Just to say that on this morning's BBC Radio coverage of a press conference about the Newquay Hotel fire an 0800 phone number was being given out for relatives to contact.

So this just to note that in certain quarters the message that the use of an 084/7 number is not acceptable is now being received.

Of course it remains a further tragedy that useless Ofcom allows many mobile phone operators not only to charge for 0800 numbers but to charge for them at a premium rate outside normal contract bundled minutes.

Surely there needs to be a class of genuine emergency 0800 numbers such as car breakdown service and emergency numbers of this kind that are free even on mobile phones.

derrick wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 10:36am:


Only some mobile companies offer this as I understand it and the list of 0800 numbers which they exempt from charging has nothing to do with Ofcom.  It is purely a customer goodwill policy.

As I understand things my mobile supplier, Vodafone, does not have any 0800 numbers that it lets customers call for free.

jgxenite wrote on Aug 18^th, 2007 at 10:51am:


Indeed.

But as those with less understanding than we do of how the phone numbering system and tariff structures work are inclined to just give out the 0800 number (as with this Newquay fire) it would be better if approved 0800 numbers that are not dial thru numbers of rival call routing companies are placed on an approved list that could be called for free from all mobile phones.

Again useless profit loving Ofcom has failed the public on this matter.