0870's to be banned
Discussion
Cant link to the story for some reason but in the Daily Wail today ..
' A money making telephone number used by Government departments, the BBC and leading companies is to be banned'
Basically OFCOM are to ban the recipients from taking a share of the cost.. Call charges should come down to around 3p. Goes on to say organisations that use them will have to make the cost clear to the callers with add and recorded msgs.
About bloody time !
ooops posted in General Gassing.. thanks for moving
>> Edited by moreymach on Thursday 29th September 10:46
' A money making telephone number used by Government departments, the BBC and leading companies is to be banned'
Basically OFCOM are to ban the recipients from taking a share of the cost.. Call charges should come down to around 3p. Goes on to say organisations that use them will have to make the cost clear to the callers with add and recorded msgs.
About bloody time !
ooops posted in General Gassing.. thanks for moving
>> Edited by moreymach on Thursday 29th September 10:46
I have an 0870 fax number free from my internet provider. I get an email with a PDF of the fax.
Whoever wants to fax me pays the bill, rather than me in having a fax line, to buying/owning a fax machine and pay for paper and toner for people I don't know faxing me rubbish (usually their adverts or scams).
There must be a catch but I haven't found it yet.
Whoever wants to fax me pays the bill, rather than me in having a fax line, to buying/owning a fax machine and pay for paper and toner for people I don't know faxing me rubbish (usually their adverts or scams).
There must be a catch but I haven't found it yet.
It's a money-grabbing exercise by both parties, frequently dressed up as a corporate polishing exercise. 07000 is even worse.You can always check for a alternative to the 0870 number here... www.saynoto0870.com/search.php
I hate0870 numbers. Some of my suppliers use them for their fax/sales/support lines and it p1sses me right off, enough that it actually taints the company for me because for them to charge me to make an order is ridiculous.
Look at it this way, I've yet to go into a shop and be charged to ask for a newspaper.
Look at it this way, I've yet to go into a shop and be charged to ask for a newspaper.
roadsweeper said:
because for them to charge me to make an order is ridiculous.
But by the same token, someone has to pay for the call, whether it's you or the company you're calling. And if it's the company you're calling, all they'll do is add the price of paying for phone calls onto the cost of the services/charges you're buying.
Rob.
>> Edited by Skoda_Rob on Thursday 29th September 21:09
Skoda_Rob said:
because for them to charge me to make an order is ridiculous.
But by the same token, someone has to pay for the call, whether it's you or the company you're calling. And if it's the company you're calling, all they'll do is add the price of paying for phone calls onto the cost of the services/charges you're buying.
Rob.
>> Edited by Skoda_Rob on Thursday 29th September 21:09
I dont think anyone minds paying for the call theyre making.. Its the fact that 0870's cost 3 times as much as a normal call on most peoples tariff. If youre on a flat rate package as many are then 0870's arnt included and add 10 pence a minute to the bill.
In many cases the recipient of the calls gets a back hander of 2-3pence a minute. This seems to often go hand in hand longs delays in handling the call. The article in the Snail mention that DVLA made £1.1m last year on their 0870 reeming activities !
Sorry but to my mind good riddence to em !
moreymach said:
I dont think anyone minds paying for the call theyre making.. Its the fact that 0870's cost 3 times as much as a normal call on most peoples tariff.
In many cases the recipient of the calls gets a back hander of 2-3pence a minute. This seems to often go hand in hand longs delays in handling the call. The article in the Snail mention that DVLA made £1.1m last year on their 0870 reeming activities !
It's usually not as high as 2-3p per minute...often only 1p. Either way, it all helps pay to fund running call lines and the like, so the impact of these on the cost of providing product/service is lower...if you phone the number you pay, if you don't use it then you don't contribute.
I'd agree it's unethical for long delays to be purposefully introduced on these lines (or at least, for these delays not to be actively reduced) - but that's not the concept of the 0870 number which is at fault, but rather the people who are using them.
Also, as far as I'm aware, 0870 numbers are charged at national rate so for people who aren't on special call plans they're no more expensive, except in the circumstance where the call would normally be a local number - but for someone like the DVLA, I'd imagine most of the calls are going to be national rate anyway.
0870 numbers are a useful tool...to ban them would be like banning mobile phones because c*cks in crowded train carriages insist on talking on them too loudly. What would be more useful is regulation on their use...
Rob.
What really annoyed me was when our local GP center tried to put up a 0870 number service to "improve call service". It turned out they could only get away with a 0845 number instead, but ended up with a pushy-button type affair.
It was so easy to call a secretary, ask them a question and get an answer. Now it takes fecking ages (and the GP is getting a cut of the call). I found the solution was very easy - I walked down into the place and asked the question and did that everytime I had a question/needed to make an appointment. If I was ill, it was pointless me walking back home so waited in the waiting area for the 2-3 hours until the appointment. Amusingly so did everyone else and the waiting room was full to the brim with huge queues out the door of people avoiding the higher call charges.
Our local GP service doesn't have an "improved" telephone service or a 0845 number anymore.
It was so easy to call a secretary, ask them a question and get an answer. Now it takes fecking ages (and the GP is getting a cut of the call). I found the solution was very easy - I walked down into the place and asked the question and did that everytime I had a question/needed to make an appointment. If I was ill, it was pointless me walking back home so waited in the waiting area for the 2-3 hours until the appointment. Amusingly so did everyone else and the waiting room was full to the brim with huge queues out the door of people avoiding the higher call charges.
Our local GP service doesn't have an "improved" telephone service or a 0845 number anymore.
Skoda-Rob said:
It's usually not as high as 2-3p per minute...often only 1p. Either way, it all helps pay to fund running call lines and the like, so the impact of these on the cost of providing product/service is lower...if you phone the number you pay, if you don't use it then you don't contribute.
But thats little better than a shopkeeper slipping his hand in my wallet as nicking an extra quid as I leave. If there is extra cost in supplying the goods I want I should be able to see it in the quoted price - be transparent.
Skoda_Rob said:
I'd agree it's unethical for long delays to be purposefully introduced on these lines (or at least, for these delays not to be actively reduced) - but that's not the concept of the 0870 number which is at fault, but rather the people who are using them.
agreed !
Skoda_Rob said:
Also, as far as I'm aware, 0870 numbers are charged at national rate so for people who aren't on special call plans they're no more expensive, except in the circumstance where the call would normally be a local number - but for someone like the DVLA, I'd imagine most of the calls are going to be national rate anyway.
Thats true, but these days the majority of people do have some sort of telcoms package which at the very least gives all calls at local call rates and now more commonly flat monthly fee all std calls included rates. Also the cynical way 0870 has been marketed as 'dont worry its only national call rates' implying its no different to a region specific number hasnt helped its cause.
Skoda_Rob said:
0870 numbers are a useful tool...to ban them would be like banning mobile phones because c*cks in crowded train carriages insist on talking on them too loudly. What would be more useful is regulation on their use...
They are, but I doubt they would half as popular if it wast for the kickbacks. Apparently the numbers arnt going to be banned as such but its just that no money will be able to change hands between to organisation getting the call and the telecoms operator.
Anyway .. took ages to type that in my kack handed way and Im off to my pit !
night all !
An 0870 fax number makes a lot of sense, it cuts down greatly on the quantity of junk faxes you get and only costs pence for legit ones.
Support lines... theres less justification there but still some because it discourages the lonley people / weirdos who just want someone to talk to.
No justification for those 09** jobbies though!
Support lines... theres less justification there but still some because it discourages the lonley people / weirdos who just want someone to talk to.
No justification for those 09** jobbies though!
Well the upset of the proposal is that it would allow people to still use 0870 numbers, as long as they are prefaced with a message telling you how much they cost per minute to call, or reduce the cost of play no message. I'd imagine most companies will opt to go for the message.
The numbers won't be banned at all and if companies are forced into it, they'll use 0871 numbers, which will cost you up to 10ppm to call.
0870 and other non geographic numbers, used properly actually allow you to do very clever things, and revenue generation should come a very distant second to that.
The numbers won't be banned at all
and if companies are forced into it, they'll use 0871 numbers, which will cost you up to 10ppm to call. 0870 and other non geographic numbers, used properly actually allow you to do very clever things, and revenue generation should come a very distant second to that.
shirepro said:
I have an 0870 fax number free from my internet provider. I get an email with a PDF of the fax.
Whoever wants to fax me pays the bill, rather than me in having a fax line, to buying/owning a fax machine and pay for paper and toner for people I don't know faxing me rubbish (usually their adverts or scams).
There must be a catch but I haven't found it yet.
I have the same through Demon. I understand the fax service is free to us because they profit from every call.
I loathe 0870 voice numbers and have an unreturned call on my desk with the prefix!
>> Edited by Threeracers on Friday 30th September 08:53
Its not only those numbers which rip you off, I brought a cordless mouse for £4.00 in Curries the other week, sale.
Didnt work, so I read the instructions for assistance, and guess what.............. yes they have a help line............. POUND A MINUTE. (in UK as well)
Took the bloody thing back to Curries, told them no point in buying a 4 quid mouse, and probably paying as much again if not more to get it to work.
Didnt work, so I read the instructions for assistance, and guess what.............. yes they have a help line............. POUND A MINUTE. (in UK as well)
Took the bloody thing back to Curries, told them no point in buying a 4 quid mouse, and probably paying as much again if not more to get it to work.
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