As a big user of the Rightmove website at http://www.rightmove.co.uk I have noticed that in the last few months they have started replacing the geographical numbers of Estate Agents with 0845 numbers.

To see this for yourself, visit the site and carry out a search for properties for sale in your area, and take a look at the results list, I reckon that more than half of the agents now have 0845 numbers listed.

Being on an inclusive UK calls package (with my broadband provider Nildram) I am naturally reluctant to call agents on 0845 numbers which are not included in my (or many other) call packages, so I sent an e-mail to Rightmove (talk-to-us@rightmove.co.uk) to protest about the replacement of geographic numbers with NGN, and got the following reply from Stuart Chung (stuart.chung@Rightmove.co.uk):

"Thank you for your email.

The reason why Rightmove introduced 0845 numbers for our agents is to allow them to track the number of leads Rightmove provides them in the same way we track their emails.  The benefit for the users of the site is that when calling a national number they would traditionally pay less.

This is an initiative which Rightmove pays for and in no way shape or form do we make any money from this, it is both for the benefit of our member agents and our site users.

The reason we label the 0845 with "(low call rate)" is because some companies actually label them with "local rate" which implies that firstly it is the same call costs has a local BT call and secondly that the call charge maybe included has you say in the their BT together package.  By labeling the calls "(low call rate)", implies just that, a low call rate is applied which I believe is anywhere between 3-5p per minute depending on the telecoms provider.

Please be assured that Rightmove acts on both the interest of it's users and it's members."

I find that last sentence the hardest to swallow. How is this in the interest of it's users?!

So Rightmove are getting us to pay extra for calls to it's agents so they can provide them with marketing information. What an absolute outrage!!

Rightmove is a probably the biggest property site in the UK and most Estate Agents have or are signing up with them.

Do the agents know that their clients have to pay extra to contact them on these numbers?

What can we do to make users and agents aware of what is happening? I have considered writing to Estate Agent associations and individual agents, but what is the best way to get this information out in public?

At the moment there is a workaround for users, as clicking on one of the properties and then on 'About Agent' will reveal the geographical number (I don't want to point this out to Rightmove or they might change these numbers too!).

I have written again to Stuart Chung pointing out the error of their ways, and suggesting that they should replace the 'Low Call Rate' label with 'Slightly Higher than National Rate' or, if they really want to act in everyone's interest, use 0800 numbers, but have not heard back from him.

And they can have the marketing information on calls placed from/on normal geographic numbers anyway.

Rightmove is now using 'virtual' geographic numbers for estate agents that it lists.

It used to use 0845 numbers and then, I believe, 0843 numbers.

Not always  ;) it also uses  0303 numbers depending on location see :

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/estate-agents/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E1079&radius=1.0

(That numbering range was supposed to have been used by the UK Wide Public Sector/Non Profit ).

and also the odd 0800 number.

Sorry for some reason i cant post a proper link !!!