Iain
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The more I think about it, the more important it seems to me to respond to Peacock's statement on You and Yours. Here's a transcript. There's plenty to go at. None of his suggestion will work! Removal of revenue generation is the ONLY way forward.
WAITE Roger Jeevson ending that report from Paraic Obrien. Roger will be pleased to know, I’m sure, that the regulator Ofcom is also working to remedy this situation, so when I spoke to Matt Peacock from Ofcom this morning, I asked him if he agreed with Roger there that 0870 numbers are in fact premium rate numbers, but by another name.
PEACOCK Absolutely. And that’s something we’re very aware of. And what we’re proposing is that they won’t be able to do that any more. You won’t be able to advertise something as a local call rate number or a national call rate number. You’ll have to say its an 0845 or an 0870 number [do I need my hearing tested?] and what we’re also saying is that there should be a cap on the cost: 4 pence per minute for an 0845 and 8 pence per minute for an 0870. So in other words, you know what you’re paying for. You’re not told it’s a local call rate when it actually costs a lot more than a local call. You know where you stand. The standard practice that we’re proposing in this document, this consultation - and I would urge anyone who has strong views on this to get in touch with us and tell us about them - is that all companies and organisations, government, the BBC, Ofcom, companies whoever, should offer two numbers. They should offer an 0845 or an 0870 number, but alongside them, just as prominent so you can see, the actual geographic number. [!!]
WAITE Well, you say Ofcom is across this and doing something about it. What do you intend to do then?
PEACOCK Well, at the end of this we intend to produce a new framework, basically a new set of rules that companies will have to follow, that other bodies like, for example, the Advertising Standards Authority whom we work with on advertising, will enforce in their code of practice, so that companies won’t be able to advertise something as local or national when it isn’t.
WAITE Then how long will this, as it were, regularising of this ... How long will that take before customers don’t feel ripped off as they clearly do now?
PEACOCK Well the consultation will close quite soon, very much in the early New Year, and we would hope to have the new framework up and running before the end of the first quarter, before the end of March next year.
WAITE So the days of 0870 numbers are numbered, at least as far as being a cash cow is concerned?
PEACOCK Certainly as far as consumers being misled and confused about them.
WAITE Matt Peacock of Ofcom, thank you very much indeed.
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