samwsmith1 wrote on Sep 17^th, 2010 at 9:54pm:

No apology necessary - this is a major campaign success for those who have been lobbying the BBC for years.

Well done for spotting it, some of us dozed off during an uninspiring family squabble.

I have made a blog posting on this with illustrative pictures and comments about the wording of the caption. The latter could generate further comment in this thread.

I suggest that we should celebrate this move and do all we can to use this endorsement of 03 to help spread the word.

Why wasn't the 0871 626 99 88 number replaced by 0371 626 99 88 (0371 is not used for anything else)?

With regard to the misleading caption, ISTR that "standard landline charges apply" is the text the BBC normally use under its 0370 010 66 76 number caption at then end of its Newswatch programme.  Why this one should be any different is beyond me.

Glad I could be of some use - I just noticed as soon as he said we have a new number.
I stated with an apology as the thread hadn't been touched for a couple of years and some forums and a bit funny if you bring back an old thread.
SCV I agree with the cpation comments you made on your blog post - it's very true with them saying may not be included etc.

Heinz wrote on Sep 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am:


I use this, which seems to be more user friendly;- http://www.magicpub.com/netprimer/acronyms.html

Heinz wrote on Sep 20^th, 2010 at 8:34am:

"The Free Dictionary" also has a nice Google Toolbar button.

Select the word, click the book icon, get the definition and thesaurus entries. One more click for the acronyms.

As good as any accelerator I have found. Thanks for the tip.

---

Back to the topic.

Some quick research has shown 19 local BBC stations in England with 0845 numbers for phone-ins / enquiries (vs. 19 with local numbers). This could provide a good opportunity to get at them - "If an independent production company can get it right - why can't you?"

CJT-80 wrote on Sep 20^th, 2010 at 10:51am:


They also have this number

01273 320428

I can only assume that there was a long and particularly aggressive contract with their telecoms supplier by Mentorn (the production company for the program).  I did also register a further new complaint with the BBC about this number at the point at which 0871 became officially subject to premium rate regulation by PhonePayPlus.  The irony of people interested in making their point of view heard democratically being ripped off in order to do so was also surely rather hard to justify.

I think anyone who lives in the reception area of a BBC local radio station that still uses an 0845 number should be immediately registering a renewed complaint about these numbers with both the radio station itself and also with both the BBC (via www.bbc.co.uk/complaints and by email with the BBC Trust at trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk)

I have also been equally amazed to discover just now that the BBC's TV Licensing section have also finally succumbed to public pressure on this matter and that at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/contact-us/question/ they now list an 0300 number of 0300 790 6131 to contact them even though this web page is rather hard to find on their website and they do everything they possibly can to give you a standard FAQ answer or make you ask them a question via a Contact Us web form instead.

Nonetheless the change has been made and I trust that Dave will therefore be extremely pleased to update all the Tv Licensing entries in the database to show the new 0300 number as an alternative for the former 0844 numbers. 

However the fact that even the formerly notorious and wholly unrepentant BBC Tv Licensing department has now thrown in the towel on the more odious use of 0844 numbers (not even part of BT landline call packages) suggests that it must surely only need a small amount of further pressure to force the BBC radio stations to all move to 03 numbers.  In fact I think an email to all BBC Trust and BBC Executive board members welcoming the move to 03 numbers by Question Time and TV Licensing but mourning their continued use by some BBC radio stations might well help achieve that very point.

CJT-80 wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2010 at 11:13am:


Have you also pointed out to them the fact that all other BBC contact numbers ranging from their main television feedback number (BBC Information) through to Question Time and BBC Licensing have now moved to 03 numbers and that BBC radio stations who still continue to use 0845 are the odd man out.

Also have you carefully explained the benefits of 03 numbers in terms of their inclusiveness in all bundled minutes packages including mobile phone bundled minutes  (0845 numbers are only included on some landline call packages) and the fact that they are also not charged at a premium rate that is 900% higher per minute than an 01/02 number from a BT Payphone (as is unfortunately the case with 0845 numbers).  Otherwise you may simply get back the usual tosh about 0845 numbers being local rate and the same to call from everywhere etc, etc.

You might also care to refer to the advice in the Central Office of Information's Better Practice Guide For Government Contact Centres Third Edition and Sir David Varney's report on Transforming Government Services in respect to the importance of ensuring affordability in calling costs for all citizens using government provided services.