Just been on BT call charges site and see that they now quote call charges under a heading " 0845 and 0870 premium rate calls".
So will they now have to comply with Premium Rate rules??

This is an interesting development. A BT spokesman was on BBC "Working Lunch" today and made the statement "0870 numbers are really like Premium numbers ......". At last they have admitted it. BT have never admitted this before. So why has Ofcom and Oftel before them allowed them to get away with this for so long, if they well knew that what we were claiming was true, when the new Telephone Numbering System originally allowed revenue-sharing on 09 numbers only? The last straw was of course removing the correlation between BT's National and Local rates with these abused numbers due to their gambit of forcing all of their line rental customers to Option 1; in a sense BT have become hoisted by their own petard!

It seems like at last some pressure is being put on BT. I don't think too many consumers would be too sad about this. The key to it all is queueing and call centres. Ofcom did actually admit in their outline for the last consultation that one option was to move all revenue-sharing numbers to the 09 series (which is where they should have been in the first place according to the new Telephone Numbering  system - that was the whole point of moving all the various Premium numbers to 09). The principal reason that BT and other telcos did not want to move all revenue-sharing numbers there is because the big money is being made from queueing. Queueing is of course prohibited with 09 numbers, for the very reason that it was seen quite clearly that if queueing were allowed there would be an inevitable tendancy for operators to extrapolate queueing times (using every trick in the book) to make lots of money. Well of course that is exactly what they are doing with 0870, 0871, 0845  etc. numbers. 

So BT are at last admitting that we are correct - these numbers are being used as covert Premium numbers with queueing, and this is a direct contravention of the new Telephone Numbering system which Ofcom have done nothing to correct!

Just tried to return to get the link to the page and it is unavailable!!
But I am not the only one to have actually seen it - so let's have a go at Ofcom etc.

Here is the url for all the non-standard prices

http://www.bt.com/Pricing/pis_info.jsp?PRICE_OPTION=Residential/PIS_Specialised_...

I find the 0844 numbers most concerning - talk about confusion.

And, as for 0871 numbers starting at 3p and then all the way up to 10p.....

Wouldn't it be nice if we could know what the call will cost without having to look at the first 7 or 8 digits?

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Where the network operator has falsely told the company that their customers can ring them at national/local rate, this amounts to a misrepresentation.   The company would be able to claim rescission of their contract and/or damages if they've been misled.  An alternative claim may exist for breach of contract, although it may be difficult to quantify the company's losses.  However, is the company likely to bring a claim and ditch the 0870 number when they're making money from the revenue share?

If the company advertises calls to their numbers as 'local/national' rate, then they may be breaking the law (Consumer Protection Act). The network provider could also be liable for the same criminal offence if the offence was caused by their provision of incorrect information.

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"Discount" rates! LOL

Does BT have its own dictionary?

That's OK then. I'll stop using the internet, bin all mobiles in the house, disconnect one of the phone lines and then I can be charged "national rate" for all my national calls!

Sorry Sandco, but have I missed something?

From where did you get the prefix 09997, and from where did you get its charge rate?

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And, to prove what a wonderful system the regulators have implemented in this country, the only other codes in the 0999 numbering range (099991 and 099992) are both Free to call!