Ofcom has announced that it intends to tackle “consumer confusion” over charges for 08, 09 and 118 numbers. The aim is to make things much more clear and easy to understand for both landline and mobile users. The sweetest part of the new initiative is that all supposed “Freephone” 080 numbers are to actually be made free to customers from both landlines and mobiles, whatever operator you are signed up with.
Making things clearer?
Via a press release today Ofcom explained how the new system would make things simpler for customers calling 08, 09 and 118 numbers; which include information, banking, directory enquiry and entertainment services. The new idea is as follows “Under rules which Ofcom today confirmed it expects to introduce, consumers will pay a single ‘access charge’ to their phone company for all calls to these numbers, plus a ‘service charge’ to the company or organisation they are calling.” Therefore a charge for calling these numbers will be made up of two parts and “Phone companies will inform their customers of their access charge when they sign up to a new service, and it will appear on bills; while service providers will specify the charge for their service wherever they advertise or communicate it. Consumers will therefore be able to understand the exact cost of making the call by adding the access and service charges together.” After reading that I’m thinking someone in Ofcom’s simplifying-call-charges department needs to try a bit harder.
Every company should do this! Freephone plus geographic option.
080 to become really free
However there is something nice and clear that will come out of this. The perplexing way that Freephone calls aren’t free from mobiles, which I’ve had to explain to my kids several times, will be sorted out - at last. The intention is that all calls to all 080 numbers will be free from all telephones. Ofcom reminded us of the current situation; “At present some phone companies, particularly mobile providers, charge for calls to such numbers.”
The date of the implementation of these changes looks to be about two years away as Ofcom’s consultation exercise ends at the end of May this year and the watchdog is giving telecoms operators 18 months to introduce the new charge structure.
For now it’s a good idea to use the SayNoTo0870 web site service to be able to use your free calls/minutes allowances to the utilities and services which like to use these non-geographic numbers. There are also associated apps for iOS and for Android mobiles.
