lompos wrote on Nov 1^st, 2006 at 9:15pm:

Does that mean that in the evening and weekend when it is cheaper less expensive than calling a 5p/min 0844, you can call 0870? Or if 0870 is less of a rip-off than 0844 from a mobile phone you can call 0870? Or do they know which number you've dialled and tell you to call the 0844 number.

lompos wrote on Nov 1^st, 2006 at 9:40pm:


What about the outrageous extra costs of calling your doctor's surgery via an 0870 number from overseas compared to an 01 or 02 number though.

For instance any Vodafone contract customer on Vodafone Passport can call a UK 01/02 number for just 75p per call and then the rest of the call is covered out of the inclusive minutes in their contract call package as long as they have minutes left that month.  But dial an 0870 number and the call costs a whopping 99p per minute at all times.

And Vodafone's latest price leaflet just published fails to make clear that 084/7 calls are excluded from the Vodafone Passport deal even though it is now made very clear following new Ofcom rules that 0870 numbers do have their own separate call tariff in the UK.

trubster wrote on Nov 10^th, 2006 at 2:15am:


Wrong they can still use them as the official number for calling from overseas.  Its only for calls in the UK they have to offer the 0844 number instead.

Read the rest of the thread.

Quote:


Come on Trubster! Think about it. they are guarding those geographic numbers better than the Crown jewels! Can you imagine what would happen if the geographics were published? The slimy b**** at NEG would lose their business immediately.

That's why they publish a 0870 number. Then they can claim that it is "possible" to contact a doctor from overseas.

As heartless as it sounds, I almost wish that someone would die because they couldn't contact their doctor whilst overseas, and the directors of NEG were taken to the cleaners for every last cent they own.

mikeinnc wrote on Nov 10^th, 2006 at 1:06pm:


I think it would be preferable though for a live patient of one of these doctor's planning to go on holiday to become deadlocked with their Patient Healthcare trust on the issue and then take this to the health service ombudsman (if there is one or failing that the Parliamentary Ombudsman) to have the matter adjudicated on.

Their complaint would be that they can't afford to have £50 of credit on their PAYG mobile on the off chance they might need to call NEG's scam line at £1 per minute.  Also if they are a Vodafone Passport customer they could point out the massive gulf between the cost of calling an 0870 number and any other UK starting 01 or 02 from overseas.