MAKRO

I notice that Makro have now reverted to the following number for all stores on their website.
The number they are now showing is: 0844 445 7445 (This is a Lo-Call number)  >:(

This goes through to a main switchboard where you will be asked which store you wish to be connected to...  >:(  (Not sure of the geographical number behind this 0844 number yet...)

If you type MAKRO into the search bar another thread is shown with more numbers... 8-)



Here are some numbers:

Quote:

LONDON CharltonStore Locator   Anchor & Hope Lane Charlton London SE7 7RZ Tel: 020 8293 0011 North ActonStore Locator   Atlas Road Park Royal North Acton London NW10 6DD  Tel: 020 8965 6655 SURREY Croydon   Peterwood Way Off Beddington Farm Road Croydon Surrey CR0 4UQ Tel: 020 8649 8000 MIDDLESEX EnfieldStore Locator   Stockingswater Lane Enfield Middlesex EN3 7XA Tel: 020 8443 3003 HAMPSHIRE SouthamptonStore Locator   2-4 Dewar Close Segensworth West Fareham Hampshire PO15 5UB Tel: 01489 885131 ESSEX RayleighStore Locator   Rawreth Lane Rawreth Ind Est Rayleigh Essex SS6 9RL Tel: 01268 785578 MIDLANDS BirminghamStore Locator   Pitcairn Drive Off Dudley Road Halesowen West Midlands B62 8AZ Tel: 0121 550 7341 CoventryStore Locator   Silverstone Drive Gallager Business Park Rowleys Green Coventry CV6 6PA Tel: 02476 360044 NottinghamStore Locator   Redfield Road Off Clifton Boulevard Nottingham NG7 2UJ Tel: 01159 866888 LeicesterStore Locator   Centurion Way Meridian Business Park Leicester LE3 2WG Tel: 0116 2630730 StokeStore Locator   Speedwell Road Parkhouse Ind Est Newcastle- Under-Lyme ST5 7QT Tel: 01782 566212 SOUTH WEST BristolStore Locator   Cribbs Causeway Ind Est Lysander Road Westbury on Trym Bristol BS10 7IZ Tel: 0117 9591262 BERKSHIRE ReadingStore Locator   Elgar Road South Off Basingstoke Road Reading Berkshire RG2 0DD Tel: 0118 9313633   DORSET PooleStore Locator   Cabot Lane Creekmore Poole Dorset BH17 7BZ Tel: 01202 659100   NORTH WEST LiverpoolStore Locator   Hornhouse Lane Britonwood Ind. Est. Kirkby Liverpool L33 7YQ Tel: 0151 546 9211 PrestonStore Locator   Chain Caul Way Ashton-On-Ribble Preston PR2 2TW Tel: 01772 769944 ManchesterStore Locator   Liverpool Road Barton Moss Eccles Manchester M30 7RT Tel: 0161 789 6911 TYNE & WEAR NewcastleStore Locator   Sedling Road Wear Ind. Est. Interchange 6 Washington, Tyne and Wear NE37 1LX Tel: 0191 416 4001 TeessideStore Locator   Westland Way Preston Farm Ind Est

How can a number which costs MORE to call than a standard 01 or 02 number (this one is, surprise, surprise, a 5p per minute at all times number), ever be described as 'Lo-Call'?

BT has abolished the brand Lo-Call so it is no longer legitimate to use it.

Just file a complaint against Makro at www.asa.org.uk to get this stopped as claiming 0845 is Lo-Call in ads totally violates all their many guidances on the matter.

NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 20^th, 2007 at 10:08am:

BT has abolished the brand Lo-Call so it is no longer legitimate to use it. Just file a complaint against Makro at www.asa.org.uk to get this stopped as claiming 0845 is Lo-Call in ads totally violates all their many guidances on the matter.

Done.


Quote:

MAKRO state their new 0844 445 7445 telephone number is 'Lo-Call'. It costs 5p per minute at all times to call 0844 445 7445 whereas calling a standard UK 01 or 02 number costs only 3p per minute. It follows that 0844 445 7445 is not 'Lo-Call' but is, in fact, 'Hi-Call' and their statement is fraudulent.

The ASA do not police websites, your complaints to them will result in no action

derrick wrote on Jun 20^th, 2007 at 12:27pm:

The ASA do not police websites, your complaints to them will result in no action

The ASA do police websites that sell products but they do not police websites that merely provide information (eg Police or local Council).

So it depends wheter the number appeared on part of the Makro website that is also selling you a product or not.

I suspect most (all?) Makro stores have a block of sequential numbers. A fax and the number for a department like butchery is usually given on the website. These are frequently similar, and if you change the last 2 digits to 00 it should get you through to the switchboard for that branch. They have also taken out of service some 'old' 01/02 numbers which now redirect to 0844 number.

NGMsGhost wrote on Jun 20^th, 2007 at 12:32pm:

derrick wrote on Jun 20th, 2007 at 12:27pm: The ASA do not police websites, your complaints to them will result in no action The ASA do police websites that sell products but they do not police websites that merely provide information (eg Police or local Council). So it depends wheter the number appeared on part of the Makro website that is also selling you a product or not.

From ASA website:-
Claims on websites
In general, misleading claims on companies' websites should be reported to your local trading standards department (www.tradingstandards.gov.uk)  

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/about/Guided+Tours/Consumers/What+types+of+ads+and+promotions+does+the+ASA+look+into.htm

I have had various correspondence with ASA, and they have always told me that claims against websites do not come under their remit and direct me to T S, who as we all know are not interested.

However I await your reply from them re the complaint you have made to them.

Sad to say, everyone is getting greedy now. The marketing of 0844 is working at an amazing rate, ITV, Viking-Direct, the list is endless. As predicted in many letters to Ofcom, including my own, companies are jumping on the latest so called Lo-Call bandwagon. As has been pointed out by many members on this website, 0844 offers even better returns overall than 0870.
I am still in correspondence with Ofcom about the use of revenue sharing numbers regarding a matter raised with them in 1992 over 0990 numbering, so it could well take another 15 years to even get Ofcom to recognise their requirement to protect the consumer.

Just received the following from ASA, re my complaint to the about Windsor Telecom still describing  0845 as "local rate" despite ASA's ruling against them in January 2006:-

Please Quote: A07-33******* 2 July 2007

Dear Mr

WINDSOR TELECOM PLC

Thank you for taking the time to contact us on 21 June.  I am sorry for the delay in responding to you.  Unfortunately, we did not seem to receive your original complaint.

I understand that you object to claims made on the Windsor Telecom website, which promote 0845 business numbers as available for the local rate.  I am sorry but we are unable to deal with your complaint because our Code only applies to certain kinds of material on websites.  They are:      
·      online advertisements in space that has been sold by the website owner to a third party; e.g. banner and pop-up ads
·      sponsored search results (i.e. the links advertisers pay search engines to offer when you enter particular search terms) and
·      sales promotions.  We regulate these wherever they appear, including in advertisers’ websites or e-mails.  (Examples of sales promotions are free gifts and prize competitions; simple price cuts and savings claims are not sales promotions and we cannot investigate them.)

The Code does not apply to other parts of companies’ or organisations’ websites because either they are forms of editorial material (over which the ASA does not have jurisdiction) or they carry material that consumers have chosen to access in much the same way as they would walk into a shop and ask for information.  (The ASA is not entitled to regulate in-store displays.)

Though, as you are aware, the ASA has adjudicated against this organisation in the past for making similar claims, we previously upheld complaints based on promotional emails sent to consumers.  As explained above, the ASA has no authority to regulate claims made on a company’s own website.  If you should see similar claims being made in advertising material for this company, please contact us.

If you wished to take your specific complaint about information provided on the Windsor Telecom website further, you could try taking it up with your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards Department whose details can be obtained from your local council or phone book.  Or you might find their websites useful: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk and www.lga.gov.uk.

I am sorry that we were unable to help you on this occasion, but I hope that you find this information useful.

Yours sincerely



Andrea Weldon
Complaints Executive
andreaw@asa.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7492 2163
Fax: 020 7242 3696

We have used the information you have given us, together with other information from or about you, to deal with your complaint.  We may contact you to assess the quality of our services or to give you information about our activities, which might interest you.  If you do not want to be contacted for that purpose, please let our Data Protection Officer know at the above address or by e-mail at data.protection@asa.org.uk.  For further information about our Data Protection Policy please refer to our website www.asa.org.uk .


And like I have said on previous occasions, TS will do nothing, and I cannot see what Citizens Advice can do

derrick wrote on Jul 5^th, 2007 at 9:40am:

And like I have said on previous occasions, TS will do nothing, and I cannot see what Citizens Advice can do

Have you actually tried lodging a formal complaing with Trading Standards to prove this is the case?

I think the attitude of Tradings Standards on this issue varies hugely from area to area.  Also if you could show them some of the ASA guidances and Ofcom pronouncements on the matter they might change their minds about needing to take formal action.

NGMsGhost wrote on Jul 5^th, 2007 at 10:06am:

derrick wrote on Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:40am: And like I have said on previous occasions, TS will do nothing, and I cannot see what Citizens Advice can do Have you actually tried lodging a formal complaing with Trading Standards to prove this is the case? I think the attitude of Tradings Standards on this issue varies hugely from area to area.  Also if you could show them some of the ASA guidances and Ofcom pronouncements on the matter they might change their minds about needing to take formal action.

Last year I went through months of attempting to get our local TS, (Lancashire), to investigate some of these abusers, to no avail, I went through all the relevant procedures, I took them to the local tribunal and even complained to the Local Government Ombudsman, followed by their internal review, all went against me,they will not investigate these claims as "they don't have the resources" and "Ofcom are looking into it".

Local Government Ombudsman will not even talk to me, Anne Seex has told her staff not to speak to me and she will not answer emails.

These are publicly funded bodies and like Ofcom do not give a monkeys about their paymasters,(the taxpayers).

derrick wrote on Jul 5^th, 2007 at 10:22am:

Last year I went through months of attempting to get our local TS, (Lancashire), to investigate some of these abusers, to no avail, I went through all the relevant procedures, I took them to the local tribunal and even complained to the Local Government Ombudsman, followed by their internal review, all went against me,they will not investigate these claims as "they don't have the resources" and "Ofcom are looking into it".

Then I would write to Ed Richards, CEO of Ofcom, suggesting you have tried ASA and trading standards and neither will take on Windsor Telecom over this issue.  Therefore it is an unregulated blackhole area that Ofcom needs to plug by using its backstop powers under the Communciations Act 2003 to stop this form of untruth about 084/7 call costs on website.  Suggest to Mr Richards that if Ofcom do not investigate properly at high level (i.e. not the useless Ofcom Contact Centre) and take action that you will go to your MP and seek referral of Ofcom's inaction to the Parliamentary Ombudsman instead.  Also copy in colette.bowe@ofcomconsumerpanel.org.uk and Ofcom Consumer Affairs Director caludio.pollack@ofcom.org.uk

Also try referring the issue of ASA and Trading Standards and Ofcom uselessness of the matter to national newspaper journalists who have previously written 084/7s stories.


Quote:

Local Government Ombudsman will not even talk to me, Anne Seex has told her staff not to speak to me and she will not answer emails.

Who can one complain to the Local Government Ombudsman about?  The Parliamentary Ombudsman via your MP I would imagine?

Whilst this does not help you immediately is there a Costco near you? They use geographic numbers - and offer excellent service.

OK this is an old thread but I have at last got a result re Makro and their misleading description of 0844 being described as"lo-call".

When I previously complained the ASA did not police websites and TS did not want to know, however the ASA now do police websites and I complained to them a few weeks ago and the result is that Makro have now changed their description of 0844 to;-

"0844 445 7445

BT landline calls to this number will cost no more than 5p per minute. This charge will also apply to calls by BT Unlimited Weekend Calls customers. Calls made from mobiles usually cost more."

The Makro mail can be seen via this url, and the number info is at the bottom of the last page.

. http://www.makro.co.uk/metro_mail/mcc-uk/catalog/1185514/MM11_Food_40pp.pdf

The informally resolved case is on the ASA website;-

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications.aspx?SearchTerms=Makro#results

Good Afternoon,

out of pure interest I decided to check out Makro's website and low and behold they have an 0161 (Manchester) code for their Customer Services Team here

It maybe worth calling or e-mailing them to ask why the have taken to using a "Premium" rated number just to be put through to a store? Apart from the obvious profit they can make on it!

Naming and shaming companies is the best way to get them to listen!

CJT-80 wrote on May 20^th, 2011 at 12:23pm:

Good Afternoon, out of pure interest I decided to check out Makro's website and low and behold they have an 0161 (Manchester) code for their Customer Services Team here It maybe worth calling or e-mailing them to ask why the have taken to using a "Premium" rated number just to be put through to a store? Apart from the obvious profit they can make on it! Naming and shaming companies is the best way to get them to listen!

I seem to recollect from ages ago that they won't put you through to the stores from that number, and the reference via your link re the 0844 number, the explanation of costs to that number are now the same as on their Makro mails and will have come about re my complaint to the ASA.


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