Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
SAYNOTO0870.COM

<---- Back to main website

 
Home Help Search Login Register

Pages: 1 2 3 4 
Send Topic Print
Essex County Council (Read 70,762 times)
Barbara
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 598
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #30 - Jul 5th, 2014 at 10:16am
 
One other option, as I probably mentioned much earlier in this thread when I initiated it as I was then as Essex resident, is to contact each and every councillor directly and personally.   Their email addresses should be available via either the ECC website or upon request, sometimes it is also possible to find out their personal email addresses (I always prefer the later in case the council screens member emails, they can certainly access them).   Not all councillors will take the interest they should (I can bet the one representing the division where we used to live won't even reply!) but if you can recruit even a few to the cause, it could be a catalyst for change.  (At least there is no longer Lord Hanningfield as leader, he was one of the worst supporters of the 0845.)
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
NGMsGhost
Supreme Member
*****
Offline


The Forum Ghost of NonGeographicalMan<b
r />

Posts: 2,720
Surrey, United Kingdom
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #31 - Jul 12th, 2014 at 8:49pm
 
Now that the EU Consumer Rights Directive is implemented in to UK legislation I would suggest making a complaint to any council still using 084/7 numbers for customer service related functions under their formal complaints procedure.

Do not accept any initial response they may give you and continue to escalate your complaint up the chain to deadlock (usually with the Chief Executive). 

Assuming they then refuse to change their number to an 01/02/03 in response to your complaint you and then take the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman and I would be amazed if they do not come up with a ruling in favour of any complainant demanding that the local authority in question now desists from continued use of the 084/7 number in question and replaces it with an 01/02/03 alternative.

The current Complaints, Compliments and Policy document for Essex County Council can be found at www.essex.gov.uk/AnalyticsReports/Complaints_Policy.pdf
Back to top
« Last Edit: Jul 12th, 2014 at 8:49pm by NGMsGhost »  

<div style=
 
IP Logged
 
bigjohn
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 2,316
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #32 - Sep 9th, 2015 at 4:21am
 
See what a campaigner  found out as the result of  a Freedom of Information Act request.

http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/13627341.County_Hall_0845_number____c...
Back to top
« Last Edit: Sep 9th, 2015 at 4:24am by bigjohn »  

BJ.
 
IP Logged
 
Barbara
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 598
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #33 - Sep 11th, 2015 at 9:08am
 
Essex County Council are utterly shameless, they don't care one jot about the public (who put the councillors where they are &, through their council tax, pay their vast councillors' allowances) or public opinion.   I tried for about four years, until we moved from Essex, & got nowhere, in spite of FOI requests, everything.  Remember who was their leader, Lord Hanningfield, & his expenses scandal.  Unless & until the government requires councils to comply, ECC will continue to ignore all efforts to persuade them to act with propriety & fairness.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Ian01
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 767
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #34 - Oct 15th, 2015 at 1:51pm
 

Behind the scenes work by the Fair Telecoms Campaign and a local campaigner has finally achieved a result.

Essex County Council will introduce 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015.

The 0845 numbers will announce that a new 0345 number is available and give callers the choice to hang on or hang up and re-dial.

At some later date this will change to an announcement that informs the caller of the new number and immediately ends the call.

Back to top
« Last Edit: Oct 15th, 2015 at 2:31pm by Ian01 »  
 
IP Logged
 
Heinz
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 1,362
Essex
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #35 - Oct 19th, 2015 at 4:48pm
 
Welcome news but long overdue, to say the least!
Back to top
 

After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Ian01
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 767
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #36 - Nov 7th, 2015 at 6:15pm
 

The Essex CC website has been updated to show the new 0345 numbers.

See http://www.essex.gov.uk/Pages/Contact-us.aspx

Do let them know if any pages have been missed.

Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
CJT-80
Global Moderator
*****
Offline



Posts: 1,713
Manchester
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #37 - Nov 10th, 2015 at 11:23am
 
Excellent News!  Smiley

I do love the slightly amusing sight that they have clearly just updated the numbers and no text on their site:

General enquiries   
Tel: 0345  743  0430 or 01245 430 430 (if you prefer to dial a geographically-routed number)
  Both numbers should now be shown as being charged at a geographic rate....  Wink

Still at least they have been changed!  Smiley
Back to top
 

Regards,

CJT-80

Any comments made are my own and are not those of SayNoTo0870.com
 
IP Logged
 
kasg
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 320
West Sussex
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #38 - Nov 11th, 2015 at 4:23pm
 
CJT-80 wrote on Nov 10th, 2015 at 11:23am:
Tel: 0345  743  0430 or 01245 430 430 (if you prefer to dial a geographically-routed number)

How about (if you prefer to save us a few pennies but it will cost you the same) Smiley
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Ian01
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 767
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #39 - Nov 11th, 2015 at 4:38pm
 

I don't remember where I saw it, but I seem to recall they are paying 0.5p per minute for incoming calls to their 03 number.

For an organisation with a relatively high volume of calls that is quite reasonable.

Back to top
« Last Edit: Nov 11th, 2015 at 4:39pm by Ian01 »  
 
IP Logged
 
CJT-80
Global Moderator
*****
Offline



Posts: 1,713
Manchester
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #40 - Nov 12th, 2015 at 10:27am
 
kasg wrote on Nov 11th, 2015 at 4:23pm:
CJT-80 wrote on Nov 10th, 2015 at 11:23am:
Tel: 0345  743  0430 or 01245 430 430 (if you prefer to dial a geographically-routed number)

How about (if you prefer to save us a few pennies but it will cost you the same) Smiley


Sounds PERFECT to me  Grin Grin
Back to top
 

Regards,

CJT-80

Any comments made are my own and are not those of SayNoTo0870.com
 
IP Logged
 
bazzerfewi
Supreme Member
*****
Offline


Baz

Posts: 580
Barnsley
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #41 - Nov 12th, 2015 at 12:06pm
 
bigjohn wrote on Sep 9th, 2015 at 4:21am:
See what a campaigner  found out as the result of  a Freedom of Information Act request.

http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/13627341.County_Hall_0845_number____c...


Surely the council are withholding information or they have had an incorrect contract because all 0845 numbers are revenue sharing numbers between the telco and the client
Back to top
 
WWW bazzerfewi aom@blueyonder.co.uk  
IP Logged
 
SilentCallsVictim
Supreme Member
*****
Offline


aka NHS.Patient, DH_fairtelecoms

Posts: 2,494
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #42 - Nov 12th, 2015 at 12:39pm
 
bazzerfewi wrote on Nov 12th, 2015 at 12:06pm:
Surely the council are withholding information or they have had an incorrect contract because all 0845 numbers are revenue sharing numbers between the telco and the client

The term "revenue sharing" applies only when money changes hands in direct proportion to the volume of incoming calls - i.e. as a "share" of the "revenue" received through the termination fee. It is permitted on all 084/087/09 numbers, but not on others.

If the user of the number benefits by a reduced (or zero) charge for the service, then the term "revenue sharing" does not strictly apply. The classic example of this is when DWP, many years ago, changed its arrangements so as to avoid "revenue sharing", by simply paying a lower rate in the first place rather than benefiting from a "cashback".

(Is it not wonderful to be able to refer to DWP and 0845 numbers simply as an historic curiosity.)
Back to top
 
WWW  
IP Logged
 
bazzerfewi
Supreme Member
*****
Offline


Baz

Posts: 580
Barnsley
Gender: male
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #43 - Nov 12th, 2015 at 5:45pm
 
Thanks for the clarification - But it stinks all the same because that means that the DWP had a reduced call rate on the back of the poorest in society. Surely if they are entitled to pay a lower rate thay are still benefit, in essance it is better than a  revenue share because they have received a discount upfront  Angry
Back to top
 
WWW bazzerfewi aom@blueyonder.co.uk  
IP Logged
 
Ian01
Supreme Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 767
Re: Essex County Council
Reply #44 - Nov 12th, 2015 at 7:42pm
 

It gets better. In order to be seen to 'not be profiting from the use of an 0845 number', DWP didn't collect the 0.5p per minute revenue share payments they were entitled to. Instead, they just let their provider keep the money. Later they used it to barter a discount for other services.

Margaret Hodge and the Public Accounts Committee got to the bottom of things in September 2013.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-commons-23934512 from the beginning.

This led to the Cabinet Office publishing their Guidance in December 2013 and DWP changing to 0345 numbers in March or April 2014.


Additionally, in December 2013, the Student Loans Company was savaged by Margaret Hodge and the Public Accounts Committee over their failure to move away from 084 numbers after it was highlighted at a previous enquiry some 5 months earlier.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house-of-commons-25339852 starting at about at 1h36m

Those actions, among many others, got us where we are today. Very few public services retain usage of 084 or 087 numbers.

Back to top
« Last Edit: Nov 12th, 2015 at 8:57pm by Ian01 »  
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 3 4 
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: Forum Admin, DaveM, bbb_uk, Dave, CJT-80)

Website and Content © 1999-2024 SAYNOTO0870.COM. All Rights Reserved.
Written permission is required to duplicate any of the content within this site.

WARNING: This is an open forum, posts are NOT endorsed by SAYNOTO0870.COM,
please exercise due caution when acting on any info from here.


SAYNOTO0870.COM » Powered by YaBB 2.5.2!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2024. All Rights Reserved.


Valid RSS Valid XHTML Valid CSS Powered by Perl Source Forge