OK, so lets start with an appology, I intentionally provided a message tittle, and user name designed to get a response, but for good reason.

I fully agree that many large companies are missusing the 0870 system, but ongoing 0870 bashing also has an effect on those of use that use them for a good reason.

I run a support website (aimed at medical and nursing staff) I do this with very minimal funding, and to pay for a geographical number is beyond my means (a BT residential line would cost more per year than my entire budget to run the website)

So I chose to use an 0870 number (yes this has a landline number behind it - but it's my home number, which I don't want publicised) (and I'm never there - because I work full time as a nurse)

Instead any user that wants to leave a message can use our 0870 number, which is connected 24/7 to an online answerphone service.

We publish the call costs next to the number, and make no profit at all from the line.

Before discovering that 0870 could be used in this way we used a YAC number - which again made us no money, but cost users an aweful lot more!

So, sorry, our 0870 number is a valuable tool, that we are proud to have and will continue to use.

So lets not totally write off 0870 it can be a force for good.

Sign up with sipgate.co.uk; they'll give you a free geographical number with a voicemail service. All for £0.00 - no set-up fee, no charges, no line rental.

Now, ditch that 0870!

What do you plan to do next year? Has your 0870 supplier advised you that things are changing? Are they persuading you to move to 0844, 0845, 0871 or 03? Have they even mentioned 03? Sorry, lots of questions, but at the end of the day, you are getting a service (voicemail/call redirection/etc) for free because your callers are charged a premium. This revenue stream stops on 0870 from next Feb (Jan?) and I wonder what you/your telco will do to pay for the service.

MS

dj1471 wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 11:06am:

Sign up with sipgate.co.uk; they'll give you a free geographical number with a voicemail service. All for £0.00 - no set-up fee, no charges, no line rental. Now, ditch that 0870!

Sadly not an option for a number of reasons,

1) there are clauses in their terms of service that stop us from using them (I would quote them - but can't - see point 2)

2) They are actively blocked by the NHS (which most of our support workers work for)

3) They make their money thorough outgoing calls, and as we would not use the service for this we would not be able to retain the account,

ms01 wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 11:34am:

What do you plan to do next year? Has your 0870 supplier advised you that things are changing? Are they persuading you to move to 0844, 0845, 0871 or 03? Have they even mentioned 03? Sorry, lots of questions, but at the end of the day, you are getting a service (voicemail/call redirection/etc) for free because your callers are charged a premium. This revenue stream stops on 0870 from next Feb (Jan?) and I wonder what you/your telco will do to pay for the service. MS

Well the obvious (and best choice) for us would have been to continue with an 0870, but as you rightly say this may well not be an option.

We therefore  have a range of options:

1) Stop offering a voicemail service.

2) Switch back to using our YAC number (at up to 32 pence per minute)

3) Use a mobile voicemail service (and, therefore, charged at mobile rates)

So, that you see was my point, a perfectly useable system has been villified because of missuse, we should be regulating the companies using the system, not dismantling the whole thing.

As we see it our only option will be to stop the service, and replace it with one that costs our users more.

I think that using the mobile voicemail would be the best idea. It is relatively simple to set up a mobile to forward all calls to voicemail, and for (many?) users, calls to other mobiles aren't that expensive (free with certain mobile plans). Plus, it wouldn't exactly cost you anything (if you used a PAYG account) and people should be aware of the costs of the call :).

jgxenite wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 12:48pm:

I think that using the mobile voicemail would be the best idea. It is relatively simple to set up a mobile to forward all calls to voicemail, and for (many?) users, calls to other mobiles aren't that expensive (free with certain mobile plans). Plus, it wouldn't exactly cost you anything (if you used a PAYG account) and people should be aware of the costs of the call :).

True, but equally they were aware of the cost of the calls with 0870, and it has the advantage that any of our 'admin' staff could access it from their PC's (bearing in mind that we don't have an office, and are many hundreds of miles from each other)

With a mobile service only one of us will be able to routinely access, and it will cost us to receive the calls (picking up voicemail is not free on most tariffs)

It still all goes back to 0870 being the ideal, cost effective, service for us.

The Gizmo Project (another SIP provider) will provide you with a geographic number for $35 (around £18) a year, which has free voicemail facilities. When a voicemail is received, the message is sent to an email address of your choice. If you set up a shared email account for your "admin" staff, they would be able to log into the email and listen to the voicemail. The email also contains the contact number (if provided) of the person who rang you so you can contact them.

Again, as with a mobile, you can set the voicemail to be permanently on, and I don't believe (although don't hold me to this) you ever need to install the client as all the configuration can be done on their website.

Oh, I guess I should have provided the website - http://www.gizmoproject.com/ :)

Ilikemy0870 wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 11:44am:

2) They are actively blocked by the NHS (which most of our support workers work for)

I wonder how the NHS 'actively blocks' calls to specific geographical numbers?

Must be a very labour-intensive procedure to investigate each number and ascertain whether it's a Sipgate number or a 'normal' one.

Ilikemy0870 wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 12:58pm:

It still all goes back to 0870 being the ideal, cost effective, service for us.

What about 0845? These numbers are available that do not charge for incoming calls.

Ilikemy0870 wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 10:47am:

So lets not totally write off 0870 it can be a force for good.

There is no justification for 0870. Period. This range, plus similar ones, only exists due to weak regulation and because Ofcom is run by cretins. In no other developed and, for that matter developing, country is the telecommunication system infested with premium rate numbers for everyday calls. The 0870 range is exploitative and exists for no valid reason other than profiteering by sly telcos. You state that you make no profit from the number. Clearly someone does. Your callers suffer from being shafted by the number provider. The whole NGN scheme is, frankly, laughable, and is not fit-for-purpose. If you want a revenue stream, use the numbering range that is designed for such revenue, ie 09 and don't hide behind the 'national rate' nonsense so beloved by the 0870 scammers.

I entirely concur with all of idb's sentiments on this matter.

The only acceptable way to fund this service is through a low end 09 Premium Rate number that people understand is Premium Rate before they call it or by charging callers of the number a fee they agree to have debited from their Maestro or Visa Delta card (credit cards inevitably not being cost effective for these small amounts of money).

This is just another example of an 0870 abuser claiming that they uniquely have  a special reason to carry out the abuse when other 0870 users do not.

There is no excuse for using 0870 and your outfit is just scamming people like all the other outfits with 0870 numbers. >:(