!

Contact


Phone UK
0870 7580614  
Fax UK
0870 7580605  

Phone Non UK
0044-8707580614  
Fax Non UK
0044-8707580605  

Regards

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 4:36pm:

I don't know if I am in the correct thread for this subject or not so apologize in advance. Through reading this website it was my understanding that 0870 number couldn't be called from abroad, this company would seem to suggest otherwise!

There is no *guarantee* that 0870, 0871, 0844 and 0845 (and similar) numbers can be terminated from overseas.

Where they can be called from overseas, the per minute rate is usually very high.

If the per minute rate is not high, then the company doesn't realize that these numbers are 'premium' and will likely get a bill for terminating such calls. That bill will be, more than likely, higher than the cost it charges to the caller.

Advertising numbers in the form 0044-8707580614 just demontrates cluelessness.

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 4:39pm:

There is no *guarantee* that 0870, 0871, 0844 and 0845 (and similar) numbers can be terminated from overseas.

... as shown by Ofcom's view:

Ofcom is the national regulatory authority for communications in the UK.
Ofcom does not control access to UK services in other countries. Such access
is regulated by a combination of commercial arrangements (eg, for NTS,
non-geographic numbering) within a framework set by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) (eg, for geographic and mobile numbering).

Ofcom is aware that callers may experience difficulty in accessing UK
non-geographic numbers from outside the UK. This results from uncertainties
over financial returns for routing between international operators caused by
the variable cost of calls and imbalances between charges that can be
retained or passed on through international arbitrage. UK residents dialling
the non-geographic numbers of other countries from the UK frequently
experience the same or similar problems. Individual countries do not
normally permit access to non-geographic numbers from overseas. This is
because these services are differently priced from geographic services and
it is impossible for an operator in the originating country (which in many
cases may not be transmitting the international part of the call) to know
what the appropriate price and for the correct amount to be passed via
several carriers and be paid to the terminating operator.

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 4:43pm:

... as shown by Ofcom's view: Ofcom is the national regulatory authority for communications in the UK. Ofcom does not control access to UK services in other countries. Such access is regulated by a combination of commercial arrangements (eg, for NTS, non-geographic numbering) within a framework set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) (eg, for geographic and mobile numbering).

But Ofcom does have the potential to regulate the uk NTS system to prevent ordinary customer service calls being converted into hidden premium rate calls which then in turn leads to the even higher premium rates from overseas.

But I was forgetting that they are Light Touch or in fact more realistically just Out of Touch.

Presumably having a telecoms regulator like Ofcom is a bit like having a nuclear control agency that just lets the nuclear disposal market determine whether or not it is cost effective to dump enriched plutonium in the fountains at Trafalgar Square!  Of course they could then be sued but that won't be much comfort to all the relatives of the dead people.

wrote on Aug 1^st, 2005 at 4:36pm:

I don't know if I am in the correct thread for this subject or not so apologize in advance. Through reading this website it was my understanding that 0870 number couldn't be called from abroad, this company would seem to suggest otherwise!

Many US call carriers will not carry calls to 0870.  In fact many indirect access call carriers in the UK will not carry calls to 0870 either but BT, Telewest or Cable & Wireless always will as they are compelled to.

This company that you quote is just trying to perpetuate the usual myth that these numbers are just an ordinary call and can be dialled in the normal way.  They may be so dumb and negligent that their marketing people even possibly believe this to be the case.

Unfortunately a completely useless and snail paced uk telecom regulator (Ofcom) does not require the company to point out that if you can connect the call to 0870 from overseas it will almost certainly cost 20 to 50 times the price of the usual cheapest calling rate from that country to a uk landline starting 01 or 02.

If the number cannot be called affordably from overseas surely that in any case comes to the same thing as if it cannot be called at all?