SAYNOTO0870.COM - Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure

Dave

Global Moderator

Offline

Posts: 9,902
Yorkshire
Gender: male

Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure
Jun 8^th, 2007 at 2:08pm

Whilst working through the database I came across some numbers for Oldham Community Leisure. They have recently changed from 0161 to 0844 at 4p/min at all times and said that "All calls are charged at local rate."

Sometimes I send these organisations an email explaining the error of their ways. I sent this to Ian Kendall, the Chief Executive:

Quote:

Dear Mr Kendall

I am writing to you to inform you that the new 0844 numbers shown on the OCL website are not "local rate" and are in fact charged at 4 pence per minute at all times from a BT landline. Please remove the note that says "All calls are charged at local rate."

Many people will now pay more to call than on the old 0161 numbers and I urge you to reconsider this move.

Kind regards

Dave

As you can see, a brief email but it has had a profound effect as they are now in the process of reverting back to 0161 numbers! Not sure whether they will be the existing ones. If the contract has ended with the old provider, then perhaps it's too late to port the old 0161 numbers to a new provider. Does anyone know whether this will be possible?

Quote:

Dave

May I thank you for your email. I am replying on Ian’s behalf.

To cut a long story short, you are correct. We have had some ‘incomplete’ advice from our telecoms consultants, which we have only discovered recently. Regrettably, a huge amount of marketing has already gone out.

Our course of action is as follows:

1. all future literature will be amended accordingly (please see my signature below)
2. the website has already been amended.
3. we are setting up a service announcement on all 0844 numbers informing the users of the correct charges.
4. we are currently in the process of renting a set of 0161 DDIs which we will also publish on the service announcement as a cheaper alternative to the existing 0844.
5. It is my intention that over a short period of time the 0844 numbers will not be used and at this time we will change the announcement to inform the user to redial as this number has changed to the new 0161 altogether. Shortly after this we will terminate the 0844 numbers altogether.

Once again, thank you for bringing this to our attention. My only consolation is that I should not have to implement another new phone system for many years, and as such can get back to managing leisure centres.

Regards

Mike

From 4th June2007 - all our telephone numbers are changing. My new number is 0844 255 1820. (Maximum call charge from a BT landline is 4p per minute. Calls from other networks vary)

Mike Tait
Operations Manager

Back to top

IP Logged

Heinz Supreme Member Offline Posts: 1,362 Essex	Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure Reply #1 - Jun 8^th, 2007 at 2:33pm I wonder if any GPs' surgery 'managers' who have taken the tainted silver from NEG will follow suit? No, silly me. £100,000 for each GP. They need the extra money.
Back to top	After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015 IP Logged

bbb_uk Global Moderator Offline Posts: 2,041	Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure Reply #2 - Jun 9^th, 2007 at 5:22pm I agree Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure. This is probably one of many companies/organisations that have been mislead into thinking their fantastic new 0845/0870 is better for consumers and cheaper because let's not forget that some CPs state that these calls are local/national rate from anywhere in the UK!
Back to top	IP Logged

longusername

Newbie

Offline

Posts: 40

Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure
Reply #3 - Jul 31^st, 2007 at 6:01pm

Surely there is a question here as to why Oldham is taking advice from unreliable telecoms contractors in the first place. How are they paying them? What WAS the faulty advice? Is it confidential, or can we, the public, who paid for it, see it.

Further, how much will they pay members of this board who give them correct advice? Surely some remuneration is due. I mean why are these people taking our money and giving it to these people to give them fraudulent self-serving advice. The buck stops with the authority, not the private businesses. The meta-problem here is the continued collusion between government and business, a collusion which diminishes the legitimate public interest. This is a far-reaching problem which just seems to be getting worst.

Sorry. That's just how I feel about it, but it's good to see some hope for reversal in this case.

Back to top

IP Logged

loddon

Supreme Member

Offline

Posts: 599
Reading UK
Gender: male

Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure
Reply #4 - Aug 1^st, 2007 at 7:31am

longusername wrote on Jul 31^st, 2007 at 6:01pm:

Surely there is a question here as to why Oldham is taking advice from unreliable telecoms contractors in the first place. How are they paying them? What WAS the faulty advice? Is it confidential, or can we, the public, who paid for it, see it.

Further, how much will they pay members of this board who give them correct advice? Surely some remuneration is due. I mean why are these people taking our money and giving it to these people to give them fraudulent self-serving advice. The buck stops with the authority, not the private businesses.

Longusername, you have raised most important and serious questions and they NEED to be acted upon. I suggest that you write to Ian Kendall, the Chief Executive, and ask exactly these questions. I suggest that you also ask if Oldham are seeking the return of their fees from the consultants in view of the errors and incorrect advice provided. Ask if they are considering seeking damages or compensation from these consultants for all the costs incurred in reverting to geographic numbers!!!

Then you should post your letter on this Forum together with the reply.

I think Oldham Community Services are to be commended for their open and honest response to Dave's email and the promptness of their actions to put things right.

Please keep this Forum updated on all developments relating to this matter.

You have my full support and interest and I am sure that of most, if not all, on this Forum.

Best wishes, loddon

Back to top

IP Logged

Dave

Global Moderator

Offline

Posts: 9,902
Yorkshire
Gender: male

Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure
Reply #5 - Aug 1^st, 2007 at 7:41am

Same applies to Nutrition Associates who were apparently mislead. They are discussed here.

Mr Duncan of Nutrition Associates didn't take kindly to me referring to 0845 being "local rate" as a "blatent lie" because that is what they had been told. He was also not pleased to learn that they had been mislead by their provider.

Back to top

IP Logged

CJT-80 Global Moderator Offline Posts: 1,714 Manchester Gender:	Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure Reply #6 - Apr 17^th, 2013 at 12:43pm Good Afternoon, Just to advise for the links in Hall of Fame that Oldham Community Leisure's website no longer works. It's now: http://www.oclactive.co.uk/ Just thought I'd update you.
Back to top	Regards, CJT-80 Any comments made are my own and are not those of SayNoTo0870.com IP Logged

Dave Global Moderator Offline Posts: 9,902 Yorkshire Gender:	Re: Hats off to Oldham Community Leisure Reply #7 - Apr 17^th, 2013 at 12:58pm CJT-80 wrote on Apr 17^th, 2013 at 12:43pm: Good Afternoon, Just to advise for the links in Hall of Fame that Oldham Community Leisure's website no longer works. It's now: http://www.oclactive.co.uk/ Just thought I'd update you. Thanks. I've updated the link.
Back to top	IP Logged