cruse bereavement helpline are operating now from an 0844 number charged at 5 pence a minute, apart from finding regional cruse bereavement offices with landline numbers which I got via the internet ( cruse bereavement care typed into google search engine for example ) I have so far been unable to find the landline number behind the helplines number. Any help in finding this would be appreciated. It,s alot of money to have to pay 5 pence a minute just to talk to someone on a line like this, particularly when you can be held in a queue for some time before getting through to speak to someone.

I have to say that you've eluded to quite a bit of information (0844 number, web address etc).  ::)

Cruse Bereavement Care is the name of the organisation and its website is www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk and its premium telephone number is 0844 477 9400, which is prominently displayed at the top of each page.

The details of the regional offices for this organisation are here:
http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/LocalCruse.html

The address and details of the organisation are given at the bottom of all pages:

Unit 01
One Victoria Villas
Richmond
TW9 2GW

Registered Charity No. 208078
A Company Limited by Guarantee No. 638709


If this is the office where the 0844 number is answered, then maybe the Richmond-upon-Thames branch is at the same location. Its number is given on the regional offices page as 020 8876 0417.


Changing tack, a check of BT Phonebook for cruse in tw9 returns quite a number of results. There are 100 or so that give 08 numbers (the 0844 one and 0845 600 2227 for Bereavement Care Scotland).

Then there is (020) 8939 9530 for head office and 0808 808 1677 for "Youth Bereavement Line".


Let us know what you try and how you get on. Then I can list a suitable alternative for others to use.  :)

The direct alternatives for the helpline number, 0844 477 9400, are 0113 344 3117 /19 /32; these numbers are answered with exactly the same message.


dandy who started this thread and two others has been back since I made some suggestions to his or her request almost one week ago.

I ask anyone asking for help finding an alternative repays that help by helping others by telling us whether the suggested alternative works or not. That way others don't go trying it and wasting their time, as well as perhaps wasting that of the person answering calls and causing a nuisance. If does work, it also means that it will be listed in the database, making it easy for others to find, meaning they won't go without or make a posting on the forum.

thanks dave for your help, sorry I didn,t leave full details I posted my reply to you for making ammendments rather quickly...not tried any of your suggestions yet, just read your posting...

Dave, yes the 0113 344 3117 and 0113 344 3119 and 0113 344 3132 numbers all get through to the helpline, so thanks alot for helping me with this, you obviously have alot more experience with how to find alternative numbers than I do. I,m glad I can contribute by posting this request for anyone else who needs to use the Cruse service now or in the future.

dandy wrote on Aug 9^th, 2010 at 4:44pm:

Dave, yes the 0113 344 3117 and 0113 344 3119 and 0113 344 3132 numbers all get through to the helpline, so thanks alot for helping me with this, you obviously have alot more experience with how to find alternative numbers than I do. I,m glad I can contribute by posting this request for anyone else who needs to use the Cruse service now or in the future.

Thanks for the feedback.

I've listed this in the database with the alternative 0113 344 3117 and a comment that head office is 020 8939 9530. I haven't listed the other two numbers which end 3119 and 3132. If you experience 3117 being engaged but the others not, then let me know and I can add one or both of the other numbers and secondary alternatives.

I'm pleased to see that geographic numbers have now finally been located for the main helpline numbers of this organisation.

Having experienced a particularly painful bereavement some years ago and knowing how completely desperate the loss of someone close to them can make people feel I find it particularly shocking that CRUISE should have switched to 0844 numbers excluded from all landline and mobile call packages and charged from mobile phones at up to 30p per minute and BT Payphone at 20p per minute compared to only 1p per minute to a normal landline number starting 01, 02 or 03 from a BT Payphone (after paying the 60p minimum call charge that includes a 40p connection fee). >:( >:( >:(

A call today to CRUSE on their London 020 number finally elicited the fact that they actually also have an 0808 Freephone number alternative to their 0844 number but that this number seems to only be given out to ordinary callers under the greatest possible duress when callers indicate that they have particular costs issues with making calls to 0844 numbers.

The lady I spoke to wouldn't discuss with me why they used 0844 numbers as their main advertised numbers and said that she was only a volunteer who was paid nothing for the work she did for them.  She said someone would call me back on the subject.

She told me several times that they also had a Freephone number so I said did she believe that 0844 was a Freephone number because if she did she was wrong and there was no 0808 or 0800 number on their website.  So finally after going through this loop several times she gave me their Freephone number which she said was:-

0808 8081677

When I called the 0808 number I was connected to the same lady at their London office.

However I was then called back by Paul (last name not offered even when I requested it), their National Helpline Coordinator.  He said the 0844 numbers had been primarily arranged by their lady Finance Manager who was very hot on obtaining "value for money". So I then suggested to him that her idea of value of money was obviously in things like them getting free switchboard maintenance or reduced price outgoing calls for Cruse staff but was clearly against the interests of the bereaved who wouldn't be able to afford to call them if they were in straightened financial circumstances.  I also pointed out that the high priced calls meant anyone calling the service was likely to be identified if they were not the bill payer and that this undermined the fundamental objects of CRUSE.

Paul was very keen indeed to say that on their main 0844 number that while you are listening to the initial IVR message there is an option you can select to leave an answerphone message and that if you do this they will call you back free of charge within an hour or two but when I said that many people weren't always aware of the high costs of calling 0844 and it would only be when their expensive hour long call to CRUSE was queried by a billpayer that the problem would emerge he didn't really have an answer. Clearly many people calling CRUSE could end up having their call identified by another member of their household specifically due to the high call cost that would stand out on the bill (not to mention the non standard 0844 number).

Paul said he would pass on my comments to their lady Finance Manager who sadly seemed to be almost wholly in charge of policy decisions about the 0844 number currently used by Cruse.

Paul maintained that 0808 08081677 was actually their young persons bereavement line number but when I said it hadn't been given to me by his colleague on this basis, even though I clearly wasn't a younger person, he didn't seem to have an answer.

My recommendation would be that anyone who needs to call CRUISE from a line where they don't have an inclusive calls package to 01/02/03 numbers should therefore call 0808 8081677 as I don't think the use of the Young Person's Bereavement line will actually be challenged if you are older.  Indeed it appears that the call recipient may not even know you have used the 0808 number instead of the 0844 number.  If Cruse don't like it then its high time that they at least got themselves a cost neutral 03 phone number.

I note that West Northumberland Citizens Advice Bureau seems to agree with me as they also list this 080 number for Bereavement on their website (see www.westnorthumberlandcab.org.uk/telephone.htm) along with the 020 number without any indication that it is only for the use of younger persons.

NGMsGhost wrote on Aug 27^th, 2010 at 1:09pm:

My recommendation would be that anyone who needs to call CRUISE from a line where they don't have an inclusive calls package to 01/02/03 numbers should therefore call 0808 8081677 as I don't think the use of the Young Person's Bereavement line will actually be challenged if you are older.  Indeed it appears that the call recipient may not even know you have used the 0808 number instead of the 0844 number.  If Cruse don't like it then its high time that they at least got themselves a cost neutral 03 phone number.

I have added this 0808 number to the entry for Cruse Bereavement.

The number is free to call from Virgin Mobile, Orange, 3, T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2 as it begins 0808 80. The Helplines Association provides these numbers to special organisations and these mobile companies agree to waive their charges:
http://helplines.community.officelive.com/mobilefriendlyfreephones.aspx

Just like many aren't aware of the high call charges associated with 0844 numbers, far more are unlikely to know that 0808 80 numbers are free to call from these mobile operators.

Off topic replies have been moved to This Thread

I am adding that I have identified this issue for some time ( before posting on your site ) the use of 0845 and 0844 or 0870 for helpline numbers ( I have recently added several geographical requests for different helplines ) when it is quite clear that people who are in a " vulnerable " situation are for whatever reason needing to call the helpline and finding themselves in the position of being concerned about the cost of the call during the call, which is not an ideal position to be in. Not everyone wants to change over to a call package with inclusive 0845 calls etc....this is not always possible or the solution for everyone. In essence helplines are increasingly choosing to move over to such numbers for financial reasons it seems without enough consideration for the service user who may also be financially " vulnerable " ie not on a high income, therefore the outgoing expense of such a call for the service user is a consideration and this surely is counter productive for the " help " the caller is seeking. I have read on a cruse bereavement web page recently that there is free number for young people to ring the service on. It isn,t just young people who ( by age ) are are " vulnerable ". It may be about funding issues for the helpline ?

Just thought I,d add that I recently spoke to someone who works in the Telephone Helplines Association ( who train and advise on the setting up of a helpline and provide guidelines on basic requirements, standards to be met by members of the association ) [url=www. helplines.org.uk]www. helplines.org.uk[/url] and I was advised that currently the Association cannot prevent members ( helplines ) from using 0845, 0844 numbers etc...but they are now more aware of this being an issue since my call with them.