SAYNOTO0870.COM - "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.

jgxenite Supreme Member Offline Help us to help you - read the instructions!! Posts: 1,454 Gender:	Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations. Reply #15 - Oct 12^th, 2008 at 10:00am I contacted UNITE several months ago to ask the same thing (regarding the possible use of an 03 number), but never received a response, so don't hold your breath on that front...
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Dave

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #16 - Oct 12^th, 2008 at 12:42pm

redant wrote on Oct 12^th, 2008 at 9:51am:

Many thanks Dave-will pass this information on. I am still waiting for a reply to my e-mail from Unite re why they dont use 03 number as students have to advise the control room using their own mobile phones, and the interpretation of the fire regulations which do appear to be flawed. Will post reply when received.

I advise that the 0845 is kept for backup, just in case the 0117 is not working. It may be needed in an emergency, so best to store both in the mobile phone.

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redant

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #17 - Oct 15^th, 2008 at 9:24pm

I append a copy of email from unite as promised.
UNITE Group Plc
Optimum House
Clippers Quay
Salford Quays
Salford
Manchester
M50 3XP

15th October 2008

Dear Mr XXXXXX

In response to your query about the use of an 0845 number to call the UNITE Control Room, I would like to clarify the situation a little more. In the Welcome Pack the customers receive on arrival it states that people should call the Control Room for emergency assistance and case of the Fire Alarm being activated in error. The control room number is 0845 1110021 and is for emergency and out of hours use. There is also a call button located in Reception of the UNITE properties that customers can use to call the Control Room directly.

This is a number that UNITE have had for several years and when it was originally set up 0845 was charged as a local rate number. Today BT charge one flat rate for UK geographical numbers and as a general rule 0845 numbers are very slightly more expensive to call. Furthermore, some mobile phone operators do not include them on their inclusive minute tariff, which means that the cost is around 20 pence per minute. The commercial benefit of an 0845 number is to pay for the line rental rather than to make a profit.

I hope this clarifies the background of the choice of an 0845 number for this purpose.

Yours Sincerely

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Regional Business Director
The UNITE Group

jgxenite your prediction re the 03 number is proved to be correct. By the way the instructions above are NOT what I heard.

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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #18 - Oct 15^th, 2008 at 10:00pm

redant wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 9:24pm:

Quote:

The commercial benefit of an 0845 number is to pay for the line rental rather than to make a profit.

Students of economics may find this statement interesting.

My understanding is that profit is income minus expenditure. The charge for renting the line would represent additional expenditure if it were on a geographic or 03 number. Profit would thereby be reduced, if my understanding of mathematics is correct.

Doubtless most, if not all, of the income obtained by this company is used to meet costs that it incurs, including the cost of capital that is represented by dividends paid to shareholders out of profit.

Perhaps someone would like to explain the relevance of the quoted statement. What on earth has "profit" got to do with the point at issue, which is the cost incurred by callers.

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@fairtelecoms (tweets)

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jrawle

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #19 - Oct 15^th, 2008 at 11:04pm

redant wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 9:24pm:

This is a number that UNITE have had for several years and when it was originally set up 0845 was charged as a local rate number. Today BT charge one flat rate for UK geographical numbers and as a general rule 0845 numbers are very slightly more expensive to call. Furthermore, some mobile phone operators do not include them on their inclusive minute tariff, which means that the cost is around 20 pence per minute. The commercial benefit of an 0845 number is to pay for the line rental rather than to make a profit.

0845 numbers are very slightly more expensive to call? Of course, at certain times of day, it's now cheaper to call 0845 on a BT line. However, that's totally irrelevant as BT phones aren't available to students in this accommodation. I doubt they'd be allowed to install a landline even if they wanted to! If I remember correctly, there are no in-room phones at all, so students rely on using a mobile. So the entire statement about the cost is meaningless.

As for "commercial benefit", how about at £1000s they take from the students each year in the form of rent? Surely these should pay for all those little home comforts such as a fire alarm system, rather than paying for them through stealth charges?

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Dave

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #20 - Oct 16^th, 2008 at 2:49pm

jrawle wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 11:04pm:

redant wrote on Oct 15^th, 2008 at 9:24pm:

This is a number that UNITE have had for several years and when it was originally set up 0845 was charged as a local rate number. Today BT charge one flat rate for UK geographical numbers and as a general rule 0845 numbers are very slightly more expensive to call. Furthermore, some mobile phone operators do not include them on their inclusive minute tariff, which means that the cost is around 20 pence per minute. The commercial benefit of an 0845 number is to pay for the line rental rather than to make a profit.

0845 numbers are very slightly more expensive to call? Of course, at certain times of day, it's now cheaper to call 0845 on a BT line. However, that's totally irrelevant as BT phones aren't available to students in this accommodation. I doubt they'd be allowed to install a landline even if they wanted to! If I remember correctly, there are no in-room phones at all, so students rely on using a mobile. So the entire statement about the cost is meaningless.

As for "commercial benefit", how about at £1000s they take from the students each year in the form of rent? Surely these should pay for all those little home comforts such as a fire alarm system, rather than paying for them through stealth charges?

I was going to say what jrawle has said; what's the point in mentioning charges from a BT line? How many students have been allowed to install a BT line?

We should also consider that the costs made by the telephone provider of this 0845 number charges upto five times the cost had it been a 01/02/03 number. So it's not surprising that providers other than BT have pushed up the price of 0845 calls above that of a "local" call.

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ms01 Newbie Offline Posts: 16	Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations. Reply #21 - Oct 16^th, 2008 at 3:17pm Quote: Furthermore, some mobile phone operators do not include them on their inclusive minute tariff... Some?! What planet do these people live on? How about all, each, and every phone operator! Martin.
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NGMsGhost

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Re: "Unite" students 0845 fire regulations.
Reply #22 - Nov 2^nd, 2008 at 8:03pm

Dave wrote on Oct 11^th, 2008 at 8:21pm:

I've just tried the alternative, 0117 3027499, and it was answered by someone as "Control Room". So it appears to be working again.

But will it still be working when someone burns some toast at 2am.................. Roll Eyes

On a more serious note there must surely be an official complaint process with the university authorities (who will have given the contract to Unite on the university property management in the first place) that can be followed.

If I was a student I would involve the local student union and local press on this and then try to reach some sort of deadlock with the university and find out if there is a ombudsman who can investigate such an issue. Any ombudsman worth their salt ought to find against this kind of use of an 03 phone number.

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« Last Edit: Nov 2^nd, 2008 at 8:06pm by NGMsGhost »

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