Hi Everyone, I have been reading these forums for a while but this is my first post.

I'm trying to understand what the position is reagrding 0870 numbers will be come 1st February. I have inheritted poistion in a firm which traditionally used an 0870 number for it's main in-bound number and have since taken steps to fade this out. We now publish our geographical number and all stationary / websites etc have been changed. We still take a large number of calls on the 0870 number due to historic reasons.

I understand that Ofcom has delayed enforcing providers to charge these calls at same rate as 01/02, but I'm sure I read on here that BT were going to reduce their call charges of there own accord. I can't seem to get a definitive position.

ashley50 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2008 at 12:18pm:

I can't seem to get a definitive position.

Have you seen
http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/0870?com.bea.event.type=linkclick&oLName=link.searchresults&oLDesc=KB_1071?

ashley50 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2008 at 12:18pm:

I understand that Ofcom has delayed enforcing providers to charge these calls at same rate as 01/02, but I'm sure I read on here that BT were going to reduce their call charges of there own accord. I can't seem to get a definitive position.

What do you mean by "reduce"? Last year the daytime rate for 0870 was reduced from 7.51p/min to 6p/min for BT Together customers, although the separate weekend rate was also scrapped. The telephone companies which operate the 0870 numbers then go running to Ofcom complaining about BT's reduced payments. So short of some regulation (which was due to come into effect on 1 Feb), then I can't see 0870 being reduced to 01/02 rate. Perhaps BT will reduce it a penny or two.

ashley50 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2008 at 12:18pm:

What is the 0870 position come 1FEB08?

No change!

The regulations that were to come into effect on that date were never finalised. The final steps, which were to be carried out at the end of last year, were abandoned.

If you have made plans to make the changeover, then you should go ahead. Calls on your 0870 number will continue to be charged at a "premium" rate for some time. Ofcom had never intended to create an absolute prohibition on this anyway.

A possible (some would say grossly over-generous) interpretation is that Ofcom was actually trying to kill off 0870.

BT was intending to drop its rates, whereas others were not. We will have to wait to see what happens next.

I hope that you have not told your callers that they will be able to call the 0870 number at normal rates, as this would always have been at the discretion of their provider.

Your company seems to be ready to sayno to 0870, sacrificing the revenue share it was earning from callers. Ofcom is not yet ready. You will have to do this for yourselves in whatever way you think best.

You can guess that those of us who post here would urge you to cut off the 0870 number tomorrow and publish your alternative on this site.

Welcome, and thanks for posting - if you have been watching for some time, you will know the risk you take. Some will be waiting to hear what you decide to do.

David

pw4 wrote on Jan 24^th, 2008 at 1:25pm:

ashley50 wrote on Jan 24th, 2008 at 12:18pm: I can't seem to get a definitive position. Have you seen http://www.btbroadbandoffice.com/0870?com.bea.event.type=linkclick&oLName=link.searchresults&oLDesc=KB_1071?

Unless it's hidden away in the above BT announcement, there's no mention of '03' as an 'alternative strategy'?

Thanks, David. We're not going to cut off the 0870 number, but we have stopped publishing it on all our electronic media and any newly designed / printed paper media. It will eventually fade away!

ashley50 wrote on Feb 6^th, 2008 at 4:57pm:

Thanks, David. We're not going to cut off the 0870 number, but we have stopped publishing it on all our electronic media and any newly designed / printed paper media. It will eventually fade away!

Why not pay for a message telling people to call you on your 01 or 02 number instead, rather than accepting the 0870 call and taking the revenue share. :o >:( :'(