Wheelchair access is still available on 0844 9959672.

After the Olympics scandal you would have thought people would have learnt that this is inappropriate. I assume this is because booking is contracted out to a booking agency who use these numbers

WELL DONE BBC 

Dear xxxxxx

Reference ** Reference removed **


Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’. 


We apologise for the delay in replying. We realise that our correspondents appreciate a quick response and we’re sorry that you had to wait on this occasion.


We were very concerned to learn of your clear unhappiness about See Tickets using an 0844 phone number for disabled people wishing to book tickets to the upcoming BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 event.


Whilst we had taken advice on the matter previously and as 08 numbers are not 'premium rate' and can be included in some free or discounted call packages, we fully recognise your concerns thus we discussed the matter with the senior members of our programme production team and with their opposite numbers at See Tickets, the agency handling the tickets for us.


In essence we agree with your point and so this week we have agreed that an 03 number will be made available instead of the 08 number. This new number - 0333 567 0153 - is now reflected on the See Tickets webpage and we have all endeavoured to promote it through various means.


We would like to apologise for any annoyance caused by the 08 number initially but we thank you for letting us know about it, allowing us to investigate and take action to fix the issue.


Please again accept our apologies for the unfortunate delay and thanks for taking the time to contact us.


Kind Regards


** Name removed **

BBC Complaints

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

---

~ Edited by Dave: Name and reference removed

Quote:


While 09 numbers are designated "Premium Rate Services", call costs for 08 numbers beginning 084 and 087 still include a service charge (or premium by another name).

Some 08 numbers are included in "some free or discounted call packages", but these never include 0842, 0843, 0844, 0871, 0872, 0873 numbers.

This means that calls to the above numbers will always cost more than calling a standard 01 or 02 geographic number or calling a non-geographic 03 number.

Although the outcome of your complaint is good, the BBCs reply reveals a distinct lack of understanding of the core issue.

I'll third that    Well done Keith and BBC 

Maybe this brilliant action and reaction can be used as an example for Other Offenders out there.

Keith wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2012 at 11:06am:


Yes Keith, it can be hard on the shoe leather but also good for the soul or, as you say, lift the spirit (pun intended).   

Slowly the maverick sections of the BBC which deviate from the main move to 03 numbers several years ago are being reined in.  BBC Question Time's production company Mentorn held out for a long time but eventually introduced an 03 number for its audience Ticket Line.  See Tickets being forced to drop their general love of 0844 numbers for the Disabled Line for BBC events due to Keith's actions are another example.

The remaining problem area is phone lines for numerous BBC local radio stations.  The original excuse given for the retention of 0844 and/or 0845 was that this was due to these stations operating separately outside the central BBC's policy on phone lines that led to 03 numbers being introduced.

With the huge public embarassment the BBC has recently suffered over the Saville scandal I would suggest that any further suggestions to its new Director General about any way in which it can further clean its corporate image and appear Whiter Than White might be responded to positively at the current time.

The person at the BBC originally responsible for writing the Board paper that led to the adoption of 03 numbers for their main call centres was Michael Stock, Head of Business and Partnerships.  As his current Linked In entry at http://uk.linkedin.com/in/michaelstock2010 still lists him as having a position of Executive Leadership at the BBC I would presume he can therefore still be contacted via his email address of michael.stock@bbc.co.uk

The well written article at http://finance.boston.com/boston/news/read/20761429/why_03_numbers_are_growing_i... which clearly sets out the advantages of 03 numbers and why the main BBC initially switched to using them might also provide further useful ammunition for anyone planning to write to the BBC Director General and/or BBC Chairman and other Members of the BBC Trust on this topic.