Dave wrote on Jan 2
nd, 2008 at 11:39am:
I have been speaking with VM.
I am awaiting formal confirmation, but I believe that VM is complying with the Ofcom regulations, including 03 in packages and charging for them at no more than 01/02. This is the information given on the main web pages.
Giving rates for calls to 03 numbers in a table of "non-geographic" numbers, labelling them as "geographic" does seem a little odd. The charge is however less than for true geographic numbers when not both are not free. On package "M" a daytime call to a 01/02 number is charged at 3.25ppm, an 03 number at 3.00 ppm (a 7p connection charge applies to both).
The current VM tariff came into effect on 1 November 2007.
There are problems with the briefings issued to customer support advisors and with the charges applied to "legacy" packages or bundles, for which there is no published price list.
I have found that there are serious problems with the pdfs accessible from their website, as out of date versions seem to be provided to some when following the current links.
The URL quoted above provides two versions of the document. One, dated 1 November 2007, correctly shows the connection charge as 7p and omits separate weekend rates. Another, dated 6 October 2007, shows the connection charge as 6p and separate weekend rates. **
The
calling costs page also provides access to a Residential tariffs document:
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/pdf/residential_tariffs_a.pdf.
This has only been found to exist in the 6 October 2007 (out of date) version, advising a connection charge of 6p and excluding 03 from the definition of "geographic calls".
Google appears to have found the 1 November 2007 version as its html cache shows the connection charge as 7p and includes 03.**
I will post again when I receive confirmation of all the above, and advice of the action that will be taken to put it all right, from VM.
David
** Internet gurus may like to explain how one URL can give two different results during the same time period (Use of Ctrl-f5 shows that it is not the cache on my pc). Members may like to advise which versions they get!