Just noticed that the Ch4 lunchtime news has a poll with an 0870 number, this was now advertised at 7p/minute instead of the national rate.

ITV news today had one too

wrote on Aug 25^th, 2005 at 12:06pm:

Just noticed that the Ch4 lunchtime news has a poll with an 0870 number, this was now advertised at 7p/minute instead of the national rate.

Well its nice to see them trying to comply with ASA rules and Part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 but still failing due to a faulty morality and/or logic chip.

Surely anyone knows that when you round you (a) have to round up and (b) in any case round in the favour of the consumer and not the company.

So as its actually 7.51p per minute if they think that's too complicated to say then they must quote 8p per minute.

A sign of things to come though I think.  I bet we don't actually see any current 0870 number go back to geographic call rates (even if Ofcom makes this an option) but just lots and lots more call price announcements.

NGM, you are right of course, except when the price has to be quoted and is unfavourable to you.

Remember the arrival of decimal currency? Everything was rounded up from .1 through to .8, thereafter it was rounded up by 1.2.

However there are legal definitions here and I suggest we remind them of these - all in good time of course.

juby

I think it would be a lot more effective if they had to say calls cost £4.50 an hour at weekday peaktime.  That would really get the message across.

Unfortunately as you know a high percentage of the population of this country have trouble with even basic mathematics.  Something that BT and co clearly rely on.

Of course I suspect that anyone who contributes regularly to this website forum is probably very good indeed with basic mathematics.