To whomever else it concerns,

Thank you for your email and sorry about the delay in replying.

Can I point out that I work in a telecom industry and some of your answers are incorrect and I would like an explanation before I send this to newspapers, etc that recently highlighted the fact that 0870/0871 numbers mean you receive revenue from the call (links in my original email - see bottom of this email).

I noticed despite emailing The Wright Stuff as well, they've not bothered to reply to my email which I believe just highlights the fact that The Wright Stuff have chosen such a high cost number purely to earn revenue at the expense of your callers for which I will inform newspapers and the BBC.

I will address each point you made in turn and respond accordingly and point out that this was in fact an incorrect reply:-

"The premium rate telephone network can handle a large number of simultaneous calls, ensuring that calls are more likely to be answered. This helps avoid disappointment for Five viewers."

This is true but cheaper alternative numbers like 0845 or the new number range 03x (when launched by Ofcom) can do exactly the same job as your expensive 0871 number The Wright Stuff uses now except of course you earn a lot of money from your 0871 number.

"Premium rate calls are diverted off the ordinary telephone network so they cannot disrupt emergency service (999) calls – even when there are high numbers of calls being made. This is essential to protect the public."

This is incorrect.  All numbers to 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871 are routed to ordinary geographical numbers beginning 01 or 02.  I would like to ask where you get your information that 0871 numbers are diverted off the ordinary telephone network (known as POTS - Plain Old Telephone System).

"Premium rate calls cost the same to all callers regardless of where they have dialled from so Five is avoiding any regional discrimination that would be inherent by using, say, a London telephone number."

This is also incorrect.  Calls to these numbers vary in cost from 10p/min to upto 40p/min from some mobile networks.  Also I would like to point out that there is no longer any regional discrimination as BT and all other telephone providers charge the same price whether you are calling around the corner or the other side of the UK (ie London to Scotland) and have done for nearly 2 years now.

"Callers stand an equal chance of their call getting through regardless of where they have dialled from. This is not true of all types of telephone numbers but it is for premium numbers."

This is also incorrect.  It makes no difference where a viewer maybe calling from as all calls get routed to the same destination (eg The Wright Studio, etc).  This applies no matter what type of number you use.

"All telephone subscribers can call-bar premium rate services at no charge by contacting the company which provides their telephone service. This service is a basic consumer right enforced by Ofcom."

This is also incorrect.  Only 09x numbers can be barred from use under ICSTIS guidelines.

"When the programme first went on air we did use an 0207 number, but as previously stated, this could have caused problems for viewers calling from outside London."

This wasn't true at the time nor is it true now.  Over 2 years ago then visitors calling from outside London may have paid a few pence more than those calling from within London but this no longer applies as from about 2 years ago nearly.  Even if it did still apply, calls to 0207 would still be cheaper than your 0871 number.

Although I knew this I also checked with my manager, an IT & Telephony Manager, and also Ofcom who were surprised at what you had actually put.

I look forward to your reply.



bbb_uk
A disgruntled viewer who is expected to pay over 10p/min to call your 0871 number and you don't even have the decency to display on screen how much (minimum) the call is costing us viewers.

The cost of calls is clearly highlighted by Korin as the number is read out on air everyday.

Please keep us updated thanks

I agree that would be far more memorable.  How often do they say the cost is 10p/min?  Is it everytime they read the number out or on odd occasions when reading the number out?