ICICI Bank has recently notified customers that it will be changing its phone number from 1st July:
Quote:

As part of Ofcom's reform of non-geographic numbers, users of 084 numbers will have to declare their Service Charge.

The number 0844 412 4444 is a g6 one whose Service Charge is expected to be at least 5 pence per minute. Each caller will pay an Access Charge, as set by his or her provider, and this is added to Service Charge to give the full cost of the call.

At the present time BT is the exception as its Access Charge is effectively zero. Mobile providers levy the highest Access Charges, them being up to 35 pence per minute.

I got an email last week informing me of this change, I emailed them back informing them they should not be using 0844 and should not be using BT as a comparison, plus other snippets including the high costs from mobiles, and why they could not use an 03 number, I got an email back as follows: -

Dear Customer,

We value your relationship with ICICI Bank.

We understand that you are unhappy that from July 1, 2013 our Customer Service Centre phone number will change from a free phone number to a charged one.

The introduction of a charge for calling our Customer Service Centre is the industry standard for a number of UK Banks. Please be advised that we have retained our geographic Customer Service Centre number +44 (0)203 106 7160 (call charges vary depending on your service provider).

Yours sincerely,


ICICI Bank UK PLC

.

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Nita wrote on Aug 14^th, 2013 at 7:46pm:


You can call them on this number
0203 478 5319

Which is on their web site http://www.icicibank.co.uk/personal/contact-us.html

Mind you I can not see where it states that the 0844 number is free

I did use the alternative numbers ,spoke to a young lady in India and explained to her that "Free" in this context in English means no charge  not sure she got it

Dave wrote on Aug 15^th, 2013 at 12:36pm:


But you can still use the 0808 number as it still works.

Sorry about that  i just dialled the 0808 number heard  option 1 for Uk customer service and terminated my call,not knowing it referred you to a 0844 number.

The geographical  number mentioned above
0203 478 5319 definitely connects you !

CJT-80 wrote on Aug 16^th, 2013 at 8:16pm:


Good point.

Interesting thread here about presentation of numbers http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/blog/2013/02/reading-out-a-london-number-020-8-or...

derrick wrote on Aug 17^th, 2013 at 10:34am:


Indeed, I am pointing out I was glad to that they had a: retained it, and b: it therefore still worked.


Now if only they could get the format of the number correct I'd be a happier bunny.  But that's just me!