Received a delivery from Argos yesterday and noticed on the accompanying paper work for their telephone number (an 0845) it had small print along the lines of 'calls cost upto 4ppm from a BT landline with a 6p connection charge.  Other providers and mobiles.....'

Now I'm not having a go at Argos for their 0845 number or the fact that it incorrectly states a 6p connection charge but more about with the amount of recent and regular price rises by BT and then by the other main providers, means that Argos are incorrectly stating a connection charge of 6p applies.

I have no doubt at the time the delivery note header/footer was pre-printed for Argos, that the price was correct but this isn't true now.

Thing is how can Argos (or any other company) realistically keep upto date with price changes when they are happening within months from each other in some cases?

Ever since Ofcom relaxed the restrictions on what BT can charge, there have just been price increases after price increases.  Now every company is expected to increase their prices yearly or so but BT are increasing their prices a lot more frequent, followed by their so-called competitors.

Now Ofcom thought that competition was rife enough that there wouldn't but I see very little of that now.

Ofcom fails again as far as I'm concerned just as it failed on the directory enquiries!   >:(

bbb_uk wrote on Aug 6^th, 2010 at 6:23pm:

Now I'm not having a go at Argos for their 0845 number or the fact that it incorrectly states a 6p connection charge but more about with the amount of recent and regular price rises by BT and then by the other main providers, means that Argos are incorrectly stating a connection charge of 6p applies.

But as competition in the market increases, the proportion of consumers which BT rates are relevant decreases. The review of non-geographic numbers needs looking at, with a view to having some sort of universal pricing information. Whether service providers (organisations that use 084x numbers) take this on board is of course another matter.

Dave wrote on Aug 7^th, 2010 at 4:29pm:

bbb_uk wrote on Aug 6th, 2010 at 6:23pm: Now I'm not having a go at Argos for their 0845 number or the fact that it incorrectly states a 6p connection charge but more about with the amount of recent and regular price rises by BT and then by the other main providers, means that Argos are incorrectly stating a connection charge of 6p applies. But as competition in the market increases, the proportion of consumers which BT rates are relevant decreases. The review of non-geographic numbers needs looking at, with a view to having some sort of universal pricing information. Whether service providers (organisations that use 084x numbers) take this on board is of course another matter.

I agree but Ofcom are unlikely to do anything.

What can Ofcom do?  Unless Ofcom told OCPs how much to charge for a call so the likes of Argos could accurately state call costs then I can't think of any other easy method.  We know that Ofcom would never be allowed to do that and the thought of it would just have all the OCPs moaning that Ofcom are interferring.

Argos are following correct guidelines which under the current system is probably the best way of warning anyone about call costs but obviously due to the very, very regular price increases the pricing information Argos are using is old.

I'm guessing here but assuming it takes 6months+ by the time one person decides the information of 6p connection charge is wrong to the time it takes to use existing stationery and ordering more stationery with correct pricing and it being printed sent off to Argos and comes into use means that the information is probably out of date by the time this is all done especially going by the recent very regular price changes that is happening for which Ofcom is now having nothing to do with.

Most OCPs charge around the same as BT and always increase their prices shortly after BT increase theirs.  The only major OCP not to follow BT's pricing to some extent are VirginMedia who, to this day, are still the MOST expensive landline provider for calls.