After having got £131.50 out of me to renew my license, it's seems that they still want to profit from me.  I've just renewed my license on-line.  When I finished I was given a reference number and was then invited to ring a premium rate 0870 number with any queries.  I sent them the following e-mail and wonder how they will reply:-

I have just applied for my license on-line.  The last page offers me a premium rate 0870 number to ring you if I have a query?  Why do you have to use such a number?  This number is not 'National Rate' as is commonly thought.  The difference between 'National Rate' and 'Local Rate' doesn't exist anymore - you pay the same regardless of distance.  I pay a fixed fee for all my geographical calls of which 0870 0871 & others are specifically precluded, costing upwards of 7.5p per minute to ring from a landline which othewise would have been free had you displayed a geographical 0117 number as you should do.  Furthermore, If I have to ring you from my o2 mobile then it's 15p per minute, neither is the call allowed against my allocation of free monthly minutes.  As a customer having just paid you £131.50, why should you further profit out of me ringing you with a query?  You must get atleast half the total call cost as 'kick-back' revenue?  Please abandon your premium rate 0870 number and revert back to displaying a sensible geographical Bristol telephone number which is what everyone wants.  There is no longer any difference in cost to ring this Bristol number whether one is phoning from say, PortisHead just down the road from you or from Inverness, Scotland.  I am most disatisfied with your non-geographical telephone number and there is no need for you to use it.  

Congratulations, it is a very good letter you wrote.  Please post the answer once you get it.

If you actually want to phone TV Licensing there are lots of contact numbers in the database of this site, including freephone numbers.

I hope you sent this to the CEO of TV Licensing and also of course to the minister responsible and to your own MP Alternative?

No doubt you would also have undertaken all of this communication by fax. ;)

Sorry, NGM, it's taken me a while to reply - have been down to see my folks in L'head (near you I think!).  I most certainly will copy the CEO on the basis that I can find out his name and possibly my MP as well.  If I can get their fax number I most certainly will print the e-mail out and fax as well!

Alternative wrote on Dec 26^th, 2006 at 12:25pm:

Sorry, NGM, it's taken me a while to reply - have been down to see my folks in L'head (near you I think!).  I most certainly will copy the CEO on the basis that I can find out his name and possibly my MP as well.  If I can get their fax number I most certainly will print the e-mail out and fax as well!

If you call 020 7219 3000 they should give you the relevant fax number to call for your MP