At http://www.itv.com/news/2014-02-28/how-to-reclaim-owed-money-from-energy-firms/ ITV is giving out a list of surcharged 0843 numbers, set up by a third party, which forward to energy suppliers' non-surcharged telephone numbers. If ITV is doing this deliberately, then it is breaching its audience's trust. If ITV is doing this by mistake, then it is negligent and irresponsible.

As well as causing callers to be surcharged unnecessarily, it gives the owner of the 0843 numbers the ability to listen to calls and harvest personal data.

The rip off suppliers of the numbers  must be laughing all the way to the bank.

www.numbershelpline.co.uk

Hi bigjohn

"this page cannot be found is the message I am getting" when using the link

bazzerfewi wrote on Apr 20^th, 2014 at 1:20am:

Hi bigjohn "this page cannot be found is the message I am getting" when using the link

Thanks bazzerfewi.

Go to http://www.numbershelpline.co.uk/ and click on about us  :)

NFH wrote on Apr 19^th, 2014 at 10:10am:

At http://www.itv.com/news/2014-02-28/how-to-reclaim-owed-money-from-energy-firms/ ITV is giving out a list of surcharged 0843 numbers, set up by a third party, which forward to energy suppliers' non-surcharged telephone numbers. If ITV is doing this deliberately, then it is breaching its audience's trust. If ITV is doing this by mistake, then it is negligent and irresponsible. As well as causing callers to be surcharged unnecessarily, it gives the owner of the 0843 numbers the ability to listen to calls and harvest personal data.

ITV can be e-mailed via this address: viewerservices@itv.com


EDIT: just sent them a stinking e-mail with links to all the companies and the alternative numbers they SHOULD of given out!

NFH wrote on Apr 19^th, 2014 at 10:10am:

At http://www.itv.com/news/2014-02-28/how-to-reclaim-owed-money-from-energy-firms/ ITV is giving out a list of surcharged 0843 numbers, set up by a third party, which forward to energy suppliers' non-surcharged telephone numbers. If ITV is doing this deliberately, then it is breaching its audience's trust. If ITV is doing this by mistake, then it is negligent and irresponsible. As well as causing callers to be surcharged unnecessarily, it gives the owner of the 0843 numbers the ability to listen to calls and harvest personal data.

This page has been changed by ITV and now contains the correct direct numbers for the larger energy companies.

In addition ITV Viewer Services is going to replace their own 0844 contact number with the 03448814150, as of the 28th April.    :) :)

Well blow me down with a feather!!!!  :o :o :o :o

Clearly a shitty e-mail can work.. not that I ever got a reply!

At least they have changed it, and they are amending their other number!

I am however not suggesting I was the only person who caused the change on that page :D

loddon wrote on Apr 24^th, 2014 at 12:08pm:

In addition ITV Viewer Services is going to replace their own 0844 contact number with the 03448814150, as of the 28th April.    :) :)

loddon, can you elaborate on how you are aware of this? :D

CJT-80 wrote on Apr 25^th, 2014 at 11:00am:

[quote author=loddon link=1397898634/5#5 date=1398337698] In addition ITV Viewer Services is going to replace their own 0844 contact number with the 03448814150, as of the 28th April.    :) :)    loddon, can you elaborate on how you are aware of this? :D

Yes, I wrote to ITV on 19 April complaining about their website which advised viewers to contact energy companies via a third party using 0843 excess charge numbers instead of the genuine company numbers and saying that a complaint would also be made to Ofcom.

I received a reply from Lucy, ITV Viewer Services Supervisor, stating that they would be changing the ITV number from 0844 to 0344.   Perversely she stated "I can confirm that the only number we display on our Viewer Services web page is our own contact number ..." and "It is not our policy to advertise any other numbers on the Viewer Services web page."    I then checked their website and surprise surprise they had removed the link to the 0843 number service and replaced with the real energy Co numbers! Despite the declared policy.   I do wish she had been more honest and thanked me for drawing the issue to their attention and stating that they had amended their website; unfortunately companies like ITV don't like to admit their mistakes nor to tell the whole truth necessarily, however, the right outcome has resulted so I will not be complaining further.

Incidentally I wrote to them on behalf of the Fair Telecoms Campaign, maybe that carried some weight or was influential.

loddon wrote on Apr 27^th, 2014 at 4:40pm:

CJT-80 wrote on Apr 25th, 2014 at 11:00am: [quote author=loddon link=1397898634/5#5 date=1398337698] In addition ITV Viewer Services is going to replace their own 0844 contact number with the 03448814150, as of the 28th April.    :) :)    loddon, can you elaborate on how you are aware of this? :D Yes, I wrote to ITV on 19 April complaining about their website which advised viewers to contact energy companies via a third party using 0843 excess charge numbers instead of the genuine company numbers and saying that a complaint would also be made to Ofcom. I received a reply from Lucy, ITV Viewer Services Supervisor, stating that they would be changing the ITV number from 0844 to 0344.   Perversely she stated "I can confirm that the only number we display on our Viewer Services web page is our own contact number ..." and "It is not our policy to advertise any other numbers on the Viewer Services web page."    I then checked their website and surprise surprise they had removed the link to the 0843 number service and replaced with the real energy Co numbers! Despite the declared policy.   I do wish she had be more honest and thanked me for drawing the issue to their attention and stating that they had amended their website; unfortunately companies like ITV don't like to admit their mistakes nor to tell the whole truth necessarily, however, the right outcome has resulted so I will not be complaining further. Incidentally I wrote to them on behalf of the Fair Telecoms Campaign, maybe that carried some weight or was influential.

Well loddon, well done, I didn't even get a reply.. so it's great news.. and clearly both of us (and anyone else who contacted them) were responsible for getting it changed.

Also well done for getting a reply... and for finding out they are changing the general contact number.  :) :)

loddon wrote on Apr 24^th, 2014 at 12:08pm:

In addition ITV Viewer Services is going to replace their own 0844 contact number with the 03448814150, as of the 28th April.    :) :)

loddon I can now advise I have amended the ITV Viewer Services number to the 0344 alternative as given on the ITV website.

:)