Ofcom rules or not Ofcom rules, at the end of the day, TMobile have chosen to double the price of the calls to those numbers, it's plain old fashioned profiteering and they're just using Ofcom as an excuse to justify it.

This stinks.

The "Watch the dogs" or Watchdog is powerless... ha! Nice to see the quango is looking after the mobile operators.

O2 recently dropped 0845 numbers from my call allowance. It has been there for nearly 20 years and "poof", just like magic, it is now gone.

Thankfully, I didn't kill my call package with O2 and move to T-Mobile this year and I won't be in a rush now. T-Mobile customers need to think about moving onto one of the other networks to show them how unacceptable these new "business models" are to the folks buying their services.

Well at over 100% increase in the cost of the calls (depending on the call plan), this presumably means customers can get out of their 12, 18, or 24 month contracts early?

Do we get to keep our phones too to use with the operator we change to, as well?

Might be a good deal, though perhaps not the one Ofcom was intending...

T-Mobile customer services told me yesterday that the price increase was 'nothing to do with them' and that 'Independent Companies' were responsible for the increase and not T-Mobile. When I asked to be released from my contract, give this 100% increase in a charge for a service, I was told my T&C's allowed them to do that and I couldn't leave. When I asked for a copy to be sent to me, I was told they couldn't send me them and I'd have to approach Carphone Warehouse, as that's where I'd bought the phone! A total joke. I'll be complaining in writing and when that's met with the same 'play dumb' attitude, trying to go via CISAS. They need to be made to feel the pain for abusing their position.

I really do despair. I mean, no one denies a company the right to make a profit, but it should be expected to do this in a reasonably fair way (no really, I haven't been smoking anything...).

But this is just another way to squeeze the punter's already flaccid spheres completely dry. Ever since we realised that the actual cost of a phone call -to anywhere - was negligible, we've been able to beat up the telcos for better prices, especially on so-called 'long distance' calls.

Now with 0870 etc they can hide behind the fact that these are 'special' numbers even though to the call routers there's absolutely no difference in the type of call from ordinary numbers.

It's getting really difficult to avoid these money-generators - err - non geographic numbers, but it's still worth checking No to 0870.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

that's all!

Looks T-Mobile has come up with an interesting interpretation. Will other network operators follow?

Here's a very helpful website which helps you find landlines corresponding to these 0870 numbers:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

If, given the choice of using one company with an 0870 number - and another with a traditional geographic number (even if they're at the other side of the country), the geographic number always wins. I think that on the basis of 0870 being more expensive than the problem it was supposed to solve, it should be axed.

I actually wonder how many businesses who run non-geographical numbers realise that foreign customers (or ex-pats) can't contact them? (This includes certain freephone numbers, by the way - such as 0500!) The trouble is, the lost business is impossible to calculate - since you never ever get to know about it.

Oliver.

I remeber seeing a txt from T-Mobile last night but hadn't looked into it until now.

For the past couple of weeks I've been using numbers from the 'saynoto0870' (www.saynoto0870.com) website, not used it much but has local numbers for DVLA which have been put to good use.

Why the fuck don't OFCOM ban the use of these stupid "non geographic" numbers altogether?

Then the rip-off's being carried out by companies, call centres and even some GP's surgeries will stop!

Or is that just too fucking SIMPLE for the half-wits at OFCOM?

(Rant over, pills kicking in nicely now, ah.......)

"...If we are excluding them from allowances then we are required to make it explicit to customers."

As a Flext customer, I received the following Text from T-Mobile yesterday:

"From 28 July we're increasng the charges for some numbers beginning with 08. For full details please visit our website at t-mobile.co.uk/08"

What a laugh... Thanks for increasing my bill T-Mobile - Having been a loyal customer since 2005, I thought I'd get a better deal... Not a shafting!

Welcome to T-Mobshaft!

They sent me a text the other day that says.

"From 28 July we're increasing the charges for calling some numbers beginning with 08. For full details please visit the website.

I am stuck in an 18 month contract and this stinks. They were a very good provider but this brings them down to being as much good as O2.

...It highlights how useless Ofcom is, that they can't stop T mobile doing it and can't regulate it.

Just in case there is anyone who doesn't realise that a large proportion of 08xx numbers have a fixed line equivalent, there's a website called www.saynoto0870.com that tells you what they are. Using this means it is possible to wipe most inclusive-minute-busting-calls off your mobile bill.

Because Ofcom is a pile of rubbish and never does sod all to help consumers out, which is the reason why operators such as t-mobile take the piss...

... Why doesnt t-mobile simply stand in front of the Ofcom office and stick their 2 fingers up at all who work there.

OFCOM ARE POINTLESS!!!!!!

...isn't it less or free that way when you call one of those 08XX numbers?

I received an SMS yesterday stating 'From 28 July we're increasing the charges for calling some numbers beginning with 08.'

I always knew 08 numbers were outside of my Flext allowance but come on, doubling the price!? Every company I deal with have an 08 number.

So I pay a stupid amount to call 08 from my mobile, and I'm with Virgin Media at home. I'd better sell the car to call the bank on 0845....

Ofcom, have as many teeth as a gummy bear!

Mines the one with 'saynoto0870.com' printed on the back.

According to T-Mobile's "08" website (http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/08/) this was a move to make things clearer for T-Mobile customers like me.

Well, thatnks T-Mobile, I've got the message loud and clear, I can stay here and get ripped off or move to O2 and get a new 3G iPhone for free, hmm...

What a great business plan - No wonder there is no customer loyalty in the Mobile service provider market any more.

I'm a long time T-Mobile customer (it was One2One when I signed up!!) and they have just lost my business.

I don't appreciate profiteering at my expense.

so what is the position with the other networks? Which should we switch to?

Even large business to business companies are not above 0845 - ITV moved all of their staff to non-geographic numbers last year. Then of course their ad-sales people had to be given 0203 numbers because international clients couldn't contact them. Then they had to deal with the continual complaints from UK customers (some of whom found the premium rate numbers blocked by their office switchboards.

They've now moved back to a proper local number.

It's time Ofcom started actually regulating. Premium rate revenue generating numbers should be forced to be called just that.

All 084/7 numbers should have to carry a warning wherever they are printed

"This is a premium rate number which generates revenue for the company you are calling. This number will not be included in any inclusive plan you have with your phone company".

The dead bird. Because Ofcom are obviously a lame duck.

T probably thinks its being clever by doing this, but if I was looking for a mobile provider at the moment, one that wouldn't be on my short list is T.

It does at least give the other providers an excuse for competitive advantage if they choose to comply with the spirit of Ofcom's intention and include 0870 etc within their own bundles.

But really, its Ofcom that's at fault, going completely the wrong way about solving the problem. Ofcom should be making it harder for companies to hide between 0870 in the first place, by imposing strict rules -- such as no call queuing or IVR systems except on freephone numbers.

OK can the retard who whinge about 0845's shut the fuck up, you have NO idea what you are talking about.

The vast majority of business I know that use 0845's (I exclude 0870's in this because they are often rip offs), use them for very good reason.

For example we have multiple redunancy on all 300 of our 0845's.

Now what you you pricks prefer?

1 x 0845

or to half a dozen different numbers depending on if a fault is occuring, there is heavy traffic, your calling out of hours, you want to speak to a non english speaking agent, work is being perform on that circuit, the place is on fire, etc etc.

Nope, I think the good old days are best. You have a geographic number and if it goes down because some chimp has put a spade through a line, you wait a couple of days for it to be fixed and try again....then you moan that you haven't been able to get through.

For most companies the 0845 are the equivilant of DNS entries, there mearly point calls to where you need them.

0890's cost money, yes businesses get revenue from them, but shock horrors, see how much money it costs to run a 500 seat call centre and you may see why they don't give you the service for free, especially when you paying very little for a service in the first place.

I seem to have found some good T-mobile PR contacts here:

www.opt-development.co.uk/press-office/admin/media-release-files/155/Yahoo!_TMobile_-FINAL_160108doc.pdf

Specifically:

Sophia Parviez, T-Mobile PR Manager +44 (0) 7908 208 417

Brands2life +44 (0) 207 592 1200 - more here: http://www.brands2life.co.uk/

I think these numbers are included in most cross-network tariffs.

The local police here have an 0870 number - I guess phone calls make for more paperwork, and, with literacy standards falling, they really struggle with that.

(Paris - because she appreciates the value of good PR.)

Really I don't see a problem with the way it worked before why did they start to mess with it. 084X 087x numbers allow services to be provided free of charge to end users things like dial up, conference calling, messaging services etc. People have only just got their head around this and now Ofcom want to change the playing field again.

Please just leave it, there was nothing wrong with the old method everyone I know knew they had to pay for 084x 087x numbers outside their plans.

Thanks Ofcom!!!

I've cancelled the web 'n' walk on my handset in response to this. I still have a web 'n' walk modem from them but I liked the convenience of having it on my phone as well for checking emails whilst at boring restaurant meals. This isn't just a "stick it to da man" response. I feel they have shown a complete lack of respect for the customer and I don't want to be tied to a contract with a network that changes things in a devious manner. 3 did it to me on my last contract but in the end I ended up getting sent a cheque with no apologies or explanation that covered how much I lost out by.

Thanks - I will be copy-pasting that into an email soon enough and waiting on pay-as-you-go for the release of the jesus phone. I used 08** numbers all the time because I won't risk my job using company lines. It's costly as it is - now they are doubling the cost I will be ending my contract and going with somebody else, like o2 perhaps.

Seriously, they must be !

Didn't Ofcom introduce the 03xx range a while back, and stipulate that they are to be used to give companies etc a "National presence" (i.e. what the 08xx range was originally designed for), but that the 03xx range was to be charged in EXACTLY the same way as calling a National 01xx or 02xx number ??

AFAIK, they also said that the 08xx range would be redefined as lower-premium rate, in order to 'protect' those companies that simply use these numbers for revenue generating services, e.g. international calling cards, etc.

I'm baffled as to why they would now essentially say that 08xx is to be charged in the same way as 03xx.... like, WTF is the point in 03xx now ?

BTW, most, if not all operators, include 03xx numbers in their bundles. Only problem is that nobody actually uses these numbers yet, as of course if would confuse the fuck out of the great British public !

Alien, because clearly Ofcom bods have been fraternising with them lately....