I see MSE Martin Lewis is asking for feed back on this.  Shame as a sponsor  he cant post it here also.

http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2008/03/25/087-0-numbers-are-they-training-sta...

"I’m interested to know if there’s a new trend in companies using disguised premium rate 0870 numbers (see the saynoto0870 guide). Twice in the last week I’ve been given 0870 numbers to dial, yet rather than being told the number is 0870-123-123, both times it’s been told to me as 087-012-3123. Thus the call operator is never actually saying the phrase 0870. Cunning devils…"

redant wrote on Mar 27^th, 2008 at 6:53pm:

Whilst many of the claims about Ofcom's ineffectiveness and timidity are fully justified, its statutory powers are limited.

Ofcom's statutory powers of regulation apply only to "providers of communications services". It has no powers to regulate the activities of consumers of these services, such as those who rent what are at present only "revenue sharing" numbers.

Ofcom's powers to regulate providers of what it may define as "premium rate services" are devolved to Phonepay Plus. Proposals to add 0871 to this category are presently shelved. It has never proposed to add 0870 or 084x to this category.


On the point of presentation, would one propose rules for 0844 numbers? To know the tariff, one needs to know digits 6-8 if the fifth is 0, otherwise only 5-7. i.e. 08440xxx yyy or 0844xxx yyyy. When are 0844 numbers disguised?

I personally remain frustrated that many people think that 0208 is the dialling code for Outer London. I recently heard an argument with someone who gave their number (correctly) as 020 3xxx xxxx being told that 0203 was not a valid code. (Google has around a million links to "0203 London telephone" - should Ofcom take action to get every one of these corrected?.) 020 is the prefix, that can be omitted if calling one London number from another.


Away from ranting, those interested in Ofcom's approach to subcontracting regulation may want to have a look at a new consultation announced yesterday - http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/coregulation/
... or perhaps not!

jgxenite wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2008 at 12:06am:


But surely you mean why can't they just give out their UK geographic number jgxenite?

It is only the 084/7 abusers of this world who call their geographic numbers "international numbers" or who try to disguise the fact they are UK numbers yet further by presenting them as say +44 113 234 5678, which Jo Bloggs then has no clue is in reality 0113 234 5678...........

jgxenite wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2008 at 4:15pm:


Yes but splitting off the 08 bit does make it sound horribly more like a Freephone number to the uninitiated and I am sure that is possibly the deliberate here.

Having said that many advertising and marketing people are often numerically illiterate, which may be the other possible explanation.

Also being fair to Firstdirect, when they started around 1989 they had an 0345 number (later changed to 0845) that was either neutral or advantageous to all customers. National calls were quite a bit more expensive than local calls in those days. 0345 pricing was then exactly the same as local calls.

I agree that they could be more public about their 0113 number. It's on all their cards and their website but the 0845 numbers are much more prominent. They don't worry about you ringing the 0113 number from the UK (unlike certain other banks) but the call is answered slightly differently on the assumption that you may not have a UK postcode if ringing from overseas.

japitts is right about not having to queue. They must be one of the best call centres on the planet, not just for queueing but also overall customer service. However I now rarely call them because their web access is so good. Shame, because it's just about the only call centre I know where it's a pleasure to call them rather than a penance.