Hi, have only just found this site BRILLIANT! - glad there are so many like minded people out there.  I've been grumbling for some time about having to pay for calls 'that aren't inclusive' on my landline package.  Was starting to feel like an old grumpy before my time!

Anyway I have been wondering if anyone knows, given this day and age of surveys and statistics, if anyone/organisation has ever calculated how much money we (the general population) spend on these numbers - with or without wasted queueing or menu selecting times?  

Just thought if anyone actually took the time to work this out - the potential amount squandered could be an interesting and headline catching sum of money!

I guess the telecom companys could work it out, but that's highly unlikely!

it bugs me wrote on Aug 16^th, 2006 at 12:47am:

I guess the telecom companys could work it out, but that's highly unlikely!

I am sure that the site's founders, moderators and contributors will welcome your kind comments.
The operators will have worked it out, because that can be the only reason why they have argued so strongly that Ofcom allow them to retain an abuse that was not allowed for when the number ranges were originally planned. Cynical? moi?

Quote:

From October the cost of calling many non-geographic numbers is also being cut. 0845 and 0870 numbers now account for a quarter of call time and the changes make BT less than half the price for these calls than some competitors.

BT reckon 25% of all calls are to non-geographical numbers. That might be a starting point for working out how much people spend on these numbers.

The second sentence also caught my eye. Anyone know which "competitors" (other than mobile operators) charge 14p/min for 0870 numbers?

Ofcom publishes this information on a regular basis - see http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/jun06/332767
for many statistics.

A sample, for 2005:

Summary of residential call revenues by call type and operator (£millions)

All Operators, 2005

UK geographic calls: 971

International calls: 327

Calls to mobiles: 945

Other calls (1): 1,192

(1) Includes freephone, special local and national rate, premium rate, directory enquiries and all other call types. Figures are not intended to include subscription revenues for unmetered dial-up internet access although some element may remain. Metered dial-up internet calls are included.


Demonstrates just what a racket 0870 is and why Ofcom panders to the telecom industry rather than protecting the consumer from legalized extortion.

My bloods boiling!
I have written strongly to Trading Standards. I can only suggest that everyone do the same so a super complaint can be brought to fruition. Tell everyone to take the time and save the vast sums being handed over to companies for failing to provide a service that should be included in their costs. Trading Standards have a website, below, but you need to use your 'local' branch. Why should us , Jo public have to pay to inform companies that their serive has a fault, or if they do something wrong on your account. There's no incentive for a company to quickly deal with an issue when they know you are paying them just to wait in a queue. Where's the incentive to fix a fault when they know they can have customers call in.collect revenue?

Maybe the BBC can take the matter to hand, if anyone has a contact to use, in one of their consumer programs...

Makes my blood boil!

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/

I'm sure the BBC would welcome your comments about the whole idea that companies using 0870 are just fleecing their customers.
In fact they have phone lines just dedicated for such customer complaints.
Admittedly they are quite popular, so you might have to hold for some time, but don't worry, your call is important to them.
I can't remember the whole number, but I know it starts with 0870.