Couldn't believe I was seeing this...

"0871 numbers allow calls to be diverted to your Landline, or to Mobiles anywhere in the UK or around the world. They are a good marketing tool as it is widely recognised that calls to these numbers are charged at local rate."

from...

pickaweb.co.uk/0871-numbers.htm

Who's allowing them to get away with this stuff???

Knock yourself out...!
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/how_to_complain/complaints_form/

terryhickmott wrote on Jan 30^th, 2009 at 8:24pm:

"it is widely recognised that calls to these numbers are charged at local rate."

Definitely worth a complaint, but an interesting case. We will object whichever way the ASA decides.

If the complaint is upheld, this would imply that there is not widespread misunderstanding caused by use of the phrase "local rate". Despite the ASA's efforts, this is untrue. There is widespread misunderstanding.

If the complaint is rejected, this would imply that the ASA has given up on its job and accepts that there will always be widespread misunderstanding.


terryhickmott wrote on Jan 30^th, 2009 at 8:24pm:

Who's allowing them to get away with this stuff???

One could ask, who is allowing us to get away with pointing out numerous cases of people believing that calls to revenue sharing numbers are charged at local rate?

It is widely recognised that calls to local numbers are charged at a particular "local rate". Would reference to this widespread mistaken impression be a breach of the ASA code?

Yes, we must must attack those who seek to exploit this public misunderstanding, but perhaps our primary mission should be to correct it. The greatest success is likely to be found with those who promote the misunstanding unwittingly, because they genuinely share it. Action must be taken against the deliberate liars and cheats whenever possible, but they will never be totally eliminated.

Unfortunately, the ASA won't get involved with claims on a company's own website (unless it's a competition or other promotion). The best bet in this case would be to contact Trading Standards.

They WILL check out things like google ads, though, so if you ever spot one of those that's misleading, grab a screenshot and forward it to them..

If, as SilentCallsVictim states, the aim of the website is to encourage their customers to mislead people by taking advantage of a widespread misconception about call costs, then that's one for trading standards anyway, not the ASA.

Even though some trading standards departments have been reluctant to act against companies using local- and national rate to describe 0845 and 0870, this is a more clear-cut case as 0871 clearly isn't and never has been local rate.

Have made a complaint to the ASA - will wait and see what they say.

Had a look at the website for Pickaweb.co.uk and was interested to see they give their own contact number as 0871 2180841 and for calls from abroad 44.2070601381.  (Have tried it and it works!)  One hopes they encourage their customers to give out a geographic number for contact from abroad , but I suspect not.  I also note they sell 070 numbers and state- "What do I get from my 070 number  07's (mobile numbers') look like mobile numbers and are recognisably more expensive to call than 08's and 020's".  

Made a formal (online) complaint, and got a letter back this morning from the Advertising Standards Authority. They tell me that they have no powers to intervene because 'Pickaweb is a Gibraltar-registered company'

So does that mean that all companies registered abroad can break British law with impunity?

What a shambles.

Almost as annoying as all of the foreign vehicles in my town not displaying tax discs and no requirement to do so.  

Don't you just love their address....

Pickaweb Limited
4 Giro´s Passage
Gibraltar

terryhickmott wrote on Feb 26^th, 2009 at 4:08pm:

Made a formal (online) complaint, and got a letter back this morning from the Advertising Standards Authority. They tell me that they have no powers to intervene because 'Pickaweb is a Gibraltar-registered company' So does that mean that all companies registered abroad can break British law with impunity? What a shambles. Almost as annoying as all of the foreign vehicles in my town not displaying tax discs and no requirement to do so.

It might be worth an e-mail to the Gib regulator http://www.gibraltar.gov.uk/bus/regauth.asp pointing out this blatant breach. After all they are -
BRITISH!

I contacted the IOM regulator some time back concerning something similar and they were keen to intervene

terryhickmott wrote on Feb 26^th, 2009 at 4:08pm:

Made a formal (online) complaint, and got a letter back this morning from the Advertising Standards Authority. They tell me that they have no powers to intervene because 'Pickaweb is a Gibraltar-registered company' So does that mean that all companies registered abroad can break British law with impunity? What a shambles. Almost as annoying as all of the foreign vehicles in my town not displaying tax discs and no requirement to do so.

Neither will they investigate websites as you can see from the letter I received form them in June 2007 in this thread,4th paragraph; -
http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1181044289

"The Code does not apply to other parts of companies' websites because, in effect, they are either forms of editorial material (which the ASA has never interfered with) or are marketing 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 has no power to regulate in-store displays etc.) "

Indeed.  The ASA's stance on in-store advertising is that unless you can take it away with you (e.g. it's a leaflet) then they don't get involved.

Sometimes they seem to be very picky about what they will look at.. They will look at competitions promoted on a company's website, and special offers sometimes, but not general marketing materials.

It seems that the Advertising Standards Authority sticks to it's name, in that it's only stuff which is definitely Advertising that interests them.

They will follow up on adverts using Google adwords/adsense, so if you see any of those, either alongside a Google search or as "sponsored advertising" on a 3rd party website, grab a screen-shot*, then follow the link to see where it goes, and report it.  

I've also seen a lot of offending adverts (not telecoms so not relevant to here) in the very similar paid-advertising on Facebook lately.  I've submitted one as a test to see if they will take action against these, too, but not heard anything back yet.  (They DO seem to work very slowly, too..)



* - very important, you need to show them the advert, and these ones change when you next visit a page!

irrelevant wrote on Feb 28^th, 2009 at 3:04pm:

* - very important, you need to show them the advert, and these ones change when you next visit a page!

So you have to print it out and scan it then?

NGMsGhost wrote on Mar 6^th, 2009 at 11:11am:

irrelevant wrote on Feb 28th, 2009 at 3:04pm: * - very important, you need to show them the advert, and these ones change when you next visit a page! So you have to print it out and scan it then?

I usually use a screen capture - in Windows, press  Alt-PtrSc, which 'copies' the current window, then just paste that into something like Microsoft Photo Editor (it came as an optional 'tool' in early versions of MS Office) or at a pinch, Wordpad!  Save it and attach it to the online report.