Received the following e-mail from ET on 19th September, but part fo it was obliterated by a thick black line obscuring some of the text, thanks to SCV for deciphering it for me; -
Email: *******************
19 September 2008
Dear Mr ******,
Employment Tribunals public enquiry telephone number enquiry.
Thank you for your emails of 14 August and 15 September addressed to Peter Edwards, Tribunals ServiceOperational Manager, Employment Tribunals, Bury St Edmunds. I apologise for the length of time taken to respond, our investigations have taken longer than expected.
Your emails have been forwarded to the Customer Feedback team to investigate your concerns.
Thank you for bringing to our attention, the fact that calls made to the 0845 number are charged at a higher and not local call rate, as stated on the Employment Tribunal website.
I am aware that Mr Edwards acknowledged receipt of your email on 15 August and provided you with a local telephone number for the Employment Tribunal Bury St Edmunds office. Mr Chris Kerry sent a further email on 10 September updating the local telephone number which Mr Edwards provided to 01284 762279.
I can confirm that reference to the 0845 number being charged at the local call rate has been removed from the website. However, the 0845 telephone number will remain in use because it provides the customer with important information about availability of Employment Tribunal services.
Employment Tribunal leaflets are being amended to remove any reference to calls charged at the local call rate when using the 0845 number.
I hope my reply has been helpful.
Yours sincerely
Anju Sinha
Customer Feedback team
I replied yesterday at 12-06 p.m. with the following, and up to now no response; -
Dear anju,
Thank you for your response and the removal of the misleading term re "local rate" from your website, however there is no reason to continue the use of an 0845 revenue sharing number costing 20p per minute from a pay phone and up to 40p per minute from a mobile phone.
COI and CAP have informed Government departments not to use these numbers unless showing equal prominence to a geographical number, or to adopt the 03 numbers that have been available for more than 12 months now and cost the same for the caller as an 01/02 number and are included in phone package inclusive minutes unlike 0845 numbers that are not and have to be paid for on top of the callers package.
Your statement in your e-mail; - "However, the 0845 telephone number will remain in use because it provides the customer with important information about availability of Employment Tribunal services." does not hold water as the information you mention can be provided with 01/02 numbers and certainly with 03 numbers.
I can supply you with any information that you require to back up everything I have said, just let me know.
Yours sincerely
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