I had occasion to email a complaint about an unsolicited text to the Information Commissioner's office today and received an automatic email acknowledgement.

It included the sentence:

Quote:

If you require any further assistance please contact our Helpline on 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.

Unbelievable!

I've suggested they amend that sentence to read, "If you require any further assistance please contact our Helpline on 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745 if, like us, you still haven't grasped the fact that 03 numbers are charged at the same rate as 01 and 02 numbers.

It is certainly fascinating.

I wonder whether those who campaign for the publication of alternatives to non-geographic numbers regard this as some sort of success.

It also shows that there is a lot of work to do to get a term such as "UK rate" or "geographic rate" generally accepted as covering 01/02/03 calls.

There are cases I am aware of where there could be a difference in the rate for calling the two numbers. Some business tariffs have distinct local and national rates, and there is a Talk Talk tariff (now withdrawn) which offered local calls (including all calls to 03 numbers) as inclusive.

Perversely, in the latter case the 01625 call would be chargeable (for most) whereas the 03 would be inclusive, so those choosing a national rate number would be choosing to pay more! In the former case, the 01625 call could be cheaper for some, but only for those where it was charged at the local rate.

We cannot get away from the fact that there is a strong (and sometimes unjustified) prejudice against non-geographic numbers. Although it does not get caught up in discussion about rates, the Ofcom "Contact Us" page offers geographic alternatives to its 03 numbers.