I'm working on a new BBC consumer show and would love to hear your views on 0844/45 numbers.

Please reply to this message if you would like to tell me what you think of companies/government departments which use these more expensive numbers.  

The below thread shows the caring nature of our government.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1250440855

JKBBC wrote on Aug 25^th, 2009 at 4:55pm:

I'm working on a new BBC consumer show and would love to hear your views on 0844/45 numbers. Please reply to this message if you would like to tell me what you think of companies/government departments which use these more expensive numbers.

Welcome to this forum JKBBC.

I see that you have not exactly been swamped with responses to your request JK(at the BBC).   I suspect you may obtain more of a reaction if you were to tell more about what you require and what angles or issues you are looking to address.  

Why are you only asking about 0844/45 numbers and not 0870, 0871/2/3 numbers as well as 0800 numbers which whilst free from landlines are exceedingly expensive from mobiles?  

You would only have to read a few sample threads within this Forum to get a pretty good idea of what contributors think about companies and government Departments using such numbers.

Can I suggest that you read the following threads as a start, in order to get an idea of how the users of these numbers are viewed.   If you were then to formulate some more specific questions you may get more responses: ---

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1160182005

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1185566187

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1248183682

Best wishes.

Companies that use an 0844 number create an image in my mind.

It puts the company on a par with banks...

0844 is the new 0870. All organisations using 084x numbers are deriving some benefit from the use of their numbers, whether it be direct revenue payments and/or the provision of services in return for the higher revenue from callers.

Thank you for all your replies,

I'm particularly interested in hearing stories from people who have received big bills for having to call 0845 numbers, whether that's in the public or private sector. Any experiences that you think should be brought into the public eye.

Another story I'm looking into concerns advice lines or help lines which look official but are actually premium rate numbers and just a long answer phone message with advice you could've got for free online. Such as advice for passports or child benefits.

Please email me if you have a story you'd like to tell about either of these topics.  

JKBBC wrote on Aug 26^th, 2009 at 11:38am:

I'm particularly interested in hearing stories from people who have received big bills for having to call 0845 numbers, whether that's in the public or private sector. Any experiences that you think should be brought into the public eye.

A story on HMRC's Tax Credits helpline which is reportedly keeping callers on the line for longer than necessary:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1246907169/12#12

This thread also contains some responses from people who have been interrogated and told off for calling other alternative numbers.


On the subject of the DWP, it stopped receiving revenue directly in December 2007. This amounts to an increase in income to its telephone provider of £500,000 per annum, as this is the figure it quoted as receiving prior to this date:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1130983483/392#392

JKBBC wrote on Aug 26^th, 2009 at 11:38am:

Thank you for all your replies, I'm particularly interested in hearing stories from people who have received big bills for having to call 0845 numbers, whether that's in the public or private sector. Any experiences that you think should be brought into the public eye. Another story I'm looking into concerns advice lines or help lines which look official but are actually premium rate numbers and just a long answer phone message with advice you could've got for free online. Such as advice for passports or child benefits. Please email me (jodie.krstic@bbc.co.uk) if you have a story you'd like to tell about either of these topics.

Jodie is interested to know of anyone who has called one of these so called helplines:

http://www.britishpassportoffice.co.uk/
http://www.benefitshelpline.com/Child-Benefit~2.htm?keyword=child%20benefit%20helpline

I personally feel that the rip-off on the original revenue sharing numbers makes enough of a story. The fact that PhonePay Plus apparently tolerates this deliberate attempt at deception (presumably due to the small print disclaimer) should put it firmly in the frame.

Something else being sought is a simple way of explaining revenue sharing and premium rate service numbers and the cost of calling them. The obvious method of using BT pence per minute rates is not acceptable - see blog.
Any suggestions about how to put the proper message accross simply would be very welcome.

www.britishpassportoffice.co.uk also goes by http://www.ukpassportadvice.com/ albeit they have different 09 numbers.

The communications provider of these and some other "services" have been fined:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-506284/Fined-Passport-lines-charge-premium-rates-free-advice.html


Another "advice" site with premium rate helpline is:

http://www.uk-passport-info.co.uk/