"Research has revealed that consumers are just as concerned about dialling 03 numbers as they are about 08 numbers.

According to research run by ICM in connection with SOH, 0333 was revealed to be the best performing of the new numbers. But 64% of callers stated they’d be ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about calling it."

Full story here :
http://www.callcentrehelper.com/consumers-lack-confidence-with-03-numbers-64670....

In the course of its efforts to "Simplify Non-Geographic Numbers" Ofcom has made various attempts at grouping numbers into ranges and applying names and symbols.

Although there is no perfect answer (in an imperfect world) and it will take many years for people to come to understand the new regime, this work is important to counter the efforts of those who seek to misrepresent the position so as to promote their commercial interests.

If the original concept of 03 being universally adopted by the public sector had gone ahead, then things would be very different. Sadly that did not happen, although we can, perhaps, be grateful that Ofcom did not bow to the pressure being put on it to confuse the situation further by changing the terms of use of 0845, as it had for 0870.

Once people become more familiar with calling 03 numbers - and seeing that these calls are treated in the same way as calls to 01 and 02 numbers - I believe that acceptance of the range will improve. In the meantime, there is a lot of work to do to get across the truth that calls to "ordinary" (01/02/03) numbers - by whatever name they may be known - are, or should be, made without any call charge in the vast majority of cases.

I believe that we will shortly be able to add calls to ordinary mobile numbers to that category - however that has not arrived yet and we still have 070 and 076 cluttering the 07 range.

kasg wrote on Jul 4^th, 2014 at 4:03pm:

I believe history shows that the message sinks in only slowly and then only when it can be directly related to personal experience.

kasg wrote on Jul 4^th, 2014 at 4:03pm:

That is true. It has not been a massive public demand that has led so many to switch from 084 to 034 numbers - however, much has been achieved.

Ofcom faces a major communication challenge in relation to the introduction of the unbundled tariff and work will have to start soon. Explaining about 03 numbers will have to be a part of this exercise.

This will not be on the scale of the "Big Number", because it will only be in those cases where organisations choose to change their numbers that will effect the way oin people dial to contact them, and in many cases old numbers will be retained through an extended period of change-over.

kasg wrote on Jul 4^th, 2014 at 4:03pm:

Despite the absence of 100% interest, many always pound the streets to secure votes for candidates in parliamentary elections. We will continue campaigning for "fair telecoms", unless and until we are convinced that our cause is lost (or won).

I think the biggest issue with 03 numbers is that people are told how much calls should cost etc.

You wouldn't explain on an 01 or 02 number what it costs or if it is included etc.

So maybe by trying to explain on an 03 we are complicating matters.

I have used 03 numbers ever since they were released - I guess I almost collect numbers LOL and have too many of them!

Sadly I can't get my 0845 number changed - the provider seems reluctant to change it to an 0345 number, so I have simply stopped advertising it. Doesn't stop people from calling it mind as it is a very easy to remember number. Ironically changing it to 0345 would make it even easier! I guess the provider would rather me give it up and then they can sell it to a large company for a large amount.

There is going to continue to be an issue with 03 numbers until callers can also rely on them being charged the same way as calls to UK 01 and 02 numbers when calling them from outside the UK.

Aside from doing nothing on publicising the advantages of 03 numbers and why the recent UK directive should have prevented the continued use of 084/7 for customer service functions (except for the arrogant morons like BUPA who clearly think they can just ignore the law because they are doctors) Ofcom seems to have done nothing to make sure that telcos in other EU countries (such as Orange Spain) stop charging a premium non standard rate for calling UK 03 compared to UK 01 and 02 numbers.

So long as people cannot guarantee that 03 numbers are always charged at the same rates as UK 01/02 numbers from anywhere in the EU there is going to continue to be a very major problem, especially when customer service calls can often be very lengthy and periods on hold etc also completely outside the control of the caller.

It is also scandalous that Ofcom has done nothing to educate UK consumers about the recent implementation of the EU Consumer Rights Directive in to UK law but this simply acts as further confirmation that Ofcom are a miserable cowardly creature only interested in cosying up to telcos and with no agenda to bang the drum for consumer rights.

What can one exect from a regulator so weak and pathetic that it ditched its plans to switch 070 PNS numbers to 06 at the last minute after coming under a tiny bit of industry pressure (mainly from Flextel) that it could quite easily have resisted.