sixpence wrote on Feb 10
th, 2006 at 1:06am:
So rather than say no to 0870 why don't you campaign that calls to non-geos announce their tariff to consumers?
Because that would be shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted!
This doesn't just involve consumers, but also surrounds the businesses that use them. They opted to use them based on the premise that they are charged not more than (national) callers currently pay. They are also often tempted by the revenue.
So now having an 0870 is accepted as the norm. How do you propose that providing clear pricing information after years of 'national rate' will allow customers to choose? Would you be happy to go into a shop to find nice cheap prices, and when you come out, you pay for the item and the time talking to the assistant?
sixpence wrote on Feb 10
th, 2006 at 1:06am:
I regularly phone a non-geo that announces, “All calls to this number will be charged at 50p a minute by BT. Prices from other networks may vary.” It’s up to me the consumer to decide whether I’m willing to pay for that support.
I agree, it is up to you. Advertisements are covered by regulations which mean that prices are shown. It also means other things such as queuing is not allowed on 09 numbers, but this doesn't apply on 084/087 numbers.
sixpence wrote on Feb 10
th, 2006 at 1:06am:
I know you mean well but you really must consider the rest of us. Your perceptions, as you call them, may well be the result of being ripped off by the minority who abuse the non geo facility. That's life sadly. Rip offs merchants are here to stay, but I'd rather you didn't steer the Ofcom ship towards more expensive billing systems from customer support lines that are currently providing an excellent and very valuable service.
My perceptions are based on the fact that the telephone regulator allowed 0870 numbers to become charged at higher rates than geographical numbers. This is an anti-competitive charging arrangement whereby all call carriers charge about the same. Thus, it knew that as competition has driven down the price of (geographical) calls, this could never be so with 0870 (and 0845).
The regulator created the National Telephone Numbering Plan whereby all premium rate (revenue sharing) numbers were prefixed 09 accordingly. It also allowed them to be referred to as 'national rate'
and placed them outside the 09 category.
What I would like to see is a clear playing field. I am not out to stop all sorts of revenue generating numbers. Are you happy that when you phone your bank or insurance company, they could be 'earning' money from your call?