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Thread: 0870 numbers...

  1. #1
    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    0870 numbers...

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  2. #2
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
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    Yeah, they're a bloody rip-off. What annoys me most is when companies expect you to phone an 0870 number to get an insurance quote or buy something mail order. If you want my business, don't charge me for the privilege of calling you.

    http://www.saynoto0870.com/

  3. #3
    TiG
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    This is the type of industry i work in, and i'm afraid to say i have to massively disagree with you on this aspect. 0870 numbers can be used quite successfully to supplement the use of UK based call centres with the revenue they can generate. ICSTUS is putting into place an 0871 designation soon to allow 10ppm+ revenue calls too.

    Firms like QVC etc use 0870 numbers too and make hundreds of thousands of pounds from the 1 pence per minute revenue shares. (Anyone who gets 2.5ppm of an 0870 number must have a damn good contract lawyer as i've never seen anything above 1.2ppm)

    Call centres cost money compared to internet ordering and 0870/0871 numbers allow them to regain some of the cost.

    0870 are very rare for complaint lines to be fair.

    TiG
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  4. #4
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
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    I don't care whether I call a UK based call centre or not TiG- talking to someone in India doesn't bother me in the slightest. I buy on the internet out of preference anyway- the point is that I shouldn't be being charged for the privilege of talking to people who are making money off me. I strenuously avoid dealing with a company if it involves dialling an 0870 number.

    One example that really annoyed the hell out of me was when I had to call an 0870 number to tell Elephant not to renew my car insurance. I don't recall giving them authorisation to automatically charge me for the renewal anyway (although I suppose it's proabbly hidden in the small print somewhere ), and there was no option to use their website to cancel. So screw them then- when I have saved up enough to get my insurance again, I won't be using them. For the sake of a 30p phone call they've missed out on hundreds of pounds worth of business.

    Edit: Here's another example.

    http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/waystop...debitintro.jsp

    I need to stop paying direct debits for a TV licence. Since calling them to tell them involves phoning an 0870 number I've just cancelled it with the bank. When they fail to get their money next month I'm sure that'll entail a round of letters etc. asking what's happened- all of which will be far more expensive than the 5p they'd have missed out on through not having a normal number. Good- serves them right.
    Last edited by Rave; 07-06-2005 at 03:59 PM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Stringent's Avatar
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    I use my mobile ... Free inclusive calls, even includes the 0870 numbers.

  6. #6
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
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    Who's that with? I'm oretty sure theyr'e not included in my 3 minutes, nor were they with Vodafone IIRC.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Stringent's Avatar
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    O2 ... But I rarely call 0870, plus i want to use my free mins for calls I want to make, not have to because of it. If tat makes sense.

  8. #8
    TiG
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    Its not that i can't see your point Rave, but its the industry I work in and 0870 number generate business and i'd rather have 0870 than 09x numbers to cancel or purchase stuff.

    TiG
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  9. #9
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
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    I don't see how they generate more business than 0845 though...and even those are a bit annoying since they're always charged at 4p/min or whatever rather than being inclusive. I get loads of free minutes with my phone, and anyone with a bit of nous can get national landline calls down to sub 1p/min now...so I'm ending up paying at least 6p/min over the odds for 0870. I suppose that if a company has a free alternative to correspond with them (e.g. a website), then it's fair enough that customers who still choose to deal with their call centre should offset the costs somewhat. There are a LOT of instances where calling an 0870 number is the only alternative offered though, and I find that very annoying. What makes me REALLY furious is when I'm paying for the call and I still have to wait in a queue. DIEEEEEE!!!

  10. #10
    TiG
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    Rave you need to wake up the capatilist in your but if i can offer you £200K a month for your incoming calls for nothing but a number change and you are a public listed company that has to return value for share holders its a very difficult thing to say no to....

    The sheer fact that there is a choice of revenue streams means people look much more closely at it.

    Not trying to wind you up with it, but i just feel this is run of the mill business men thinking of lining their pockets at your expense.... 99.9% of people will just suffer it as they are too lazy to change.

    TiG
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  11. #11
    Administrator Moby-Dick's Avatar
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    I dont think we made money out of our 0870 numbers , they where just a convenient redirect so that if we moved we didnt have to move numbers.

    it probably made money for the redirection proivder , not us
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  12. #12
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
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    Well that's just it guys, if the most a company is getting as a kickback is 1.2ppm, and the calls cost the customer 7ppm, then the telcos are getting over 5ppm for a call that's worth much less than 1ppm. It's a gravy train, and as far as I'm concerned customers at both ends (I.E. the companies and the general public) are getting screwed, mainly through ignorance. Hopefully a lot more people like me will spread the word and put a stop to it.

    Sig edited, for a start.
    Last edited by Rave; 10-06-2005 at 10:59 AM.

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