Dear Dorf,

Yes, I am suggesting that I draft an email for people to lift and send to their contacts, and the companies concerned if they wish.  They can amend if they wish (but not add anything offensive, libellous or factually incorrect).  There is apathy out there but if you amaze enough people with some of the facts it might work.  And it costs nothing. What is really satisfying is when it comes back to you!  And for anyone who is worried about the term 'viral' email, this simply refers to the way it spreads, they do not contain any viruses.  Give me a couple of days and I'll put one together and post it here.  If you want you can give me a few bullet points of of key points about 0870 to compare with my own thoughts. 

We can start sending and report on feedback from those who are not yet aware of the 0870 issue.

Regards

Phoneuser

[quote author=Shiggaddi

Well, it may have been 20,000 standard replies, but thats 20,000 pieces of A4 paper, 20,000 envelopes, all going through the franking machine at 21p each (I assume it's sent 2nd class!!), someone or more than one person to administer the address creation software.

All you need to do, is ask for a reply in the post, rather than e-mail, from some of these big companies.  Each complaint costs them money to deal with, even if it's a standard letter.  They will soon realise that dealing with complaints about costs of their 0870 number, is more hassle than it's worth.quote]

I work in a large organisation and if someone sends in a request by email they get a response via email even if they request the response by post. From what I read about Ofcom their CEO has promised to cut costs. I can't see them allowing 20,000 responses going out via the post.

most of the "Business Response Reply" (reply paid envelope's) are paid for by weight and not by individal item.

Take Barclaycard, I think due to the amount of those reply envlopes they get, royal mail charges them something along the lines of 0.005p (thats 1 half  of a penny per item beacuse they charge based on weight.

Other companies, may have different tarrifs but the advantage of them "Business Response Reply" is that Royal Mail charge extremly low prices once you hit a certain amount recived, but they charge around 15p per item till then.

Some people might think this a bit wordy, but if anyone wants to shorten it they can.  My suggestion is that it is copied and pasted into an email and sent to email contacts, for them to send on to whoever.  It will either fall dead on its feet or it will spread very quickly. Please don't add anyting offensive or libellous or it will lose its impact.  If anyone thinks it's already libellous please respond, but remember, libel only exists where an untruth has been told and I don't think that has been done here...

Any comments before we start bunging 'em out?

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This email is brought in to you in the interest of consumer power, you are unlikely to read about this in the media for reasons you will realise after reading this...

You may have noticed that lots of companies are using 0870/0871 numbers.  But did you know why?  It's because they charge you through your phone bill, up to 4p per minute, every time you call them, even to wait in a queue listening to ads about their services! Consequently the calls are charged at a much higher rate so they can get your money. It's like a shop charging people to go in, or worse because people don't actually know that they are paying - and  would also be paying to stand in a queue outside the shop. A market with the number of intermediaries that higher rate calls has is a sure sign of cynical exploitative businesses, just go to www.google.co.uk and type in 0870 and you will see how big this has become and how even well-known 'trusted' brands have joined in.

For example, if a BT Together customer calls Argos on its 0870 'customer-service' number (it doesn't give any others) during the day,  they pay over 7.5p per minute.  Argos used to claim that this was a 'national' rate call but a regular national call is actually just 3p per minute.  If people call at the weekend they pay 1.5p per minute. If they call a real national number at this time they pay 5.5p per HOUR.  This is all so that  0870 users can earn out of customers' ignorance of this situation. And many are earning £hundreds of thousands as customers hang on for call centres to answer and then take part in lengthy calls. Let's just make that clear, you pay anyone who uses an 0870 number to take your call, even if it's a complaint about a product or delivery - you pay them to take your call even whilst you're waiting to speak to someone. 0870 numbers are not included in telephone companies' discount deals, nor within mobile minutes.

But Argos isn't the only big name at it: P&O, Friends Provident, BBC, Virgin (which uses 0870 in the UK but free access 1-800 in the US, American consumers would not deal with a company that made them pay to speak to it!) and a whole host of others. South Eastern Trains' advice for disabled people is on an 0870 number (0870 6000 2211) but being a railway company it is incorrect and the number actually belongs to a shower manufacturer...   The Department of Health has just stopped doctors and medical centres from doing this to patients, yes, even they were not able to resist doing this.  A link to the Ofcom release:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotice...

0870 companies give all sorts of excuses.  They might say they want a common number, but they could do this with another number, even 0800 or 0845 (0845 is cheaper, just a smaller rip-off).  However, there's no chance for them to take your money if they did this.  They might also use the old chestnut that it helps to keep prices down elsewhere; this is nonsense, they will apply the same price rises and anyway companies should not take money customers without telling them. They'll also say that people could use the internet but that doesn't excuse taking money secretly from those who can't or when it's not convenient.  Some companies have even said that they use 0870 to make it fairer for people who don't live near them!  Virgin claimed that it uses 0870 partly as result of aiding customer contact after 9/11...

This issue has hardly been covered by the media because their advertisers use these numbers, and Daily Express readers please note, so do do some publications.  You could call BBC Watchdog, but it asks its viewers to supply material on an 0870 number.

What you can do:  not deal with 0870 users, ask an 0870 user for a 'normal telephone number', complain to Ofcom, register your views on www.saynoto0870.com. ; And forward this email to as many people as you want.  The media will not tell this story, consumers need to warn each other.

Dear Omy,  Thank you for that.  I'm going to use a mixture to test which works best.  I have made some slight amends to yours, I hope you don't mind.  And I cut out the spam warning as so many of my spams do start that way!

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You might have noticed that many companies you want to contact are starting using 0870 numbers?

Do you know why?  You will not find this scam discussed in the media - because they are using these numbers too!!

So what is this scam?

When you want to enquire about a product, or service, if you can dial on an 'ordinary' number, eg 01234.... then the cost will be at most 3p per min for the average BT customer - but it will be 7.5p if it's an 0870 number.  However this is made even worse if you subscribe to a 'package' that gives you free call allowance - as 0870 numbers are always EXCLUDED from the 'free' or discounted list.

Consider the amount of time these companies 'keep you on hold' and your costs multiply significantly, as the companies themselves are getting around 4p a minute from the call revenue - just to play music or their ads to you!  You are paying them to take your oder or listen to your complaint. It is a scam making immense profits from your enquiries - like charging you to enter a shop.

The only way this covert operation by companies (and Government departments, another of Gordon's stealth taxes!!) can be halted is if more people learn how they are being conned - hence the reason for this email.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Do not deal with 0870 companies, look on  www.saynoto0870.com for alternatives, join the debates;  complain to Ofcom. And forward this email to as many people as possible. 
The media will not tell this story, consumers need to warn each other.

Nice one. Please report back on how you think it's working and what people are saying.

Regards

Phoneuser

Yes, Dorf, when I wrote out this abbreviated version, it was to be just that - if we put a lengthy epistle in a 'mailshot' folk who are not as 'in the know about NGN's (unlike us!) will get quickly bored and give up on it.
So it is impossible to get everything across at one go.
Ideally a 'one sentence' appeal would be the ultimate 'grabber' - but that's not possible!
However, short and attention grabbing is the key (I think) plenty of opportunity to give all the facts once you have the attention.

Agree with the modifications made by Dave & Phoneuser.