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URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Members (Read 104,572 times)
NGMsGhost
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #15 - May 8th, 2008 at 10:01pm
 
Ironically I have never received this email from the BBC Trust today and nor has my original contact at the BBC ever come back to me to tell me what happened at their Board Meeting .

However I did receive the below email from Angie Nehring, Deputy Editor of You & Yours back on April 24th, effectively confirming that the decision did go through at the BBC Board meeting on April 21st.

I feel calls by SCV for a press release (well in fact its too late to stop him as he has already issued one apparently taking most of the credit/cuedos for work that was mainly done by I and Derrick) calling for congratulation are premature as the BBC has only taken a decision in principle on the matter and must now negotiate execution and delivery date with its telecoms supplier Cable & Wireless and its call centre partner, Capita.

We can only be confident the BBC will bring in 03 numbers when it puts out a press release giving the conversion date of its biggest volume 0870 number (BBC Information) to 03 and the reasons why it has chosen to do so.  Until that takes place there is always every opportunity something may go wrong, especially given the appalling confusion caused by the nonsensical press release put out last Friday (May 2nd) by Ofcom suggesting 0870 will be the new saviour of the public when calling contact centres (with no mention of 03 numbers). 

The reality of course is quite different and is that all call centres wanting to earn revenue share like Sky have or soon will have moved to 0844 or 0871 and that the BBC does not want to stay on 0870 (a) because Ofcom's stunning volte face over compulsory call price announcements on 0870 last Friday means that any telecoms company (especially mobile phone companies and sleaze bags like TalkTalk) will be able to charge above geographic call prices unlike 03 numbers without any call price announcement warning and (b) to a lesser extent because the image of 0870 numbers is so irreparably tarnished that remaining on them will not give the impression of the BBC doing the right thing.

But as I say again the BBC Trust is only replying to correspondence here and this is not a formal press announcement of a definite introduction date by the BBC for 03 numbers.  I will therefore be asking my contact at the BBC for further details of when and how 03 numbers will be introduced and when it plans to make a formal press announcement about the replacement of its 084/7 numbers with numbers in the 03 number range.

I would certainly be grateful for any form of explanation by SilentCallsVictim as to why he believes this email from the BBC Trust is currently press releasable and also why his releases/information emails sent to the press under his name probably do not mention those from this campaign who have actually done the most work on this particular matter.

Quote:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:      FW: You and Yours 070 number - complaint - good timing
Date:      Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:22:23 +0100
From:      Angie Nehring <angie.nehring@bbc.co.uk>

Dear _________,

Thank you for your email, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply.

May I reassure you that the reason your email was not read out on air was simply because of the mass of calls and emails we received on the subject of customer service. It's obviously something people feel strongly about.

With reference to your particular point on the use of 0870 numbers by the BBC, I have good news to pass on. As of yesterday, the BBC has decided to phase out its use of 0870 in favour of the new 0370 numbers recently made available by Ofcom. This change will enable the audience to call the BBC at the lowest cost to the caller. 0370 calls cost no more than calls to 01/02 geographic numbers and are included in discount packages for both fixed line and mobile contracts.

Yours sincerely
Angie Nehring
Dept Editor You and Yours

Sent: 15 April 2008 13:31
To: Peter White-DSHS; Liz Barclay
Cc: Katy Johnstone; Mark Damazer; zzMark zzThompson-DG; Mark Byford & PA; Tim Davie;

Dear Mr White and Ms Barclay,

I tried both to phone your so called "phone-in" program about 12.35pm today (Wednesday 15th April) and sent the below email to you as well but my comments about customer's being abused with excessive 084/7 call charges numbers by many UK call centres have not been let on air.

Are you now under strict instructions from senior BBC management to not discuss the 084/7 issue at all on your program? I note that you have not mentioned this issue again for a very long time indeed, despite Ofcom going back on their previous commitments about making 0870 numbers priced on the same basis as 01/02 calls on 1st February 2008.

I suspect that producers and presenters on your program have now been told never to mention this issue again on your show by the BBC's senior management (due to its own extensive and widespread cynical use and abuse of these numbers)?

Of course you also still even absurdly use an abusive 0870 covert premium rate (see the dictionary definition of the word premium) phone number for calls to the phone in line on your supposedly pro consumer show. Clearly this appears to be yet another example of the modern trend for rotten customer service by a large and faceless organisation that does not appear to listen to or at least take action in response to the views expressed by its customers!

I look forward to your comments.

Regards,
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #16 - May 8th, 2008 at 10:23pm
 
The primary credit for campaigning effort here must go to NGMsG who suggested that many of us contact the BBC, which led to us receiving a personal email today. It is surprising to learn and ironic that he did not.

The only credit to be given in a news story is to the BBC management for "saying no to 0870" and also showing that Ofcom's efforts on 0870 are unlikely to have any meaningful effect, necessitating it acting for itself.

The BBC will itself give this story a big push when it has sorted out the detail. I believe that a bit of early publicity will put on the pressure for this to done swiftly. The fact that the ITV / Ofcom story is running today and tomorrow may provide a platform on which to cover this matter also.

I would not normally condone discussion of specific tactics in the forum, but I believe that NGMsG is the one to draft a media release, taking such personal credit as he wishes.
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #17 - May 11th, 2008 at 1:46pm
 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2008/may/11/celebrity

ITV's number is up

<<
A footnote to the ITV phone-in affair. Last year, the broadcaster changed all its phone lines over to 0844 numbers which cost 5p per minute to ring and allow them to share in call profits. Now sources tell me it's swapping back to normal London numbers. 'Having moved the whole company over, we're now all being moved back,' I'm informed. 'They turned out to be expensive to ring from a mobile number and impossible to get through to from abroad.' A timely decision.
>>
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #18 - May 11th, 2008 at 4:11pm
 
This is really good news, although again we can't be sure until we see the colour of their money.

Is it just me, or does anyone else get the feeling the tide is turning at long last?
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #19 - May 11th, 2008 at 5:11pm
 
longusername wrote on May 11th, 2008 at 4:11pm:
does anyone else get the feeling the tide is turning at long last?

Yes, that feeling comes over very strongly. As this will always be a relatively small item on the relevant agendas, it is bound to be a slow process.

Decision makers in public and private bodies are now recognising that public opinion is set strongly against the rip-off of hidden revenue sharing, and some will hold this view for themselves. This is what is important, as this is how change for the better is made.

We must beware of false dawns and note that there is still a very long way to go. I believe that newcomers like myself should however celebrate the successes achieved by those who have been involved in this campaign for many years, as we join them in efforts to achieve further success.
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #20 - May 13th, 2008 at 6:07pm
 
I have just received a reply from the trust after asking them when the BBC are going to implement the change; -


13 May 2008

Dear Mr

Thank you for your email regarding BBC management’s decision to change from 0870 to 0370 numbers.
I should first like to explain that the BBC Trust, for whom I work, is independent and distinct from the BBC’s management. It was the BBC’s management that decided to make the switch and they are managing the process.  I am advised, however, that they hope to make the switch during the summer.

I am unable to give you fuller details at present since they are still being worked out by the BBC’s management, but I hope this is helpful.

Yours sincerely

Victoria Finney

Correspondence Manager


BBC Trust Unit


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Re: BBC charge for 0870 is 4ppm ???
Reply #21 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 1:10pm
 
I just found (via a Google automated news story search email notification) what appears to be this letter from Ian Fannon of Tv Licensing on The Scotsman website.  This is in response to some earlier article of theirs it would appear about the Which article on 084/7 numbers.

See http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Value-for-money.4171426.jp

Quote:
Value for money

TV Licensing's change from 0870 numbers to 0844 numbers (your report, 29 May) was based on providing the best value for money for callers and licence fee payers. An average three-minute call costs less than a second-class stamp. We believe it is fairer for those who want to contact us by telephone to pay for it, rather than being subsidised by all licence fee payers.
If people would prefer not to call, they can contact us online or by post.

TV Licensing is run by the BBC and is not a government agency, as described in the Which? report.

IAN FANNON, TV Licensing, 77 Kingsway, London

The full article contains 111 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

    * Last Updated: 10 June 2008 7:10 PM
    * Source: The Scotsman
    * Location: Edinburgh


So it seems Mr Michael Stock has previously misled me and not all BBC run phone numbers are after all changing to 03.  Since payment of the BBC Licence Fee is actually a huge revenue earning activity for the BBC it seems particularly disgraceful they would charge for the privilege of asking questions about how to pay it.  They even have the gall to admit they are doing this. Shocked Angry

Also note the point about "less than the cost of a second class stamp" previously used by Eddie Mair on the PM program.  So it is now quite clear these comments were not Mr Mair's own thoughts at all but actually a pre prepared stock propaganda line from the BBC PR department.

It seems that Ian Fannon is Communications Manager of Tv Licensing based on his previous letter to the Guardian newspaper a few weeks ago:-

See www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/05/2

Quote:
A licence to scare?

In response to Lucy Barrett's article, the information on our database is confidential and is used for the sole purpose of TV Licensing (Somebody, somewhere, is selling you fear, April 28).

We comply with the Data Protection Act and none of the data we hold is released to third parties. We take the security of the information we are entrusted with very seriously.

A minority of people (about 5%) try to avoid paying the licence fee and our new campaign contains messages designed to deter a potential evader. We continue to work to ensure everyone is aware of the licensing requirements and the effectiveness of our enforcement operation. Research has shown that, in fact, the majority of licence payers (nine out of 10) believe it is appropriate for TV Licensing to highlight anti-evasion messages.

Ian Fannon, communications manager, TV Licensing


I think we should all consider write to BBC Board Members condemning the fact that the contact number for BBC Tv Licensing is apparently not going to change to 03.

On second thoughts perhaps it is best to wait till the BBC changes their other numbers to 03 and then launch the broadside against tv licensing still using 0844 at that time in the form of comments to the media about the BBC change to 03 for other contact numbers.
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #22 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 2:39pm
 
The BBC's "Recent Questions" has this one:

Quote:
Will the BBC stop using 0870 numbers?

Yes. The BBC has decided to change from 0870 to a new 0370 number range which was created last year by Ofcom, the telecoms regulator. With the changing telecoms market and greater variety of charging frameworks, it has become clear that 0870 charges are not clear and no longer work well for audiences.

0370 calls cost no more than 01and 02 geographic landline numbers and are included in discount packages for both fixed-line and mobile phones. This enables viewers and listeners to call the BBC at the lowest cost to callers. The BBC has taken time to plan for the switchover of up to 80 different numbers to be as smooth as possible and also at the lowest cost to the licence fee payer.

All the BBC’s 0870 numbers will be phased out during the summer of 2008 and replaced with an equivalent 0370 range of numbers. 0870 numbers replaced a previous system where there was no central number to call the BBC on and therefore the cost of calling BBC centres depended on where you live. They were introduced in 1998 so that everyone could call the BBC for the same cost (equivalent roughly to a postage stamp). Local radio 0845 numbers, which have a cheaper ‘local-rate’ charge, and freephone numbers (eg 0800 and 0500) will not be affected by this change..
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #23 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 3:16pm
 
People might find it rather interesting to look back at what Michael Stock at the BBC was saying to try to justify their use of their 0870 numbers back on 22nd July 2005 compared to their later volte face on this matter.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ifs/hi/newsid_4700000/newsid_4706600/4706631.stm

You will see that he was then also perpetrating the "its less than cost of a stamp" argument by claiming (contentiously) that the average call length time to their 0870 numbers was only 3 minutes.

So it is clear that Mr Stock has always been the key front man for the BBC on this issue and hence clearly why he was the person to approach this campaign about a plan by the BBC to change to using 03 numbers when they first started to investigate this proposal during the latter part of 2007.  Hence also why Mr Stock was then the man to write the paper containing the proposal to move to 03 numbers that allegedly went in front of the BBC Executive Board at its meeting in April this year.

However I have just checked and the Minutes of the BBC Executive Board Meeting of 7th April 2008 have now been published but there is no mention of the proposal to switch to using 03 phone numbers or of Michael Stock attending the meeting to present his paper. Unless this was part of Network Supply Review at Item No. 3 in the Minutes?  But it doesn't sound like it was part of Network Supply Review from what is minuted.

Odder and odder.  Have we perhaps been led up the garden path or was this a secret and unminuted decision?  Mr Stock certainly led me to believe the matter would be decided by a paper he had written that was being presented to this meeting.

See www.bbc.co.uk/info/running/executive/pdfs/ebmins_apr08.pdf
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #24 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 3:22pm
 
I have just realised that the meeting I was told about was due to take place on Monday 21st April, but there are no minutes as yet of such a meeting on the BBC website that publishes the minutes of the Executive Board.

See www.bbc.co.uk/info/running/executive/minutes.shtml

So was there a second meeting of the Executive Board during April and if so are we still awaiting the publication of the minutes of that meeting?
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #25 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 3:57pm
 
Below is a copy of my email sent today to Ian Fannon at BBC Tv Licensing:-

Quote:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:      BBC Planning To Retain Its Expensive 0844 Revenue Share Number For Tv Licensing Calls
Date:      Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:38:11 +0100
To:      mediaenquiries@tvlicensing.info

Dear Mr Fannon,

BBC Planning To Retain Its Expensive 0844 Revenue Share Number For Tv Licensing Call
s

As one of the most active and longstanding members of the www.saynoto0870.com website campaign I was interested to read the comments recently attributed to you in your letter to The Scotsman newspaper (see http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Value-for-money.4171426.jp) attempting to justify the BBC's apparent planned retention of its new 0844 revenue sharing number for calling Tv Licensing about paying the tv license fee.  This is even though paying the tv license fee is in effect something about which people now have almost no choice and already amounts to a hugely regressive stealth tax on the very poorest members of society, and especially on the poorest members of society on low incomes who are not over 75 and are not on benefits.

I thought you might be interested in therefore entering the fray to further defend TV Licensing's position in the discussion that is taking place on this matter on the www.saynoto0870.com website.

See www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1211964387/

See also the previous discussion a few weeks ago at the stage when members of this campaign had been led to believe by a well informed senior source at the BBC that the BBC Executive Board was planning a switch to 03 prefixed numbers for all of its contact phone numbers.  As you may know unlike 084 and 087 prefixed phone numbers 03 prefixed numbers (only recently introduced by Ofcom in Autumn 2007) do not cost any more to call than a number starting 01 or 02 from a landline or a mobile phone and are also included in all landline inclusive call packages and mobile phone bundled minutes.  By contrast 0844 numbers are not and are charged at up to 40p per minute by some Pay As You Go mobile operators.  Research shows that some of the poorest members of society often do not have a landline and only use a pay as you go mobile phone.

See www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1208458341/1#1 for the previous discussion about the expected BBC changes to using 03 for all of its phone numbers.

I am sure it would further illuminate matters on the www.saynoto0870.com web discussion forum if you were now prepared to join the debate to try to defend TV Licensing's continued use of an 0844 revenue sharing phone number instead of switching to an 0370 normal priced phone number as this campaign had previously been led to believe would be the case by the BBC (given that we were previously told by one of its senior Executives in its communications and audiences division that the BBC was planning to switch to 03 for all its contact phone numbers in all parts of the BBC).

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the above matter and/or to possibly seeing a post from you on this subject in the www.saynoto0870.com discussion forum.

Regards,


and my later update:-

Quote:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:      Thread Discussing BBC Licensing 0870 on Saynoto0870.com Website
Date:      Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:52:24 +0100
To:      mediaenquiries@tvlicensing.info

Dear Mr Fannon,

Further to my earlier email I see that all of the thread discussing the question of the BBC's contact phone numbers, including BBC Licensing's phone number, has now been consolidated together at:-

www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1208458341/0

I hope this is of assistance.

Regards,
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #26 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 4:26pm
 
It seems that the real reason 0844 is being used to contact Tv Licensing is because greedy Capita once again appear to have their fat snouts firmly dug in to the NGN revenue sharing trough.

From www.tvlicensing.co.uk/aboutus/index.jsp

Quote:
"TV Licensing" is a trading name used by companies contracted by the BBC to administer the collection of television licence fees and enforcement of the television licensing system. The majority of administration is contracted to Capita Business Services Ltd, with cash related payment schemes contracted to Revenues Management Services Ltd. Over-the-counter services are contracted to PayPoint Collections Ltd. Marketing and public relations activities are contracted to the AMV Consortium. This consortium is made up of the following four companies: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO Ltd, Fishburn Hedges Boys Williams Ltd, PHD Media Ltd and Proximity London Ltd. The BBC is a public authority in respect of its television licensing functions and retains overall responsibility.
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #27 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 6:03pm
 
The plot thickens.  I now find that Mr Michael Stock is also a Board Member of the Contact Centre Association (even though he is not a BBC Executive Board Member).

See www.cca.org.uk/about/Board%20Members.asp

This is a board which also has as a member Rob Pike - the Director of Retail Service Operations at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (the parent company of NatWest). One of the largest users of 084/7 NGNs in the country!

Then at www.cca.org.uk/about/FP%20Group.asp we find out about the Foundation Partner Group that set up the CCA:-

Quote:
Foundation Partner Group

Formed in 1999, the Foundation Partner group is an established forum of both corporate and public sector influences.  Its success to date can be demonstrated by the successful launch of the CCA Standard Framework.

Organisations investing in Foundation Partnership have the opportunity to participate in the benefits of corporate membership and are also invited to participate in a wider range of activities which assist CCA in promoting best practice and professionalism and offer the group the opportunity to be involved in driving the collective voice for the industry.

Our Foundation Partner Group includes:

British Gas
BT
Capita
Department for Work & Pensions
HM Revenue & Customs
NHS Direct
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Royal Mail
Sky Subscriber Services
Tesco
Vodafone Ltd

If you would like to become involved in the FP Group please contact Pauline.Cochrane@cca.org.uk or Tel:  +44 (0) 141 564 9384.


Well wouldnt you know it some of the UK's leading and most hardened abusers of 084/7 numbers for all their contact centres are on this group that founded the Contact Centre Association.  BT, Capita (who operate the BBC call centres), Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC, NHS Direct, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Royal Mail, Sky, Tesco and Vodafone.  In other words all those organisations which are most notorious for abusing customers with 084/7 numbers and for coming up with the same old standard lies and obfuscation to defend their use.  Most disturbing is that four public sector organisations (DWP, HMRC, NHSD and Royal Mail) are part of this aggressive setup to ripoff the call centre customer).  No wonder HMRC and DWP are doing nothing about trying to move away from 0845 to using 03 numbers.

They even use a geographic phone number for members of their own 084/7 abusing fraternity to get in touch with them and better discuss how to ripoff the UK citizen consumer.  Talk about two faced. Shocked Angry Smiley

The website is full of lots of flannel about professionalism, standards, excellence and so on but I feel perfectly sure that the CCA is in fact a cartel of some of the country's leading abusers of the consumer by forcing them to call stealth premium rate 084/7 numbers to get in touch.  I think there are a fair few backbench MPs who would be very interested to be more fully informed of the work of the CCA and just who its leading members are.
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BBC Betrays Us on Its 03 Number Proposals
Reply #28 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 10:21pm
 
Unfortunately Michael Stock at the BBC has now sent me the below response to my earlier email.

I am very disappointed indeed by its contents.

I feel that the BBC have totally betrayed and misled me regarding their intended changes now apparently being to switch to using 03 numbers only for those numbers which are currently 0870 (and what is to stop them changing loads of those to 0844 before the 0870 to 0370 conversion date so they also stay as 0844). Shocked Angry Smiley

Quote:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:      RE: Thread Discussing BBC Licensing 0870 on Saynoto0870.com Website
Date:      Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:25:18 +0100
From:      Michael Stock

A small but important correction to your email - we have been clear that the switch to 0370 was for 0870 nos.

A variety of other numbers including 0800, 0845, 0844 etc etc are unaffected.

rgds

Michael Stock Head of Business & Partnerships
BBC Marketing, Communications & Audiences
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Re: URGENT -BBC 03 Decision 21/4- Email Board Memb
Reply #29 - Jun 11th, 2008 at 10:29pm
 
And this was my reply to Mr Stock:-

Quote:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:      BBC 0870 to 03 Nmbr Change - Illogical Retention of Premium 084 & 0871 Numbers Including Question Time?
Date:      Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:09:02 +0100
To:      michael.stock@bbc.co.uk
CC:      tim.davie@bbc.co.uk, mark.byford@bbc.co.uk, mark.thompson@bbc.co.uk, jana.bennett@bbc.co.uk

Dear Mr Stock,

Incoherent and Illogical Proposals to Retain BBC 0844, 0845 & 0871 Phone Numbers (including BBC Question Time Audience Line), Whilst Moving 0870 Numbers to 0370, Will Fail To Be Understood by The Public or To Allow The BBC To Regain The Moral High Ground Over Its Phone Numbers

Thank you for your reply to my email.  However this latest news that you have provided that only the BBC's 0870 prefixed phone numbers are to be changed to use the 0370 number range in which they will then cost no more than calls to normal priced 01 and 02 prefixed numbers (even on landline and mobile phone inclusive packages) and that many other BBC numbers currently beginning 0844, 0845 or 0871 are to be left exactly as they are and continue to attract premium rate charges for calling them is very unwelcome indeed and also seems entirely illogical and quite irrational on the BBC's part.  The reasons for such an apparently inexplicable, inconsistent and utterly incoherent approach on the BBC's part to its phone number policy are very hard to fathom indeed and I cannot understand why you personally would have agreed to put forward such an illogical proposal to the BBC Board, especially given your own undoubted considerable expertise in the workings of these numbers as demonstrated by your own longstanding position as a Board Member of the Contact Centre Association (see www.cca.org.uk/about/Board%20Members.asp) and the BBC's position as part of the Foundation Partner Group of the CCA along with its major call centre partner Capita.

As best I can now see it the BBC is being forced to do something about its 0870 numbers by later on this year (2008) as by that stage measures introduced by Ofcom will eventually mean that it will no longer be possible for the BBC and/or its two business partners involved in receiving phone calls from the public (Capita and Cable & Wireless) to continue earning revenue share on receiving calls from the public but as a result of unfortunate regulatory failings by Ofcom many members of the public will still not enjoy or be guaranteed the same low prices when calling 0870 phone numbers as they can be certain of when calling numbers starting with 01, 02 or 03.

As a result of this the BBC has rightly decided to move away from 0870 and to adopt 0370 numbers where the public are guaranteed to pay only normal national rates for phone calls and to have the calls included in their bundled minutes call plans. But if the BBC wishes to restore public confidence that calling the BBC will only cost the price of a normal phone call to a licence payer's friend or relative then why has it chosen to blow this confidence completely out of the water by leaving in place phone numbers where this will continue not to be the case and that will continue to be charged at wholly extortionate rates as high as 40p per minute by unscrupulous telecoms providers (especially mobile phone operators) who seek to take advantage of the fact that technicalities in Ofcom's regulations allow them to charge more than for calling a number starting 01 or 02 by charging an utterly ridiculous rate to call these numbers, whilst also knowing at the same time that many members of the public still wrongly believe these numbers only cost the same to call as a number starting 01 or 02.

I am very disturbed indeed to hear that you were in effect economical with the truth when using me as a sounding board for the www.saynoto0870.com campaign last Autumn when testing your proposal that the BBC might switch to using 03 numbers. Your obvious economy with the truth was in failing to proactively mention to me that the BBC would not be ensuring that any of its many numbers starting 0844, 0845 or 0871 were also moved to the 03 number range.

Unfortunately your apparent attempt to hide this fact from members of the Saynoto0870.com campaign, albeit by a process of omitting to mention that your proposals did not cover those number ranges rather than by supplying actively misleading information, will go down very badly indeed with our campaign.  I cannot believe that the BBC is still planning to assault the intelligence of the acutely politically aware viewers of Question Time by having David Dimbleby use siren like smugness to suggest that they call a number range (0871) just about to be transferred to the premium rate regulator (Phonepayplus - formerly ICSTIS) in order to participate in future shows. I also cannot see any logic or reason why BBC radio stations and some other programs and services (such as tv licensing) should continue to charge stealth premium rates of up to 40p per minute to call them from mobile phones on numbers that are also excluded from landline and mobile phone bundled minutes and/or inclusive call packages.


                                                                                                                                                                   Continued on Page 3 of Thread/..........
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« Last Edit: Jun 11th, 2008 at 10:33pm by NGMsGhost »  

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