Very interesting points raised - I have to ask, if this blogger can get it and put it over so succinctly, why do so many supposedly intelligent people in both private & public sector organisations using 084Xs fail to understand the issues and even, in most cases, deny the very facts of the matter?   Is there any way of flagging this so that we can use it when arguing against 084Xs?   Often I read things on the forum then forget exactly where I've seen them when the occasion to use them arises.

Sadly that page seems to have been taken down but can still try and answer the question. I'd say there are a number of cumulative elements, the greatest being monopoly power. If you buy something from Curry's for instance, and they only have an 0844 number (as they do, until you look here anyway), what else is anyone supposed to do? If it's legal then firms will make sure you have no choice.

Then there's ignorance. I'm sure if the majority of people actually read their itemised bills and did the sums they'd start looking for alternatives but people I know seem to accept three figure monthly bills as normal. My monthly calls have been around £6 for a few years but call people regularly. Then I'd expect many people also cheat and call from work or someone else's house who doesn't notice. It's the natural apathy of the British that allows firms to rip them off when making phone calls, have the highest petrol taxes in the world and suffer road humps spreading like mould and just moan in the pub or phone the radio and worry about who wins the X Factor. It's all part of a national malaise and if we could simply put a high voltage up the collective backsides of the British they could join their neighbours across the channel and actually stand up for their rights. Some chance eh...

Yes.

To expand on my rather too concise reply earlier  

As a rule, if I can't call on 01/02/03/080, I don't deal with the company at all and so they lose business (I must admit to liking the challenge of finding an alternative number, however  ).

I see use of 08s as either:

cynical revenue gathering
ignorance (i.e. a small business might really think they're providing a service, unaware of the cost to their customers)
disguise (why don't they want us to know their call centre is in, e.g. Sunderland?)

I also have my own 0844 number that I give as a contact number to such companies if I feel that they are too blatant in their use of 08s (ironically, the Halifax Bank web site rejected it as not a proper number, even though all their contacts are 08s). Sad or what?