Tomorrow Morning BBC1 TV at 9.15am -- a new series on "RIP-OFF Britain" commences and the first edition will contain a piece about the use of 084 numbers by public services and ubtilities.


In the first of a series of these programmes three “Rottweilers” get their teeth into the rip off behind 084 telephone numbers.   Veteran reporters Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Jennie Bond present the series.

This episode will expose the subsidy obtained by both commercial and public service providers at the expense of their users who pay premium rates to call 084 telephone numbers, although they are not honoured with the classification of being a “Premium Rate Service”. Where no fee is advised as being levied for the service, callers are being ripped off by the provider, the organisation they are calling, not by their telephone company.

We do not know exactly how this topic will be handled and presented so it will be interesting to see how the BBC will present it.   It is likely that the topic of 084 number rip-offs will only occupy a short slot within a 45 minute programme covering many other alleged "rip-offs" throughout the utilities industry, and it will be interesting to see if reference to the use of 084 within the NHS is mentioned.

Remember, BBC 1 TV at 9.15 am Monday 30th November 2009.   Let's see if we can say well done to Auntie BBC.

I have posted a blog entry with some comments about this broadcast and some clips of the relevant bits - Rip Off Britain - update.

In this forum I must offer hearty congratulations to Guy Mayhew, who did an excellent job of putting the points across.

As I say in my blog, the "Terminate the Rate" campaign is little more than a commercial dispute between competitors. Until we have some clear assurance that the money under dispute is simply excess profit that would be released to consumers, rather than relying on weak claims to this effect by those who have an interest, then I feel that those who have got behind this campaign are ill advised. The FSB would do well to start at home by campaigning for all of its members to give up use of revenue sharing numbers, if it truly believes that higher termination rates are a rip off.

The full broadcast is available on BBC i-player for the next week.

Having just viewed this episode, which is not the easiest activity from Florida, I can only conclude that Ofcom's Gareth Davies appears to be a complete "waste of space", and a shining example of this organ's pointlessness and incompetence.

idb wrote on Dec 3^rd, 2009 at 3:39am:

Having just viewed this episode, which is not the easiest activity from Florida, I can only conclude that Ofcom's Gareth Davies appears to be a complete "waste of space", and a shining example of this organ's pointlessness and incompetence.

Most of their staff only seem interested in advancing their own careers and pensions and seem to have almost no campaigning zeal at all to protect the telecoms consumer.  I believe the corporate culture of Ofcom is such that it does not encourage either the recruitment of or retention of any member of staff who does have any kind of genuine campaigning mentality on the consumer's behalf.

The only honourable exceptions to the above have been Matt Peacock (no longer with them and now in an even more well paid job with BG Energy where he seems to have completely sunk from public view) and Clive Hillier.  Clive is still with them and I believe does do everything he possibly can to assist consumers who raise issues with Ofcom within the extremely difficult corporate culture that he works within.

Following a major item in Series 1 and a plug for SayNoTo0870 in Series 3, I understand that BBC Rip-Off Britain is still keen to cover this issue in Series 4 (which is currently being prepared for broadcast in the late Autumn).

Rather than a full item however, the plan is to cover the issue in the context of the "Pop up" shop being held in Gateshead on Sat / Sun, 16 / 17 June.

Although there is a genuine "walk-in" element to this, the producers are very keen to hear from people who are able to attend the event and are ready to be filmed talking about how they have been ripped-off, with "an expert".

Anyone keen to contribute should contact the BBC via the contact us form on the Rip Off Britain web page, as soon as possible.

(Timing is important as some of the show content is prepared in advance.)

SilentCallsVictim wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 2:21pm:

Anyone keen to contribute should contact the BBC via the contact us form on the Rip Off Britain web page, as soon as possible. (Timing is important as some of the show content is prepared in advance.)

Dave and bbb_uk look to be the most suitably located forum members to take part in an event with such a northerly UKlocation.