Fourteen British service personnel have died after their aircraft crashed in Afghanistan....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5308622.stm


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Ministry of Defence Helpline A special helpline is available on 08457 800 900 for families concerned about relatives

This is disgraceful! It will cost you to determine if your loved ones are involved. I wonder how much the Goverment will make out of this one......

It is disgraceful but at least it's not a 0870.

The problem maybe because they wanted to take advantage of features like Intelligent Call Routing, etc so they can handle calls at multiple call centres for which a geographical couldn't do without expensive hardware.

I can't say I'm happy with it but they do appear to have not issued a 0870 which for the government is the "norm".  A freephone number would have cost too much and until the new 03x range is available then the next best option is 0845.  They should have released a geographical number as well though.

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The problem maybe because they wanted to take advantage of features like Intelligent Call Routing, etc so they can handle calls at multiple call centres for which a geographical couldn't do without expensive hardware.

I would have thought that enquiries in this instance would be unlikely to be handled at multiple call centres in the country but from a single office in the MoD.


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A freephone number would have cost too much

Too much for the UK Government?  What is the actual cost of a freephone number for, say, one week which is all that is required here.

A nice little earner for BT as well. >:(

"Code: 0845 780    
Type: Service
Use: Local Rate Services
Operator: British Telecom
Tariff Band: Local Rate (NTS) (inc VAT)
Service: Service "

lompos wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2006 at 8:54am:

Quote: A freephone number would have cost too much Too much for the UK Government?  What is the actual cost of a freephone number for, say, one week which is all that is required here.

Well for some unknown reason government bodies generally choose BT most likely because they have contract with BT.

If you take a look here then it would cost around 5ppm for every minute us citizens are on the phone to them, with a £11.75 additional linerental for the number.  I assume there is also a minimum period of about a month if not longer knowing how BT generally work.

There are other 080x providers out there but government bodies generally choose BT probably expecting a good service when in fact they will be getting ripped off compared to other providers.

I would love to see more use of freephone numbers but in the UK the use of these numbers is still expensive I believe.

MoD, like many other government departments, companies and citizens, probably think 0845 is local rate so therefore MoD probably think their use of this number is not expensive because its charged at so-called "local rates."  They probably don't realise this isn't true, and that 0845 can cost upto 40ppm from some mobiles and that they are generally excluded from any inclusive price plans us citizens may have.

The Mod will be paying 3.48p a min to recieve the 0845 calls . Also as its a Golden Number and they may require advanced features its probaly costing more then £10 a month ex vat to rent the 0845 service.

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If you take a look here then it would cost around 5ppm for every minute us citizens are on the phone to them, with a £11.75 additional linerental for the number.  I assume there is also a minimum period of about a month if not longer knowing how BT generally work.

So let us do some sums.  How many people are likely to phone the helpline considering that the families of all 14 servicemen who were killed in the crash have been informed, as I recall, within 24 hours of the crash? Say 200 people phone and each is on the phone for 10 minutes.

This will cost the MoD 2000 minutes @ 5ppm = £100 + £11.75 linerental, a total of under £200.

This is petty cash, a pinprick on an elephant.  The MoD's annual budget is measured in £billions.

It is not a question of cost, just that these mindless and ignorant bureaucrats lack any consideration for people who are deeply worried about family members posted overseas.

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It is not a question of cost, just that these mindless and ignorant bureaucrats lack any consideration for people who are deeply worried about family members posted overseas.

That is exactly my view. It really doesn't matter HOW much it costs. For goodness sake, they have just lost fourteen service personnel, not to mention a somewhat expensive Nimrod....and we are quibbling over the cost of a 0800 number? Let's get real here! NOBODY - certainly in the UK - should have to pay a premium rate to enquire about a dreadful accident like this.

And, as other respondents have pointed out, given the likelihood that many enquires will be made from a mobile phone, the cost is even more disgraceful!

I just cannot imagine that such a petty, mean spirited attitude would be found anywhere except in RipOff Britain.... :(

mikeinnc wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2006 at 9:53pm:

And, as other respondents have pointed out, given the likelihood that many enquires will be made from a mobile phone, the cost is even more disgraceful!

If thats the case then the cost is the same on a mobile whether it's a freephone or an 0845.  Dialling a freephone from a mobile hasn't actually been free for many, many, many years.

The very least a geographical should have been listed as well for those calling from a mobile.