Hi all,

Firstly, this is my first post after reading through a few threads - great forum! Congrats with the contributions and underground community spirit here.

This thread I think may interest you and your opinions on this would make for entertaining reading.

A close friend of mine is thinking of setting up a small business, which is aimed at working with other businesses only. The general public will have no contact with this company. My friend is thinking of setting up a 0845 or 0870 number. She thinks it will make her start-up company more professional, as she says it's commercially the way forward in dealing with business communications blah blah blah.

After finding and reading this forum, I instantly thought of my friend's idea and started to wonder what your opinions would be.

Would 0845 or a 0870 business-to-business number be deemed 'ok', as both parties communications generate money, or should the 0845 and 0870 numbers be banished back to hell?

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 8:48pm:


If companies didn't benefit from using such numbers, then it would be quite odd that huge corporate industries, financial and subscription, or service providers use these numbers. I think it's to basically an additional income to contribute towards covering enough ground to help pay their staff wages. Her logic is something along the lines of 'big name' and 'well respected' companies use these numbers to raise finance and she said something along the lines of, if she got an 0870 or whatever number, if she spent half an hour on the phone a day for every working day of the year, her business would bring in over £300 from taking incoming calls from other businesses.

Of course the providers of these numbers will benefit mostly, but at the end of the day, it's basically like a comission or an affiliate system, which is just another way to bring in extra resources for PR and customer/client relations.

But I do see your point in the long run. If a small business who uses one of those numbers for half an hour a day can bring in an extra £300 odd a year, huge corporates with massive call centres being busy 6hrs a day every day, will tally up some scary annual £££s.

I think she's more concerned about "If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me" motto and looking at it from her point of view if she doesn't deal with the general public, it's just extra cash brought in from those who can afford it.

Personally, after reading some threads on here, there's a lot of info and eye-opening subjects that a lot of people out there won't be aware of. Cool forum...I'll pass on the addy to my friends who will no doubt benefit from it in a big way. 

Dave wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 9:28pm:


Yeah, I totally agree with you there. The money in the hands of the providers is crazy. I see it as the 'Plan B' of the telecom v consumer wars which allowed them to drop the prices of their previous packages which more than makes up for the reductions to standard lines. It wasn't that long ago since calling abroad cost a bomb and being on the phone to someone outside the area cost more than these 'premium' lines do today. That's not to mention the dial-up days in comparison to our inclusive high speed broadband services. I think you know where I'm coming from. It's as tho we get a lot of services very affordable and lucritive, yet we have these numbers which kinda balance out the price falls. A very evil game indeed lol

Dave wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 9:28pm:


It's a sad day in a typical dog-eat-dog world, where the big companies get bigger and the smaller companies have to fight for all they have to stay afloat.

I totally see your point, but in the other hand, I also see hers. When a small business struggles to stay in business, the referral, affiliate and commission options offered by the big boys that make them grow bigger can in turn be enough bait to lure in the small fish, who need all the little worms they can get in order to pay the bills.

Business is business for most corporations out there and it's a huge struggle for the smaller fish in the big pond and the customers to fight the power.

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 11:00pm:


Interesting link. Who knows what Ofcom will do, or not do. Some people think they're just part of the 'industry game' lol But I read that they're clamping down slowly on some numbers. I guess they will work their way down the ladder of the most money draining numbers and offenders, before getting to these ones.

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2008 at 11:00pm:


Cute post. But I think the vast paranoia concerning the premium numbers is starting to rub off on some people   

I can understand where you're coming from though. I just like a bit of forum scandel here and there and knew this topic would get some kind of reaction, so I'll let you off on that one 

My personal opinion on this is that I hate the majority of these numbers. The amount of times I've been transfered to 'Cowboys & Indians' when I've called Virgin Media each time my broadband goes down drives me nuts! But as for my friend, I can see it from her point of view. Those kinds of numbers when used by the big boys is no doubt massive peer pressure and when ya think about it you can understand why there's so many of them about.

I wish I came across this forum much sooner. So many 'real' numbers posted here that will save everyone a large chunk of money. The thread that made me laugh most was the Job Seekers Direct one. I'm gonna use that one myself

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2008 at 8:22am:


I think you're being a bit niave regarding peer pressure lol it doesn't take a Peter Jones to work out that in order to compete with rivals you need to be on as equal terms as you possible can regarding communication and technology. I don't know much about business, but it's quite obvious that peer pressure is massive within any kind of business and in any kind of industry. From the cornershop to the big corporate industry. If your competitors have a telephone, you'll have a telephone, if your competitors have a fax, you'll get a fax, if they have an email address, you'll have one, if they have a website, you'll have one. Like I said, it doesn't take much thought to grasp that peer pressure is what will most probably drive businesses to go for these numbers.

In her defense, she's about 31, maybe even 32 and always gloats that every business advisor she's spoken to bigs up her business plan and cash flow thing. She's also never failed in business and she's owned at least two that I know of.

As for everything else you've said, it's not for me to comment on, but by going on what you've said, you're assuming way too much and I think your hatred for such numbers is kinda pushing you towards a biased tunnel vision like reply. I'm more of your annoyed consumer but willing to look at it from both sides type of person, you appear to be the full on angry consumer that just hates anything connceted to these numbers lol

I've passed on this thread to her, hopefully she'll reply, coz I like a good debate 

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 24^th, 2008 at 12:29pm:


That's quite arrogant and quite ignorant coming from someone who assumes people over the age of 30 have no peer pressure and also doesn't actually understand, or want to understand that there's strong peer pressure in business. Maybe if you understood this, it would be you that would learn something too.  

This thread is mainly here to start a debate, afteral, that's one of the key uses of a forum. If people don't want to talk about the pros, aswell as the cons, that makes people narrowminded and that often generates hate and hate isn't good.

NGMsGhost wrote on Feb 24^th, 2008 at 12:29pm:


There you go assuming again  

I dislike these numbers, as much as the next person, but there's no need to try insult someone, because that makes you look like a sad rage driven loser.  

When my friend posts, be nice, she's very business minded and may actually explain her side of things 

Considering nobody else wants to contribute to the thread, we might aswell call it a day, as there's no point repeat posting all day. lol We've both had our say and I'm out. It was fun 

Caldari wrote on Feb 24^th, 2008 at 5:24pm:


That debate has already previously been held as nauseam with various other abusers of 084/7 numbers who have tried to amuse themselves by attempting to justify their misdeeds here,

The purpose of this forum is to co-ordinate more effective lobbying against those who misuse these numbers rather than to have endless debates with those who are convinced that they can exploit Ofcom's lack of adequate regulations about proper price indications of the cost of uk phone calls to try to hoodwink the great British Public.