Just got my new TV Licence and i notice on their correspondence they are now using 0844 800 5800 as their main contact number.

Their is no mention of the cost to call this number.(Its  5p a minute 24/7).

Should they not indicate the cost, or are they allowed to remain silent about this?

Unbelievably, Ofcom allow them to remain silent about call pricing. They are under no obligation to have to reveal the price of calls to their 0844 number.

moneysavin wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2008 at 1:03am:

Should they not indicate the cost

Do members think that the cost to call on a particular (unstated) BT tariff, with a qualification that other charges may be different, provides useful or adequate information?

I am inclined towards the idea that all revenue sharers (whether or not providers of “premium rate services”) should be required to state the fee that THEY charge and receive for the call. This must include the likely charge for the music download service provided in competition with i-tunes whilst one is waiting to speak to an agent. If a particular function is typically being performed, rather than just being a general enquiry service, then the likely charge for completing that function should be given.

The delivery charge is a separate element that should be quoted separately by the telephone service provider. If either of them wishes to also specify the total charge or rate then that could also be useful.

TV licensing could say for example (these figures are purely illustrative):


Quote:

0844 800 5800 – service fee 1.5p per minute1 - minimum total cost 5p per minute1 2 . A typical TV Licensing telephone service fee of 6p1 provides 2 minutes of music interspursed with useful recorded information plus allowing the time normally necessary to set up a Direct Debit or for over 75's to apply for their free licence. Your telephone service provider will add a delivery charge of between 3.5p and 38.5p per minute1 2. The total cost to set up a Direct Debit or apply for a free licence by telephone will typically be between 20p and £1.601 2 1 All prices given are subject to change and include VAT. 2 According to published information available at 1/11/07. N.B. There is no service fee for using our internet service at ...

If, as is the case with all revenue sharing numbers, one is paying the person called for a service, then this is the type of information that must be provided.

David

Source: Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5083689/BBC-too-harsh-in-licence-fee-letters-says-BBC-Trust-report.html

BBC 'too harsh' in licence fee letters, says BBC Trust report

By Urmee Khan, Digital and Media Correspondent
Last Updated: 6:55PM BST 31 Mar 2009

There was a "clear public view that the tone of reminder letters is too harsh", said the corporation's governing arm.

TV Licensing, the body which oversees the collection of the fee, has previously been accused of having a 'Big Brother' approach.

[…]

The Trust found that last year, 13.1 million calls were made to TV Licensing which operates using costly 084 numbers. The review recommended replaced the numbers with 03 contact numbers, which cost no more than a national rate call.

[…]

TV Licensing has disabled some of its 0800 numbers, which I have now removed from the database:

0800 328 2020 "This number is no longer available. Your call will be disconnected." The call then disconnects. There's no redirection to any new number, so it appears that TV Licensing considers this number officially withdrawn.

0800 551550 Not recognised

0800 0850133 Not recognised - Was Welsh speaking line.

TV Licensing has now removed all its 0800 numbers, even the once widely publicised 0800 328 20 20. Likewise the 0870 numbers although we do have a 0117 alternative for a plethora of 0844 numbers.

The response TV Licensing gave to the Ofcom consultation "NTS: A way forward" says:


Quote:

The rebate which Capita receives from BT in respect of calls made to the 0870 numbers is offset against its operational costs and helps to ensure that the costs of collecting the licence fee are kept as low as possible.

But then it goes on to say:


Quote:

BBC TV Licensing considers that the bad press received regarding the costs of 0870 and its incorrect tag of ‘premium’ is due to the consumer not having knowledge of how much they pay, leading them to overestimates of the costs.

Having previously referred to what it does with the "premium" it collects, it then contradicts this by saying that this description is "incorrect".  :-X

TV Licensing evidently needs to look-up the definition of "premium" in a dictionary.  ::)

Dave,

I have just tried the 01772 552400 number in the unverified list and was immediately connected to a human being answering as "TV Licensing", I asked if I could ask about the licence on this number as I could on the Bristol number, and he said "yes".

derrick wrote on Oct 31^st, 2009 at 10:12am:

Dave, I have just tried the 01772 552400 number in the unverified list and was immediately connected to a human being answering as "TV Licensing", I asked if I could ask about the licence on this number as I could on the Bristol number, and he said "yes".

Dave,
Any reason why this number, 01772 552400, is still in the unverified list, when it definitely works, called it on Saturday and it was answered and my query dealt with!  

Source: City of Lincoln Council

http://www.lincoln.gov.uk/news_det.asp?art_id=14059&sec_id=4405


Quote:

TV Licensing goes to 03 numbers Date published: 31st December 2009 TV Licensing will be moving all its 0844 and 0845 numbers to 03 numbers by 4th January 2010. This means all calls to TV Licensing will be charged at a standard rate from all landlines and mobile phones, and will be included in all free call packages from mobile providers. TV Licensing has been setting up and testing the new numbers from 15th November 2009 and all 03 numbers will be up and running by 4th January 2010.  All customers will be advised of these new numbers in all communications from 4th January onwards.  Existing 0844 and 0845 numbers will still be active for a further 18 months, although will no longer be publicised.

Most of the 0300 numbers shown on that page are answered in the same way; with the same options, even though their purposes are supposedly different. I believe that this is the case with many of the 0844 numbers.

What a pity that, a week on, TV Licensing still haven't updated their own website to show the new numbers.

It is possible that the formal changeover has been delayed.

Following Question Time's (or rather the production company Mentorn's) final capitulation from using an 0871 number and their decision to replace it with an 03 number I was prompted to also visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk website (formally verified by Mozilla Firefox's web browser as being an official British Broadcasting Corporation GB website) and after some difficulty in only finding all initial Contact options to be FAQs or a Contact Us web form I eventually came across the www.tvlicensing.co.uk/contact-us/question/ page.

This shows that Tv Licensing has now changed and stopped using 0844 numbers and replaced them with 0300 790 6131 as the official new number for its Contact Centre. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=vrolijk_1.gif]

So if even the most hardened BBC 084/7 number misusers like Question Time and Tv Licensing can finally decide to throw in the towel on license payer 084 abuse its surely only a matter of time before all BBC Radio stations also change if any of you who live in the area of a station using an 0845 number keep up the pressure to change them to 03 numbers by sending a complaint to the station itself to www.bbc.co.uk/complaints and to the BBC Trust at trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk

Dave wrote on Oct 30^th, 2009 at 5:36pm:

TV Licensing has now removed all its 0800 numbers, even the once widely publicised 0800 328 20 20. Likewise the 0870 numbers although we do have a 0117 alternative for a plethora of 0844 numbers. The response TV Licensing gave to the Ofcom consultation "NTS: A way forward" says: Quote: The rebate which Capita receives from BT in respect of calls made to the 0870 numbers is offset against its operational costs and helps to ensure that the costs of collecting the licence fee are kept as low as possible. But then it goes on to say: [quote]BBC TV Licensing considers that the bad press received regarding the costs of 0870 and its incorrect tag of ‘premium’ is due to the consumer not having knowledge of how much they pay, leading them to overestimates of the costs.

Having previously referred to what it does with the "premium" it collects, it then contradicts this by saying that this description is "incorrect".  :-X

TV Licensing evidently needs to look-up the definition of "premium" in a dictionary.  ::)[/quote]

C*apita have only one goal, that of maximising their profits. The government pay these people to provide the 'service' from our taxes. we are then being asked by C*apita to pay for the service again through the telephone charges. This is typical of C*apita, a corrupt organisation which obtained the goverment contracts after paying Blair and Co one million pounds, ostensibly as a donation to New Labour.

Brian_T wrote on Oct 16^th, 2010 at 10:31am:

C*apita have only one goal, that of maximising their profits. The government pay these people to provide the 'service' from our taxes. we are then being asked by C*apita to pay for the service again through the telephone charges. This is typical of C*apita, a corrupt organisation which obtained the goverment contracts after paying Blair and Co one million pounds, ostensibly as a donation to New Labour.

Good point, but there will be lots more to come. Without the need for any specific party donations there are likely to be windfalls for the private sector (the hope for growth!) out of the further cut-price contracting out of services that will save lots of money for the taxpayer, at the expense of the public service user and staff. Before someone asks whether there is any difference, I will ask whether we should pay taxes according to the public services that we use, or according to our wealth or income and trading profit.

The TV licence fee itself is an unusual case, due to the assumed need for the BBC not to be funded directly by the government so as to retain independence. The BBC escaped the bonfire of the Quangos, so the outsourcing of TV licensing will continue not to be a government contract. The general point quoted above does however stand.