ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
So this site exists to replace NGN (Non Geo Graphic) numbers with their Geographic (Landline) alternatives because of the "high call costs" and the fact the suppliers and end companies are "making a profit" from them. …
I see two main objectives:
1. To make everyone aware that all who use these numbers are deriving subsidy from all callers. Whether this is through the use of revenue payments directly to the party receiving the call or purely reflected in a reduction in the receiver's telephone service charges is irrelevant.
If companies wish to operate on these "premium" revenue sharing numbers, then so be it. The truth is that they are charging their customers. This is a matter of principle rather than a matter of opinion.
2. Many on here object to being charged in this way full stop. This is therefore subjective.
Please do not convolute these two reasons for saying no to 0870.ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
… Well for starters this is a free market economy incase you hadn't realised, and to be fair the cost of NGN's are not that high to call. For example an 0844 number costs about 5p per minute - hardly breaking the bank now is it?
The market for 084 and 087 numbers is undoubtedly driven by the recipients who use them. The telephone providers that allow calls to be made (that general consumers use) must pay higher "wholesale" charges for these numbers. It is not surprising that these are reflected in retail charges.
ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
But wait.... this 5p per minute cost is outrageous isn't it!?! We must do something about it, because we can't have people actually paying for their phone calls now can we. By using this site it's actually damaging the telecoms industry because it means networks and suppliers are not getting the traffic they once were.
You are clearly one of those telephone providers who choose to hide the fact that you receive around 6.5 pence per minute when someone calls one of your 0870 numbers. Had this been on a geographical number starting 01 or 02 or a new UK-wide number starting 03, you would have received 0.3 pence per minute.
ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
Furthermore when you call your insurance company on an 0870 or 0844 number they probably do indeed receive a cut. Did you ever wonder where this money went? No? Well you all wanted cheap car insurance - so it goes to subsidise policies, the same with banks, airlines and many other companies. Due to your own short sightedness you will end up paying more on your premiums, bank charges and air fares because you are denying these companies an additional revenue stream used to offset and subsidise costs - well done to you all!
You quite clearly have no idea of telecoms. As I said above, the amount of money a telephone provider gets for a call to a 0870 number is around 6.5 pence per minute in the daytime. Compare that to the 0.3 pence per minute for geographical calls.
If the company receiving the call gets 2 pence per minute, that leaves 4.5 pence per minute for provision of the telephone services. High call volumes pay 4 or 4.5 pence per minute, which still leaves 2 pence per minute for provision of telecommunications services.
A free market works best when the party choosing the product pays for the service. Imagine going to a supermarket where someone else pays for you. The supermarket will have no incentive to reduce it charges or offer discounts.
ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
Due to the constant bleeting and moaning from the general public, OFCOM has reduced the costs of 0870 numbers to that of a geographic number - so it won't cost anymore to call. Again, well done, congratulations on ruining a perfectly good and legigimate industry. Now that you have achieved success on your "no to 0870" crusade, where will you go next? 0871, 0844, 09 premium, bank charges, airport tax, council tax, line rentals - when are you going to stop?
With 09 numbers consumers know where they stand. Calls provide subsidy to the parties they're calling. They aren't used as an alternative to standard landline numbers.
ShortSighted wrote on Jun 9
th, 2009 at 3:11pm:
Don't you realise there is no such thing as a "free lunch" and by attempting to get one you're leeching off legitimate businesses and costing jobs? People who work in the telecoms industry and PEOPLE, REAL PEOPLE with families to support. Yet for a few pence saving on your calls you are quite happy to increase direct charges for services (see above re: insurance costs) and quite happily put people out of work for your own greed and selfishness.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, we know that. We call on openness rather than hiding the premiums I talked about above. A lot of this has come from the previous linkage of 0845 and 0870 to local and national rate, respectively. Providers of these numbers have used these terms aggressively, despite the fact that they have had no meaning for a number of years. This is due to the free market in telecommunications services you identify.