>:(

I'm with talk talk phone company and they have like BT now stopped charging for the 0870 and 0845 numbers but unfortunately companies that had 0870 and 0845 seem to be changing to 0844 and other variants like 0871 ........ right... seeing my latest bill from talk talk I see that when phoning the passport office and royal mail I have a couple of calls to 0844 and had a couple of hefty charges ......whereas the 0870 and 0845s are now zero.

This may be all BT will do is to issue slight variations which unbeknown to customers are still charged at these ludicrous rates.

We need to call for ALL premium numbers to be outlawed NOW.

In particular these rip off numbers to shows like X factor ............ which I believe to be rigged by the TV companies anyway ........... Where are the independent adjudicators for these programmes ... there should be like the lottery is because they absolutely have no scruples about ripping off callers and giving out any result that suits them or their bets.

Totally agree. I needed to book flights with KLM last week (had to phone as I had a voucher to use). They have changed all their numbers from 0870 to 0871. So, I was on 21 minutes and the call cost me just over £3.00.  :'( Silly me though should have phoned through to their HO in Amsterdam as I get free included minutes to certain Countries with my telephone provider and Netherland is one of the Countries included.

Love this website though as 99% of the time you can usually find a landline number.  8-)

Welcome to both - good postings. A few points to make.

0845 and 0870 are still charged at a premium by Virgin Media, the mobile companies and some other others. The revenue share on 0870 is no longer being paid - making the premium unjustifiable. Revenue sharing continues on 0845 - with BT it is paid for out of the package fee or by cross-subsidy from other charges, as it always has been due to regulation.

This website continues to enable those who find alternative numbers to share them with others. Until use of call charges as a means of contributing towards the cost of providing a service (or making money from it) is outlawed this will continue.

Some forum members campaign for this. Others (including myself) accept that the principle will remain and campaign for proper visibility, understanding and declaration of the premiums charged, and of the benefits derived from them. In some cases, e.g. public services, proper visibility and understanding would make use of such numbers clearly intolerable, so that use must be prohibited.

It is important to understand that users of 0844 and 0845 numbers are not subject to any specific telecoms regulation. They are however subject to general regulation by, for example, Trading Standards and the ASA.

0871 numbers are now classified as being used for Premium Rate Services, joining the 09xx ranges. Their use is thereby subject to controls set by PhonePay Plus - the self-regulatory body that represents the interests of the companies that provide chargeable services by telephone. The relevant powers are actually held by Ofcom, but they are devolved under arrangements defined in law.

As the regulator of broadcasting, Ofcom directly sets rules regarding Phone-ins by independent TV companies. I believe that the BBC Trust applies these also.

I hope this is helpful in indicating how to direct complaints and campaigning energies.

Thanks for the reply folks!

Yes Silentcallsvictim ... you make the point that there no clarity or transparency as to which numbers are charged and which aren't.

It's a deliberate tactic designed to confuse customers e.g. they tell us that 0870 and 0845 numbers are now free but quietly bring in 0844 etc.

This is shameful policy as customers relax and assume that they are all free of charge when they aren't and they get a nasty surprise on the phone bill.

I think that either they legislate to completely ban ALL premium numbers and by that I include 087x 084x 090 etc or have a compulsory announcement warning the customer how much per minute or second the call will be charged. Preferably the former.

If I had my way I re-nationalise all the utilities that were privatised by the Conservatives some years ago as it's cost us all dearly. And don't even mention the banks.