Just had this reply from my local Cllr re my complaint on my local GP surgeries use of 08444

I have further investigated this situation, but I have been advised similarly to my previous response.

BT Local Rate is 4p per minute (4.7p incl VAT) between 8.00am - 6.00pm and 1p per minute (1.8p incl VAT) between 6.00pm - 8.00am.  

0844 Local Rate numbers are exactly the same rate and if there is any difference the organisation that has this number would pay the difference plus £30 per quarter.

How should I proceed in reply?

JoeCurry wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 6:41pm:


Firstly I would suggest that you do not vote for this idiot when he or she next comes up for re-election.

Secondly this kind of 0844 number costs 5p per minute at all times and BT local rate on BT Option 1 to 01 and 02 local number is 3p per minute in the daytime and 5.5p for up to one hour (60 minute) in the evening and at the weekend.  Also BT Opton 3 includes 01 and 02 calls free of charge at all times but does not cover 0844 calls at all and these continue to accrue at 5p per minute or £3.00 per hour at all times.

Thirdly 0844 is not a Local Rate number or a National Rate number it is a Special Rate Services number (BT speak for low cost Premium Rate) which is why it costs extra.  Get your councillor to produce any phone bill that shows 0844 is Local Rate.  He won't be able to.

Fourthly I would direct you to encourage your councillor to follow the excellent example set by the former Mole Valley District Councillor for the Capel, Leigh and Newdigate ward when he had his council pass a resolution banning the use of anything other than 01 or 02 prefixed numbers for the provision of the council's own telephone services.  Your councillor should do this to prevent his own council falling victim to an NEG style doctor's surgery scam.  See P.5 and Motion 2/2005 of the minutes of the July 2005 full Council meeting at:-

www.molevalley.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/s/Council_Minutes_190705.pdf

Fifthly your local councillor is not responsible for NHS GP services so you are barking up the wrong tree by complaining to him, even though his reply has been ignorant and uninformed.  You need to complain to the local Primary Care Trust (PCT) responsible for this GP Surgery alerting them to the fact that the use of 0844 numbers breaches policy stated by the minister himself and is contrary to the principal that NHS Services should be free at the point of access.  You should also write to your MP asking him to campaign in Parliament to have these numbers banned for GP use and to get him to sign the Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) deploring the use of these numbers by doctors.

See http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34198&SESSION=891

Does anyone know which surgery was first to adopt 0844 and when?  Thanks.

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 24^th, 2008 at 11:43pm:


Or maybe she just decided she could never win us over to their way of thinking .

Heinz wrote on Feb 25^th, 2008 at 10:20am:

Even I as a very price telecoms conscious consumer cannnot keep up with BT's Machiavellian attempts to make their prices look cheap while shuvving up the cost of line rental (which I eventually have to pay even though I make no calls with BT as in the countryside I have to use a physical BT line and even if I go with another provider they usually raise their line rental when BT Retail puts up its price) and introducing numerous hidden connection charges that customers don't factor in.

BT getting rid of the 5.5p deal on weekday evenings to subsidise the free weekend calls (along with the increased line rental) is an outrage that the press ought to make a big fuss about.  Since when was the weekday evening part of the business week.  I had better warn my Mum so that she always uses 1899 in the weekday evening.  She still has a touching faith that using BT off peak is somehow better, even though she does use 1899 in the weekday daytime.

I wonder what happened to JoeCurry.  He/she does not seem to be reading any of our posts in response.

Quote.

BT local rate on BT Option 1 to 01 and 02 numbers is 3¼p per minute weekday daytimes and 4½p for up to an hour weekday evenings. At the weekend, such calls (up to an hour) are now completely free.

On 1-4-08, the 4½p weekday evening rate will be abolished and 6p connection + 1½p per minute substituted.
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Am I right in thinking if you sign up for a 12 month contract the evening calls are free as well? (Up to an hour?)

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 25^th, 2008 at 11:51am:



Thanks

You can also get all UK calls for £3.49 per month with line rental of £10.50 per month at www.yourcalls.net

Of course if you are on a TalkTalk enabled exchange and need broadband you can't beat TalkTalk's deal for price but heaven help you if you need to make any serious use of TalkTalk's service such as downloading programs using the BBC IPlayer.