This weekend I received (as will have all shareholders) a detailed proposal on the demerger of Biffa from Severn Trent. This is a formal legal document. Any shareholder requiring assistance is given a Shareholder Helpline on Freephone 0870 600 3967 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also note (looking it up on the web) that the Biffa Prospectus also gives a freephone helpline that is an 0870 number.

Am I right in assuming that an 0870 number can not be free?

It is not possible to have a freephone 0870 number.

This is very misleading.  It would also be misleading if they stated this call was a national rate as well.

Can you provide the website link to this?

This downloadable .pdf file from BT (.pdf page number 29) confirms that 0870 is charged at upto 7.5p/min daytime.

Biffa web site is www.biffa.co.uk where I found the Biffa prospectus. As I had the Severn trent demerger prospectus in hard copy I didn't look at the Severn trent web site for the Demerger prospectus and notice of Extraordinary General Meeting, but I would guess this is on the Severn trent web site also.

Lloyds TSB Registrars are the registrars.

Citigroup Global Marketsa Limited are the advisors.

If you actually read the PDF on their website, it makes the following statement on page 1 -

The Biffa Prospectus has been published on the Biffa website at www.biffa.co.uk and hard copies can be requested up until Admission, free of charge, by calling the Shareholder Helpline on 0870 600 3967 (+44 1903 276342)

It DOES NOT say that it is a FREEPHONE number ::)

The prospectus for both Biffa and Seven trent both say:

Any shareholder requiring assistance in understanding the matters raised in this document should telephone our shareholder helpline on Freephone 0870 600 3967

Sorry, to make it easier to find, it's on Page 20 of the Biffa prospectus and Page 4 & 12 of the Severn Trent prospectus, both in the section 'Further Information' where most shareholders like myself go to find out the contact number for addititional advice.

It is quite clear that on both documents it specifically says FREEPHONE

Keith wrote on Sep 18^th, 2006 at 12:12pm:

. . . it's on Page 20 of the Biffa prospectus and Page 4 & 12 of the Severn Trent prospectus

Sorry Keith. Checking further into them, I see what you're referring to.

It would seem that someone in the Biffa marketting dep't has misread the first page & has repeated the error on subsequent pages. Apart from saying it was freephone though, it does give you the normal Geographic number as well.  :-/

Have you been in touch with Biffa & made them aware of their error ??

Thanks Dave. Thought that was just going to get killed off!

I phoned the number which puts you through to the registrars. I used the one from the Severn Trent prospectus (I think it is the same number). They agreed whoops an error but not their problem they didn't put the prospectus together, so nothing will happen.

Of course I used the geo number, but that is for non UK residents (and of course people like us who are in the know). Most people who don't know will use the 0870 number and think it is free.

What this brings home (as does the inaccurate massive promotion of 0845 in lots of the latest Yellow Pages) is most people have not a clue, even those putting this stuff together, so the population carries on believing these numbers are cheap or free. It is self perpetuating.