A few weeks ago my bank sent me a form for faxing stationery orders - using an 0870 number.  I complained to my local Abbey contact and he passed it on up the line.  I also pointed out that I don't do business with any organisation using these numbers so perhaps I should move my account elsewhere?

Not expecting any positive response I was then contacted by a Regional Manager.  He explained that the stationery work had been put out to a bureau, and that Abbey were not making anything from the arrangement.  However, the number is now being changed to a conventional one.  Apart from supplying some dubious info about these numbers I think they should be congratulated for 'seeing the light' and doing something about it.  After all, they couldn't really sustain their 'free banking for life' slogan if they (or one of their subcontractors) raids your phone bill every time you order stationery!  Well done Abbey, and I wish other organisations were as receptive.

As you're so pleased with Abbey, can I recommend you do not go to their website and look for a telephone number for anything - they're all 0845!

One battle won, the war continues .............

Yes congratulations Abbey for listening to what your customers say.

Over at NatWest they merely try to re-educate you by claiming that using 0845 and 0870 numbers are the done thng in the call centre industry and also try to claim they could not possibly handle the call volumes they now receive if they did not use these NTS numbers.

Personally though I would rather stay with Nationwide who are still a real building society and don't have to make a profit for shareholders and also of course to pay the directors annual bonuses. ;) :o

Might wanna look here?
Allready a post about abbey

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1118398494
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Heinz, they got a free callback form on the website for call centre enquiries, or is that just for business, cant remember, I use my 070 on that form.
I dont care if they leave me on hold for ages at 50p a min, with most of it coming back to me in a cheque couple of months later!

Ive actually left abbey now, on the basis of their rip off 0870's and 0845's, least HSBC has 01's for local branches. Yes they maybe hard to find and are not listed anywhere (except bank sort code book) but they work!!!!

MC beat me to it - find the 'ring me' page on Abbey (business banking) and the cost is all theirs.  Unfortunately these days they are not always quick to answer because they are having problems with 'call volumes' (or, put another way, people shortages) but being left on hold at their expense while I do something else is preferable to me paying for it!

Regarding Natwest - I was careful to retain the standard number of my local branch - still works a treat and they seem to have knowledgeable human beings there too.

Whats with the mix of Scabby Abbey numbers at the moment?

I had a voicemail from an Abbey branch the other day asking me to call them back on a 0551 number, which I'd not heard of before. Before I ring them, does anyone know how much those calls cost?

Another premium number ??

Sadly, as with so many UK numbers, one needs the next few digits to determine whether it is charged at BT g6 (5p at all times) from a BT line or g21 - 5p to 2pish.

So much for such things matching 01 and 02. Why is it all so stupid?