An article published by This is Money reveals that Telcos are flouting the guidance of Ofcom still further and increasing their call charges for 0870 numbers rather then reducing them in any way.

What some of us would suspect of course is not that the Telcos are doing anything which Ofcom actually would disagree with, but that they have probably agreed this clandestinely with their buddies!

See http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=443439&in_page_id=2

http://www.contractoruk.com/news/003844.html

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Callers to 0870 numbers are still paying a premium – sometimes as much as four times the normal rate – in breach of regulatory guidelines set up over two years ago.

In April 2006, Ofcom implemented a package of measures to protect consumers from 08 numbers, often bought by operators for their customer call centres.

To tackle one of the most common complaints from consumers, the regulator wanted the cost of 08 numbers – known as NTS numbers – to fall in line with ordinary calls.

Fourteen months later, one national paper understands BSky B has raised charges to 10p a minute, Tiscali to 8p a minute and T-Mobile up to 40p a minute for some customers.

The Mail on Sunday also reported that, contrary to Ofcom’s wish that free bundle minutes would extend to 08 numbers, T-Mobile has aligned 0870 with its priciest calls.

Tim Wolfenden, of price comparison website uSwitch.com reportedly responded to the news by pointing out not every operator is “going to listen” to the regulator.

Ofcom has been consulting with industry on 0870 numbers since it decided that forcing operators to announce the price of an 08 call at its outset would be dangerous.

It said using free price reminders could be problematic for machine-to-machine calls including personal, fire and burglar alarms, “leading to potential life-threatening consequences.”

Further consultation about 08 numbers is expected to result in Ofcom issuing a ruling on charges in the autumn, when phone groups could be ordered to cut the cost for callers.
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"Soft touch" Ofcom still refusing to do its job as telecoms regulator and implement the changes to protect its so called "customers", the consumers? What a surprise there(!) ::)

Another example of a journalist having a go at a very complex story and presenting a grossly over-simplified (some might say deceitful) version of what the actual situation is.

dorf wrote on Jun 23^rd, 2008 at 9:45am:

What some of us would suspect of course is not that the Telcos are doing anything which Ofcom actually would disagree with, but that they have probably agreed this clandestinely with their buddies! See http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=443439&in_page_id=2

Perhaps even at that top Ofcom meeting for buddying up with the telecoms industry known as the NTS Focus Group. :o >:( >:( >:(

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/30/o2_lies_ofcom_ignored/

T-Mobile not alone in spinning price hikes

By Bill Ray

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T-Mobile isn't alone in its innovative reading of Ofcom recommendations, but at least the company only implied that the regulator was responsible for the increase in its prices: O2 is claiming it outright.

0870 numbers are non-geographic: they are national calls regardless of where the call originates or terminates. Mobile operators have until now treated such numbers as exceptional and charged a special rate for them, but UK-regulator Ofcom has stated that such calls are to be treated as normal national calls and that they "should" be included within bundled minutes that come with the tariff.

The key word here is "should", which T-Mobile interpreted as "don't have to be", enabling the company to double its prices. The other UK operators are taking much the same approach, while intimating that the change has been forced on them by Ofcom, but O2 went one stage further in an e-mail to a customer last week which clearly laid the blame at Ofcom's door:

Our old tariffs had calls to these [0870] numbers included in the free allowance but as per the special number policy of Ofcom, we've excluded these calls from the free allowances of our tariffs with effect from 28 September 2008.

This is, of course, b0llocks. When we put this to O2 we were told that it had "...advised customer services that this is a business decision", but apparently customer services isn't taking this advice as punters are still being told the same thing this morning.

We asked O2 about that, and Ofcom about how it feels to be completely ignored by the industry you're supposed to be regulating, but so far neither party has got back to us. ®
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See comments http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/30/o2_lies_ofcom_ignored/comments/