http://www.otbeach.com/

Title page, says "Call now: 0870 6 06 07 08  Lo-call rate"

As this company is selling holidays, could you really trust them?

And here was my email to them.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: 16 January 2007 23:56
To: admin@onthebeachholidays.com; sales@onthebeachholidays.com; Johnny@onthebeachholidays.com
Cc: abta@abta.co.uk
Subject: 0870 - Not LoCall Rate & Never Has Been

Dear On The Beach,

I refer to your website at www.otbeach.com and the claim that your 0870 phone number is Lo-Call rate

Your 0870 number is not Lo-Call Rate and never has been.  It is covert premium rate on which you earn a revenue share of 3p a minute or so.

Please remove this claim before I have to report your firm to Trading Standards and the Advertising Standards Authority.

The following references show why 0870 numbers are not Lo-Call rate. I am very disappointed  that your firm should try to make this claim while pocketing money on the calls.

The view of a county council trading standards department

Para 1.3 Page 1 of www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/oftel_0845/responses/leicester_cc.pdf

and

the view of the CEO of BT Retail, Ian Livingston

http://business.scotsman.com/banking.cfm?id=764772005

and

two recent guidances from the Advertising Standards Authority

www.asa.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/Hanging+on+the+telephone+on+and+on+and+ on.htm

www.asa.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/Stop+the+call+confusion.htm

and

the current Parliamentary Early Day motion deploring the use of 0870 telephone numbers by government departments

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28872%09%09%09%09%09%09%09&; amp;SESSION=875

and

Another guidance from the Committee of Advertising Practice of the Advertising Standards Authority

www.cap.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2005/CAP+rings+the+changes+for+telecoms+providers.htm

and Pages 5 and 6 of the below minutes from my own district council where we agreed policy to stop the future use of 0845 and 0870 numbers.

www.molevalley.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/s/Council_Minutes_190705.pdf

And the most recent ASA guidance saying that Inclusive call packages must not fail to disclose that 084/7 calls are excluded from them.

www.cap.org.uk/cap/news_events/news/2006/Ringing+the+Changes.htm

Regards,

But their website gives 0800 and 0845 numbers. Might they be encouraged to use those, together with a geographic number(s)?

Tanllan wrote on Jan 17^th, 2007 at 8:59am:

But their website gives 0800 and 0845 numbers. Might they be encouraged to use those, together with a geographic number(s)?

The opportunity to write such an email awaits you Tanllan.

0870 = LO-CALL????

Never heared that one before... another one for ofcon to "Pretend" to investigate.....