See here where they say

"telephone 0370 908 3199 (calls from a landline cost up to 8p per minute - some operators or mobile providers may vary"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nhzkg

I presume they are referring to calls from a BT line 7.95p a minute . Should they not make it clear they are using BT as an example. Given that Virgin charge 9p plus .

No, that's the wording they used to use to describe the cost of calling their 0870 numbers (when BT's charge was 7.91p/minute) - someone's been lazy at the BBC and hasn't updated that particular one (although most have, at last, caught up with the real world).

Thanks Heinz. In the programme tonight  the presenter called it a local rate number.

The announcement quoted is totally meaningless, as well as being factually inaccurate.

To call any 03 number callers will pay no more than they pay for a geographic call (local or national).

Calls to 01/2/03 numbers are invariably included in the call plans and packages which invariably apply to all telephone users. Those who chose a plan or package with limited use, e.g. Evenings and Weekends only, pay less but obviously incur a penalty charge if they make calls that are not covered. In the case of BT, the penalty charge for a daytime call to a 01/02/03 number is indeed 7.95p, increasing to 8.41p in January.

Not only is the BT penalty charge not the greatest that may be incurred from a landine, it is misleading to quote only a price which is paid only by a small minority of callers.

SCV,

You seem to avoid discussing the biggest issue.  Namely why are Ofcom and the OFT collectively doing nothing about the abusive use of ever increasing Connection Fees and per minute call charges by the telcos (led from the front by BT who clearly do still have Significant Market Power in this area contrary to Ofcom's claims) to try and blackmail all fixed line phone users in to taking monthly bundled calling plans.

In every possible way BT has set out to trick consumers by telling them they have free evening and weekend calls if they just sign up for a year ahead only to then change their definition of Evening to 7pm to try and catch them out.

Pricing at petrol stations does not seem to be complex in this way at all and I am sure there would be a huge backlash and endless complaints if it was so the question is why are Ofcom and the OFT so useless in failing to do anything about it.  Apart from anything else the current situation is quite clearly blatantly unfair and discriminatory to single unemployed and elderly people who may spend large amounts of time at home but who do not need to make that many calls.   The Easyjet per booking Administration Charge (for which you basically get nothing) is another example of unjustifed and unfair fees that some retailers are trying to introduce.  But the OFT thinks it is apparently more important for it to worry about private school fees or the price of certain fashion ranges of sunglasses. :o >:( :'(

NGMsGhost wrote on Nov 5^th, 2012 at 3:42pm:

[…] Namely why are Ofcom and the OFT collectively doing nothing about the abusive use of ever increasing Connection Fees and per minute call charges by the telcos (led from the front by BT who clearly do still have Significant Market Power in this area contrary to Ofcom's claims) to try and blackmail all fixed line phone users in to taking monthly bundled calling plans.

Call connection/set-up charges were originally introduced by the cable operators ntl and Telewest which have now amalgamated into one company: Virgin Media. Its connection charge is currently 14.94 pence whereas BT's is 13.1 pence.

Dave wrote on Nov 5^th, 2012 at 3:51pm:

Virgin Media. Its connection charge is currently 14.94 pence whereas BT's is 13.1 pence.

Not for much longer!

Isnt it about time that a huge organisation like the BBC had a Bod in an office on the end of a phone who actually knows all about the Phone numbers that should be used by Programme Producers and it should be a Regulation that any phone number to be used or mentioned has to pass through this Bod so they can get the information correct first time.

It should not have to be up to Viewers and Listeners to have to keep telling them that they have got it wrong Again. It the Presenter is verbalising the information it should be available to the Auto Que. from this internal help line.

We are in the 21st Century now although sometimes I think the BBC is still in the 20th Century  ::)

Even when stuff is on autocue, presenters can still get it wrong.

Several times a number has been displayed on screen as  020  7222  1234  (and presumably the same on autocue) but the presenter read it out, often with a certain amount of stumbling, as  0207  222  1234.


OK. That's not a pricing issue but you get the point. One problem is that many programmes are made by outside companies and are pre-recorded. Getting the message through to them is not going to be easy.

I always wonder how they are going to remove out of date phone information when the programme is shown again years later as a repeat.