I saw this on the Travelex website and thought it was a cracker of an excuse for using 0870 numbers.  Apologies if it has already been posted.

Why do you have 0870 numbers and not a localised numbers?

This in case of an emergency and our offices have to be evacuated all our 0870 numbers can be re-directed to anywhere else in either the UK or overseas.  We believe this would be better for our customers.  We do have localised numbers for those who are outside of the UK.

Anyone else come across any daft excuses why they use these numbers????

Heinz wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2006 at 10:26am:


Strange they aren't using a 1p per minute at all times 0844 number now then as this would provide just the same call redirection benefits as 0870.

pw4 wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2006 at 1:33pm:


Not at all - http://www.ukxpat.com/how_it_works.asp

Tanllan wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2006 at 7:48pm:


But unless the reason for needing to redirect the calls on an 01 or 02 PSTN number is an engineering based fault in the equipment the incumbent phone operator is allowed to massively overcharge for call redirection on geographic numbers compared to NGN numbers where the call centre, but not their customers, get the redirection facility free of charge.  Of course Voip 01/02 numbers that a company like Sipgate now offers on every uk phone exchange can be redirected to anywhere they are required.  I assume voip geographic numbers are also available to commercial operators as well as private customers?

Dear XXXXXX

Thank you for using our website, I apologise for the delay in replying to
your email.

I am sorry to hear that  you feel dissatisfied with the telephone charges
that are in place for Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide customers.

I would like to clarify that it is not our policy to use premium line
numbers. The telephone numbers we use cost a caller using a BT landline the
following maximum price per minute. (The price of calls on non-BT lines
varies, and callers can check the price with their phone company).

7.91p/min Daytime (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
3.95p/min Evening and Nighttime (Mon-Fri before 8am & after 6pm)
2p/min Weekends (All day Sat & Sun)

BT has confirmed a customer is charged when they make a selection for
example Press 1 for Account customers.

It is widespread commercial practice to require customers to pay for some
or all of the call costs when making a customer service query, and
Parcelforce Worldwide's approach is in line with our competitors. Our
contract is with our paying customers - the sender - rather than with the
recipient and, as with all commercial contracts, ours reflect a balance
between service levels and cost. We already offer enhanced levels of
customer service to customers who have agreed with us a contract price to
cover this, but none of our customers have so far requested free telephone
access for their own customers (the recipients). The costs of us providing
a free telephone service would have to be borne by our paying customers on
behalf of their own recipients, and we would only be likely to consider
this option if there were a commercial demand for it.

In addition to our phone services, we offer a free tracking service on our
website, allowing customers the option to check the status of their parcel
online. We also provide options for booking a collection and redelivering
your parcel, on the web. We are also developing an SMS (text) alert option,
which for a small charge will allow a customer to receive notification of a
planned delivery in advance, or an actual delivery or delivery attempt as
soon as it has happened.

I would like to thank you for your comments and hope this reply addresses
the issues you raised concerning telephone costs.

Kind Regards

Michael Cameron
Internet Advisor

It is only a widespread practice because useless Ofcom created a system where for ages callers didn't realise they were paying extra.

We are not asking for a Freephone number but only for one starting 01 or 02.

Keith wrote on Nov 7^th, 2006 at 5:45pm:

The cost then is the lost hidden revenue share.

Their argument is like a pop star who says "I know taking cocaine is strictly speaking illegal but as everyone else is doing it that makes it alright for me to do it too"..................

NGMsGhost wrote on Nov 7^th, 2006 at 5:45pm:
That's exactly it.

If there are legitimate reasons for having these numbers then that is fine for which we can't do nothing about but what I find is that in general consumers don't know they are in fact ringing a number where the end company is earning money (in most cases) from each minute we are on the phone to them.

Even the 0871 is going to be rebranded without the use of "premium" so it seems just so consumers still have no idea they are ringing a premium rate number and this is all thanks to Ofcom who are constantly putting teleco's (and companies) and the money they make first in front of us joe public.

If Ofcom wanted to be fair about this from both our (consumer) point of view and that of teleco's and companies then at the very least Ofcom should admit and announce that 084x/087x are in fact premium rate albeit lower amount than 09x but yet 09x are regulated to prevent misuse and abuse (in most cases) compared to 084x/087x numbers which aren't.

Imagine if Ofcom did the very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very unusual step of putting us consumers first and did make an announcement that 084x/087x are in fact stealth premium rate numbers, just how many companies would continue to use them?  I can imagine most would be forced to use geographical numbers or the new 03x simply because the amount of customers that would complain.