Phone Channel -
An 0870 number is a non geographic number, as apposed to a geographic number such as 0121 which is Birmingham, or 020 for London. If you have an 'inclusive landline calls' phone package, like me, then it is very rare that 0844, 0845, 0870, or 0871 numbers are included. You even pay extra for that privilege!.
My displeasure is shared by many others. Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator ordered a shake-up of 0870 numbers.
0870 calls are expensive, costing as much as 8p a minute from a landline at peak time, against just 3p if you were to ring the same company on an 01 or 02 phone number.
If
you have time and patience try working out the
prices from this PDF from BT. (This
includes special numbers that you can dial for
international call etc )
http://www.downloads.bt.com/b4b/pdf/SpecialisedNos.pdf
According to research by consumer body Which?, the cost of calling an 0870 number in the daytime is 7.5p a minute with BT or 8p with cable provider NTL/Telewest.
And the price really hits home when you're left holding on the line, - is this deliberate? - or navigating your way through a forest of options to reach a particular department. "If you want to finish up where you started - just keep pressing buttons"
Companies and organisations like to use these numbers because they share the "per minute" revenue from the cost of the call with the telecoms provider. The more time you take over your phone call - the more profit the company makes. They get nothing from using regular 01 and 02 landline numbers.
Businesses using 0870 numbers
include banks and credit card companies, the
DVLA etc Others include local authority
helplines and travel services, and government
public enquiry lines like those for the
Department for Education and Skills. The charges
for 0870 vary wildly - some companies are
charging as much as 20p min.
Many companies advertise a separate number that can be used when calling
from abroad - This usually begins in the format +44 - There is nothing to
stop you using this number from the UK (as it is a normal rate telephone
call), and will be included in any inclusive minutes provided by your
landline or mobile phone provider. Many others will give you a standard
number if you ask.
www.SAYNOTO0870.com
(SAY NO
to 0870) is a really useful web site.
This site is all about listing these numbers, saving you money, without
having to pay additional charges. To get started and find a particular
number, please click on the 'Search to find an alternative number' link at
the top of the page.
Ofcom wants to call time on revenue sharing. In
an industry consultation, which ended on 6
December 2005, it has proposed that 0870 calls
should in the future follow the normal national
pricing model, where call costs are based on
geographic location. For now, it has
decreed that
0870 charges won't rise any further.