SAYNOTO0870.COM - Is it my imagination....?

terryhickmott

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Is it my imagination....?
May 3^rd, 2006 at 5:57pm

Is it my imagination, or are more and more shopping channels advertising 0871 numbers instead of 0870? Likewise TV adverts such as Virgin Holidays to Busch Gardens etc.
If so is this their reaction to the proposals to reduce revenue share on 0870? And if so is this the reaction OFCOM were expecting (or not)? Or are the officers of OFCOM that naive?

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Heinz Supreme Member Offline Posts: 1,362 Essex	Re: Is it my imagination....? Reply #1 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 6:22pm In answer to your questions. 1. No. 2. Yes, they really are that naive (the toothless tiger was their former nickname, but I have officially renamed them 'the Charles Clarke lookalikes' or 'the inept iguanas' - take your pick).
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bbb_uk

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #2 - May 4^th, 2006 at 11:16am

terryhickmott wrote on May 3^rd, 2006 at 5:57pm:

Is it my imagination, or are more and more shopping channels advertising 0871 numbers instead of 0870? Likewise TV adverts such as Virgin Holidays to Busch Gardens etc.

I saw an advert by Virgin Hols advertising an 0871 and I'm sure it read in top right-hand corner something about the so-called 'national' rate!

I've been looking out for it again but haven't come across it as yet because I was going to make an official complaint to the ASA about it. If it did read 'national rate' then I stand more chance of them investigating it otherwise they don't bother.

How can you have a 10ppm national rate? Don't companies have any idea how much a 'national' rate actually costs? LOL.

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« Last Edit: May 4^th, 2006 at 11:17am by bbb_uk »

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derrick

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #3 - May 4^th, 2006 at 12:16pm

bbb_uk wrote on May 4^th, 2006 at 11:16am:

terryhickmott wrote on May 3^rd, 2006 at 5:57pm:

Is it my imagination, or are more and more shopping channels advertising 0871 numbers instead of 0870? Likewise TV adverts such as Virgin Holidays to Busch Gardens etc.

I saw an advert by Virgin Hols advertising an 0871 and I'm sure it read in top right-hand corner something about the so-called 'national' rate!

I've been looking out for it again but haven't come across it as yet because I was going to make an official complaint to the ASA about it. If it did read 'national rate' then I stand more chance of them investigating it otherwise they don't bother.

How can you have a 10ppm national rate? Don't companies have any idea how much a 'national' rate actually costs? LOL.

Yes you did see right,it was for Busch Gardens and another one for Florida,I think, I have complained to ASA and they have replied with their standard thanks for the complaint letter we have passed it to our compliance team

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mikeinnc

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #4 - May 4^th, 2006 at 4:15pm

Quote:

Is it my imagination, or are more and more shopping channels advertising 0871 numbers instead of 0870?

Yes, quite remarkable, isn't it? I have a subscription to a UK magazine and glancing through this week, noticed that nearly all the 087x numbers have suddenly become 0871.....

Don't I seem to recall that one of the often-(ab)used arguments for businesses not being able to change from a 0870 number was the "...costs of changing letterheads etc". Well, that doesn't seem to be stopping them now!

As I have suggested before, by the time the pitiful Ofcom response on 0870 becomes mandatory, it really will not matter - there won't be any 0870 numbers anyway! They will all be converted to 0871...at even more expensive rates. Angry

Where does Ofcom get these numpties from?

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« Last Edit: May 4^th, 2006 at 4:16pm by mikeinnc »

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Dave

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #5 - May 4^th, 2006 at 4:23pm

mikeinnc wrote on May 4^th, 2006 at 4:15pm:

As I have suggested before, by the time the pitiful Ofcom response on 0870 becomes mandatory, it really will not matter - there won't be any 0870 numbers anyway! They will all be converted to 0871...at even more expensive rates. Angry

Where does Ofcom get these numpties from?

Then Ofcom will bring out a statement saying that "the 0870 issue is now fixed." Roll Eyes

The whole industry is rigged against the consumer. The only consumer who is 'happy' with it is one who is oblivious to the real world charges, and the fact that they keep going up.

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andy9

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #6 - May 4^th, 2006 at 9:25pm

I'd seen quite a few 0871 numbers around, but not really noticed that it might be increasing, so will have to look more. Wonderful if it is Roll Eyes

At least with 0870 and the others I could console myself that unavoidable ones could be called from the inclusive minutes on my old free O2 contract, which I purposefully mostly saved it for. But 0871 costs 35p from there.

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lordpopperdom

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #7 - May 4^th, 2006 at 11:15pm

andy9 wrote on May 4^th, 2006 at 9:25pm:

I'd seen quite a few 0871 numbers around, but not really noticed that it might be increasing, so will have to look more. Wonderful if it is Roll Eyes

At least with 0870 and the others I could console myself that unavoidable ones could be called from the inclusive minutes on my old free O2 contract, which I purposefully mostly saved it for. But 0871 costs 35p from there.

No surprise then to see O2 are now using 0871 contact numbers themselves Huh

see:
http://www.o2.co.uk/personal/choosetariff/0,,111,00.html

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« Last Edit: May 4^th, 2006 at 11:16pm by lordpopperdom »

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andy9

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #8 - May 5^th, 2006 at 12:38am

lordpopperdom wrote on May 4^th, 2006 at 11:15pm:

No surprise then to see O2 are now using 0871 contact numbers themselves Huh

I'm not condoning that number, but it's neither new or relevant to the point, as it is for enquiries from potential new customers, who are unlikely to be charged 35p/min to call from an O2 phone. O2 contract customers can call them for free

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« Last Edit: May 5^th, 2006 at 12:38am by andy9 »

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lordpopperdom Newbie Offline Posts: 7	Re: Is it my imagination....? Reply #9 - May 5^th, 2006 at 1:25am Yes i take your point. But nevertheless its another example of how these numbers are being used to replace 0870.
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firestop Full Member Offline Do unto others, before they get a chance to do.... Posts: 164	Re: Is it my imagination....? Reply #10 - May 5^th, 2006 at 5:33am So, have WE shot ourselves in the foot and been 'done-over' by Ofcom? I ask because our campaign against 0870 has been circumvented by Ofcom allowing migration to the 'even-more-expensive' 0871 - which is an even worse state of affairs than the one we started complaining about, originally. Or am I completely wrong?
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Dave

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #11 - May 5^th, 2006 at 11:18am

firestop wrote on May 5^th, 2006 at 5:33am:

So, have WE shot ourselves in the foot and been 'done-over' by Ofcom?

I agree that Ofcom will be 'fixing' the 0870 'problem,' but by companies moving to 0871 they will be charging 10p/min at all times. I assume that they will choose the highest pricing point. Even if they don't, at something like 5p/min, it's still more expensice than normal geographical rates, soI'm sure that the 'Say No' campaign will continue.

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firestop

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #12 - May 5^th, 2006 at 3:07pm

But it will now take 'forever' for Ofcom to start (and finish!!) yet another look at the 'new' problem with 0871. They couldn't then ask all businesses to change their numbers, yet again, without a few years grace.
They will consider their job has been done - and in theory we WOULD have been better off with the 0870. Ofcom are not as daft as we may think - have they led us into this blind alley, purposefully?
Sadly, I think we have been well and truly 'done-over' on this.

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Shiggaddi

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Re: Is it my imagination....?
Reply #13 - May 5^th, 2006 at 3:31pm

firestop wrote on May 5^th, 2006 at 3:07pm:

But it will now take 'forever' for Ofcom to start (and finish!!) yet another look at the 'new' problem with 0871. They couldn't then ask all businesses to change their numbers, yet again, without a few years grace.
They will consider their job has been done - and in theory we WOULD have been better off with the 0870. Ofcom are not as daft as we may think - have they led us into this blind alley, purposefully?
Sadly, I think we have been well and truly 'done-over' on this.

The main reason companies have gotton away with 0870, is because the majority of callers, and even a few companies themselves were unaware of the rip off.

With more and more people getting free calls for geographic numbers, and the introduction of the new 03 range, this issue is getting more and more public attention, and people are complaining to companies about 0870 numbers.

With 0871, this might push a few more people who previously didn't bother too much about cost, to look at their phone bill, and think something isn't quite right, especially those who waited until the evening or weekend to call 0870.

Hopefully companies using 0871 will be exposed as rip off merchants, and customers will associate their 0871 number as non customer friendly before deciding to do business with them, in the same way as freephone encourages callers. Unfortunately most businesses use 0870, and 0871 numbers for customer services, rather than sales. People calling them need to talk to someone about the service (or in some cases lack of!!) they receive, and it's no skin off their nose if a customer didn't bother to call.

However a customer does have a choice to take their business elsewhere.

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Dave Global Moderator Offline Posts: 9,902 Yorkshire Gender:	Re: Is it my imagination....? Reply #14 - May 5^th, 2006 at 5:26pm On a similar note, pay as you go ISP services are being migrated from 0845 to 0844. This is the case for Freeserve users who will be moved to 0844. This means that Ofcom's justification for leaving 0845 as is needs reconsidering.
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