They use 0843 and 0845  and say against both call is charged at local rate.

https://secure.asda-travel.co.uk/contact.php

bigjohn wrote on Oct 28^th, 2013 at 2:58am:

They use 0843 and 0845  and say against both call is charged at local rate. https://secure.asda-travel.co.uk/contact.php

As I mentioned in my post on the Opus thread, (http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1383194331/7#7), I sent the complaint to the ASA on 31st October, I received the following on 14th November: -

"Your complaint: P&P Associates Ltd - ASDA Travel

Thank you for contacting the ASA.

Just to let you know that we’re still assessing the issue you raise and will be in touch again when there is further information.  You should hear from either myself or one of my colleagues shortly. 

Thank you for your continued patience.

Yours sincerely, "


Have heard nothing more but Asda-Travel have now deleted the "local rate" description from their web page.

I am now in the process of getting Lancashire Waste Services, ( http://www.lancashirewastesolutions.co.uk/#!by-phone/c1npm ),
to amend their description of 0844, but as the only way to contact them is by their 0844 number, or sign up using my email,(as they don't appear to have one), I have sent the complaint direct to the ASA.
The linked page mentions "local rate " 3 times, with one emphasising:- "all calls are charged at your standard local rate."

.

I have just received the following letter from the ASA, but as Asda Travel have removed the term local rate from their page I doubt the ASA will take it further.

Ref:A13****************                        29 November 2013
                                                                  By post


Dear Mr *******

Your complaint

We have considered your complaint and we will take it up with the advertisers.

We intend to deal with your complaint under our formal investigations procedure, which means that we will ask P&P Associates Ltd t/a ASDA Travel to comment on the complaint. We will then draft a recommendation and refer your complaint to the ASA Council for adjudication. You will have an opportunity to comment on the recommendation before it is considered by the Council. Once the Council has made a decision, the adjudication will be published on our website.

Once the advertiser responds to us we will decide the next steps for the case. In some cases we are able to draft a recommendation following the advertiser's initial response. However, we might require further information from the advertiser, to obtain a view from a third party, or, if the advertiser responds to your complaint by offering to change the advertising in a way that resolves your concerns, we may close the case without referring it to Council or publishing an adjudication. This has the advantage of resolving your complaint more quickly.

Whatever stage the case is at, we will contact you again in three weeks' time with an update on how your case is progressing. Please note that we can, in some cases, grant a short extension to the advertiser for their response. If we do grant an extension, we will let you know when we update you.



.

Received the following letter from the ASA on Saturday: -

Ref:A13-*********

11 December 2013 By post

Dear Mr ******* Your complaint

Further to my letter of 29 November, we have now received a response from P&P Associates Ltd t/a ASDA Travel. They have provided an assurance that the ad has been amended to remove the reference to calls being charged at a local rate. They have also provided an assurance that, where applicable, they will make clear the appropriate call charges. They have agreed to liaise with our CAP Copy Advice team for advice on complying with that assurance. We consider these assurances will resolve the complaint without referring the matter to the ASA Council, and will consequently be closing our file.

We advised P&P Associates Ltd t/a ASDA Travel that we would expect similar changes to be made to similar ads. We also advised that should we receive any similar complaints in future, we may be compelled to proceed with a formal investigation into those complaints.

In a formal investigation, if the ASA Council decides that an ad is in breach of the Code, the advertisers are told to withdraw or amend it. Because P&P Associates Ltd t/a ASDA Travel has already assured us that the advertising you complained about will be amended, we consider there is little to be gained from continuing with a formal investigation, which would achieve that same outcome.

Although we will not publish full details of your complaint on our website, www.asa.orq.uk, basic information including the advertisers' name and where the ad appeared will appear on Wednesday 8 January 2014.


.

Well done Derrick !!!

I see they now say " Calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers are sometimes charged at a higher rate than standard calls to geographic numbers."

bigjohn wrote on Dec 16^th, 2013 at 4:32pm:

Well done Derrick !!! I see they now say " Calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers are sometimes charged at a higher rate than standard calls to geographic numbers."

That is weird, because as per my reply#1, at that time they only had the numbers up and had removed all references to any costs.

I am not impressed and have emailed the ASA asking them to inform ASDA travel to remove that wording as it suggests that these numbers could be charged at a lower rate than geo calls, which they are never with the exception of BT.

0843 & 0844 are, (revenue sharing), Business Rate numbers, and as such should be described so.

You should have left it as it was. At least it does mention:

"Calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers are ... charged at a higher rate than standard calls to geographic numbers."

I would replace the dotted line with the word "usually".

ASA will ask them to replace it with "Calls cost up to 5p/min from a BT line, others may vary." without even any requirement to mention the 15p connection fee.

ASA are fixated only on BT call rates. That's why ASA do not require any price declaration for 0845 or 0870 numbers - even though they cost a fortune from other landlines and from mobiles; or for 0800 numbers - even though they are expensive from mobiles.

Ian G wrote on Dec 17^th, 2013 at 2:14pm:

You should have left it as it was. At least it does mention: "Calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers ... charged at a higher rate than standard calls to geographic numbers." ASA will ask them to replace it with "Calls cost up to 5p/min from a BT line, others may vary." ASA are fixated only on BT call rates. That's why ASA do not require any price declaration for 0845 or 0870 numbers - even though they cost a fortune from other landlines and from mobiles; or for 0800 numbers - even though they cost a fortune from mobiles.

No I should not have left it, they used the word "sometimes", but with the exception of BT it is always!

"sometimes" suggests they can be lower than geo calls, they aren't, (except BT), and are not included in any packages, so even with BT it will cost you to call them even if you have the "all calls" package!

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I reported Marks and Spenver giftcards for describing 0845 as "local rate" and the ASA said this:


Quote:

I understand you considered the ad misleading because it followed a reference to an 0845 number with the claim “Local rates apply”, though you understood that 0845 numbers cost significantly more to call than local numbers.  While I do appreciate your concerns on this point, we note that in 2009 BT changed that way that its residential customers are charged for calls to 0845 numbers, so that the cost of calling is now always lower than the cost of a standard call on BT’s most popular residential package, Unlimited Weekend Plan.  Because of this, CAP now recommends that pricing information about the cost of calls does not have be included in ads that refer to an 0845 number.  If you’re curious about the charges for different numbers and how these can be referred to in ads, you might be interested in the following page on our site: http://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-08-numbers-General.aspx Though we won’t pursue your complaint in this instance, I hope I’ve explained the reason for our position and provided you with some useful information.  Thanks nonetheless for taking the trouble to contact us with your concerns, and have a good Christmas.

Pretty shocking  >:(

ASA are interested ONLY in what BT charges for calls. However misguided that may be, they won't budge on it.

This is why they have such crazy rules for 0800, 0808, 0845 and 0870 numbers. Even though those numbers cost a fortune from mobiles, ASA have no interest in their call price designations because on a BT line, calls to those numbers cost the same or less than calling an 01 or 02 number. They have no interest in what these calls cost on other networks. Their thinking is completely flawed.

They will only deal with complaints about 0843, 0844, 0871 and 0872 numbers.

They did miss one thing though, BT AnyTime is the most popular package and has been for several years. There's a note to that effect on the CAP website - indeed on the very page that ASA mentioned.

Rather than protecting consumers, ASA's muddled thinking is harming consumers and has done for years. At some point they are going to have to end their fixation with BT call rates. Ofcom's "unbundled tariffs" system is going to be a big shock to them!

Have just received an e-mail from the ASA: -

"Dear Mr ******,

Your complaint: P&P Associates Ltd

Thank you for bringing to our attention that the call costs were still not stated on the Asda Travel contact page. I have been dealing with this issue; I believe that beforehand you were having correspondence with my colleague ****** ******.

We contacted the advertiser and they have now included the appropriate call costs; they have also removed the 0845 numbers.  Additionally, they have given us their assurance that they will address this issue on their website banners.  On this basis, and as the call costs are now stated on the page, we will close our file on this matter.  Basic information about the advertiser will appear again on our website, www.asa.org.uk.

Yours sincerely,"



Although they are still using BT as a price comparison, I do not think I will get it any better than this: - 

"Call our sales team on 0843 299 0000.

Calls cost 15p plus up to 5ppm from BT Anytime. Mobile and other providers’ charges may vary"  ( https://secure.asda-travel.co.uk/contact.php ).


Ian G wrote on Dec 17^th, 2013 at 2:14pm:

ASA will ask them to replace it with "Calls cost up to 5p/min from a BT line, others may vary." without even any requirement to mention the 15p connection fee.

Ye of little faith ;)


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derrick wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2014 at 11:23am:

Have just received an e-mail from the ASA: - "Dear Mr ******, Your complaint: P&P Associates Ltd We contacted the advertiser and they have now included the appropriate call costs; they have also removed the 0845 numbers.  Additionally, they have given us their assurance that they will address this issue on their website banners.  On this basis, and as the call costs are now stated on the page, we will close our file on this matter.  Basic information about the advertiser will appear again on our website, www.asa.org.uk. Although they are still using BT as a price comparison, I do not think I will get it any better than this: -  "Call our sales team on 0843 299 0000. Calls cost 15p plus up to 5ppm from BT Anytime. Mobile and other providers’ charges may vary"  ( https://secure.asda-travel.co.uk/contact.php ).

They removed the 0845 number and replaced it with an 01 number.... assuming the customer services is based where the sales team is based you/I/we could work out what they alternative to the 0843 number is!

Just a thought....

:)

CJT-80 wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2014 at 12:32pm:

They removed the 0845 number and replaced it with an 01 number.... assuming the customer services is based where the sales team is based you/I/we could work out what they alternative to the 0843 number is! Just a thought.... :)

No, they had the 0845 & the 01 number, they have removed the 0845 & left the 01 on it's own, as stated in the ASA e-mail.

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derrick,

apologies I misread what had been done..

it maybe a good starting point for finding a number to use instead of the 0843 sales line...