A non-exhaustive list of where the call costs must be declared can be found here:
http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/businesscalling

If you have paid for membership, you have entered into a contract and call costs are covered by Regulation 41:
http://legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/41/made

Further exchange of messages. At least they are planning to move to an 03 number.

==============================

Dear Mr *******

Thank you very much for your reply. We have certainly noted your comments regarding this.

We display our King's Cross office address, 02 phone number and members email address on our website: https://www.artfund.org/about-us/contact-us

These contact details are also included in the Art Quarterly. The members email address is included on membership materials, such as the Art Guide. You can always drop us an email and we can give you a call back for any query you have.

I can confirm that when our 0844 number was set up in 2010, this was because it was the best option available at that time. The reason this number is on the letter you have received is that there is only space for the one number, and that is the direct line for our Supporter Services Team. We cannot put our 02 number for the contact on this letter, as we do not have the full capacity of Supporter Services at that number.

Since the number was set up we have migrated our external Supporter Services to an another location, and we now have the possibility to migrate to an 03 number for Supporter Services. This change will be completed by the end of this year. We have several materials that need to be replaced over the coming months such as membership welcome packs, and letters, and we would like to replace them with the new 03 number.

Kind regards

*********
Supporter Services Assistant

Art Fund_
2 Granary Square
London N1C 4BH
www.artfund.org

National Art Collections Fund. A charity registered in England and Wales 209174 and in Scotland SC038331. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended only for the use of the recipient. If you have received this email in error please notify its sender. Please print this email only if required.




-----Original Message-----
From:********************
Sent: 02 August 2016 10:12
To: members <members@artfund.org>
Subject: Re: Illegal use of 0844 numbers

Dear Ms *********

I'm afraid you are factually incorrect in your reply. A caller to your
0844 number pays 7p per minute PLUS an access charge to their telephone supplier which can be anything up to 50p per minute and is never less than 10p per minute. Here is some useful information:

http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uk-calling-clear-call-rates.html

By contrast 03 numbers are charged at the same rate as 01 and 02 numbers. For most callers they are included in their call plans and have been for more than 5 years. There hasn't been any distinction between "local" and "national" calls for many years so your argument  about "anywhere in the UK" has no validity.

Your use of an 0844 number has been illegal for at least a year and immoral at any time. It also is bad for the image of the Art Fund to be seen to be using such a number. At best you make a penny or two per minute on each call while callers pay a substantial amount to call you.
There have been many instances of organisations who use 0844 (also 0845, 0870, 0871) numbers getting bad publicity in the national press. I'm sure the Art Fund wouldn't welcome this. An example:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2385721/Attack-rip-0844-GP-phone-numbers...

There is a simple migration route from 0844 numbers to 0344 numbers. I urge you to do this in the very near future. While this article refers mainly to GPs it is applicable to anyone who uses 0844 numbers:

http://nhspatient.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/gp-surgeries-using-0844-or-0845.html

Alternative simply scrap your 0844 number and use your 020 numbers for all contact. As a user of http://www.saynoto0870.com/ I'm well aware of finding alternatives to 0844 etc numbers but many people are not aware of this and will incur unnecessary expense when contacting the Art Fund.

Regards

*************

Although the difference between local and national calls was supposed to end in 2004 I think a few companies kept some tariffs with local/national pricing after that. I can't provide definite evidence but I recall being surprised that a friend was on such a tariff, possibly from Talktalk, after then.

BT Basic (the special social tariff for people on certain benefits) has also had anomalies in the past but now seems to have been rationalised: http://www.btplc.com/inclusion/ProductsAndServices/BTBasic/index.htm

Still delinquent. Their 2017 guide, issued recently still gives 0844 numbers. I will write to them again.