For those that didn't know OfCOM's website for contacting them listed their 0845 number on its own at first.  Then following complaints they listed their geographical number below their 0845 number.

Having just looked at their website now here they've changed it again and even admitted now that its cheaper to call their geographical number unless you are on BT's Light User Scheme and are calling from outside London.


Quote:

Phone 020 7981 3040 (this number will be the cheapest option for most callers) or 0845 456 3000 (this number may be cheaper for callers on the BT Light User Scheme calling from outside the London area) Please note that calls to the Contact Centre may be monitored or recorded

Not bad going OfCOM!  It's only taking them over a year to realise this or should I say openly admit this!?!

I've also posted this on the MSE forum here.

But why do they still have the 0845 number at all?

Is it just for the 0.001% of BT customers on the Light User scheme?

Perhaps too much loss of face and the risk to the industry of an opportunity for their example in removing or ceasing it?

The above might have been a better generic outcome to the consultation.

Better still might have been:

Call us on <<01/02 number>>.
Or, if you want to pay x pence/minute extra, try <<084/087 number>> and enjoy the muzak. Average queuing time = y minutes. (if, and only if, you're on the light user scheme outside the local area, this may be cheaper)

Natwest and friends would have hated it!

Natwest$$$ (or RBS$$$ who are the real probem as old NatWest was not so bad) are one of the biggest ripoff merchants in the UK.

Worst rates of interest, highest cash withdrawal fees, most inflexible loans etc, etc.

I agree - I am going to close my account.

wrote on Aug 18^th, 2005 at 9:36am:

I agree - I am going to close my account.

Make sure to move to Nationwide.  No cash withdrawal fee on their debit card at overseas cash machines and no foreign exchage rate levy on their credit or debit card when it is used overseas (NatWest $$$ charges you about 4% on top of a lousy exchange rate to get cash out).

I have already half moved to Nationwide. Inertia has stopped me moving the rest of my banking arrangements.  Must get round to making the final move.

Nationwide is a building society owned by the members.  The high street banks exist for the benefit of their directors and to a lesser extent their shareholders.

I think this thread is going off subject, however, before it does, I have two points to make.

Firstly, I deal with NatWest regularly in respect of business and have many direct dial phone numbers.  I’m not able to publish them as they are to specific departments.  Yesterday, I was dealing with an office (not on the “official” 0870 number) and had a conversation with a person and we discussed the 0870 costs.  She said that she might want to phone me back and naturally, I quoted the 0871 number that I have acquired.  I think she smiled.

Regarding Nationwide, I agree that their cards are cheaper to use overseas. However, in respect of their credit cards, they say that because they are not a bank, BACS payments to them have to go through a third party.  This means that instead of assuming that they receive cleared funds on the third or fourth day after instructing your bank to pay them, they maintain that it takes longer.  This is even after the payment appears on the downloaded internet statement.  If you pay by cheque into a nationwide Branch, your bank account should normally be debited on the third working day after the cheque was paid in.  With Nationwide, they seem to clear their cheques differently and one’s bank account is debited on the day after payment.  I’d like to know how they do this.

My last BACS payment to them has allowed four days for the funds to reach them. If they charge me a penalty, I will then have grounds for complaint to the appropriate authority.  Furthermore, they recently reduced the time between the statement date and the payment date by around 10 days.  This means that on receipt of their statement I have only a few days to make the payment and it is especially difficult if there is a bank holiday in the way.

Sorry about that, but that’s my moan out of the way.

[glb]This means that on receipt of their statement I have only a few days to make the payment and it is especially difficult if there is a bank holiday in the way.[/glb]

Can you not set up a direct debit?

I pay all my credit card bills this way, and it means they automatically take the money out on the payment due date.

If I were to pay by BACS, then I would have to make a payment at least a few days before this, to safely get it paid before the due date.

I'm fully aware that a DD could be set up and I know how the system works (I am, in fact a Direct Debit originator).   I feel however, that I like to have control of my own bank account and the amount I pay off my credit card balance.  

As an originator, I request money by way of a Direct Debit with, say, Monday's date, I will receive that amount the next day.  The payees account will be debited on that same day so that there is no time when the money is lost in a "black hole"

I have spoken to Nationwide concerning payments to them by direct debit and get the impression that they will collect the amount one day before the prescribed day for payment.  

I'm also aware that when I make a BACS payment, my account is debited on day one and the money stays with that bank until day three before being transmitted.  I understand that HSBC and Lloyds TSB are making some changes to their system this year in this respect.