Use of 084 numbers

[cheeryoleary]

Why do you use these numbers when, for the majority of people, it costs more to call?

[John 3:16]

Because of the unique way the BBC is funded... blah blah blah.

[cheeryoleary]

Also, when you report from Zimbabwe, you always include the line "The BBC has been banned from reporting in Zimbabwe, however here's a story anyway".

1. Why do you do this?
2. You are knowingly breaking the law therefore by paying my licence fee, I am funding crime. Please stop breaking the law.

[BBC Radio Berkshire]

Sadly, reporting from Zimbabwe is somehat out of my jurisdiction. But well done for getting me to rise to the bait of BBC bashing.

As for the 0845 issue...I have an official response from an Reading-supporting engineer no less...

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

The exception is mobile phones which is at the discretion of the mobile phone provider and they may add an additional charge dependent upon the tarriff/network the person is on.

So for example, 01635 to 0845 is the same price as 0118 to 0118, whereas if we had an 0118 number 01635 to 0118 would be more expensive."

[John 3:16]

Sadly, reporting from Zimbabwe is somehat out of my jurisdiction. But well done for getting me to rise to the bait of BBC bashing.

As for the 0845 issue...I have an official response from an Reading-supporting engineer no less...

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

The exception is mobile phones which is at the discretion of the mobile phone provider and they may add an additional charge dependent upon the tarriff/network the person is on.

So for example, 01635 to 0845 is the same price as 0118 to 0118, whereas if we had an 0118 number 01635 to 0118 would be more expensive."

Beautifully explained. And well done to the beeb for doing it in the first place.

Now, what happens if we play a pre-season friendly in Zimbabwe? Will you be able to cover the game for us? Or will you sit in South Africa on the border with a powerful pair of binoculars?

[cheeryoleary]

Sadly, reporting from Zimbabwe is somehat out of my jurisdiction. But well done for getting me to rise to the bait of BBC bashing.

As for the 0845 issue...I have an official response from an Reading-supporting engineer no less...

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

The exception is mobile phones which is at the discretion of the mobile phone provider and they may add an additional charge dependent upon the tarriff/network the person is on.

So for example, 01635 to 0845 is the same price as 0118 to 0118, whereas if we had an 0118 number 01635 to 0118 would be more expensive."

Here's some facts

The majority of people using fixed landlines are on a type of package which can result in 0845 calls costing more money than calls to geographicaly fixed numbers.

The target audience for your Travel hotline number is people on the road using mobile phones (responsibly) which results in calls costing more. Those calling from outside of the county are typically mobile phone users attending football games.

01635 to 0118 would be charged at the same rate as 0118 to 0118 because both numbers are in the Reading charge group.

The BBC generates revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers

[Dirk Gently]

The BBC generates revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers

You are the editor of the Daily Mail or an agent o Rupert Murdoch AICMFP.

Personally, I'm happy to pay the extra few pence for the privelige of having public service broadcasting without adverts.

[cheeryoleary]

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

This is wrong.

Source: http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/c ... icId=17340

1.96p per minute in the daytime, and 0.49p per minute in the evening YET the caller is required to pay a 6.85p set up fee per call.

[cheeryoleary]

The BBC generates revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers

You are the editor of the Daily Mail or an agent o Rupert Murdoch AICMFP.

Personally, I'm happy to pay the extra few pence for the privelige of having public service broadcasting without adverts.

If the charge is fair - and clearly advertised, all's good. The 'local rate' charge is not clearly advertised IMHO.

Even here, whilst the BBC has kindly taken the time to reply, the information is misleading.

And some people say there is no Cholora in Zimbabwe.

[bobbybottler]

Cheery - if you're looking to call BBC RB on their generic 0845 9001041 number, dial 0118 9484949 instead, it's the geographic number which the 0845 number translates to and will provide you with exactly the same quaLOLity of service from the BBC.

http://www.saynoto0870.com

A very helpful site for those on zero rated geographic calls.

[RoyalBlue]

Sadly, reporting from Zimbabwe is somehat out of my jurisdiction. But well done for getting me to rise to the bait of BBC bashing.

As for the 0845 issue...I have an official response from an Reading-supporting engineer no less...

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

The exception is mobile phones which is at the discretion of the mobile phone provider and they may add an additional charge dependent upon the tarriff/network the person is on.

So for example, 01635 to 0845 is the same price as 0118 to 0118, whereas if we had an 0118 number 01635 to 0118 would be more expensive."

Quite frankly your engineer is talking a load of bull and taking the p by implying that you do it in order to save listeners money! How convenient that he forgets to mention that 0845 and other 084 type numbers are revenue sharing number which makes the BBC money at the expense of its listeners.

Perhaps he would aso like to name the call providers that charge only 1p a minute for 0845 numbers - I don't think that list will be very long and I suspect it will be shorter than that of providers that charge 1p a minute for national calls!

BTW given that BBCRB is a local radio station just how many calls would be made from outside the local area?!

The BBC generates revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers

You are the editor of the Daily Mail or an agent o Rupert Murdoch AICMFP.

Personally, I'm happy to pay the extra few pence for the privelige of having public service broadcasting without adverts.

So you don't regard frequent and blatant product placement as adverts?! You can fool some of the people..........

[weybridgewanderer]

Sadly, reporting from Zimbabwe is somehat out of my jurisdiction. But well done for getting me to rise to the bait of BBC bashing.

As for the 0845 issue...I have an official response from an Reading-supporting engineer no less...

"It's the same price as a local rate call from wherever you are in the county/country, and therefore the cost is down to the person's telephone provider who sets the cost for local rate calls. It's usually 1 - 2p per minute.

The exception is mobile phones which is at the discretion of the mobile phone provider and they may add an additional charge dependent upon the tarriff/network the person is on.

So for example, 01635 to 0845 is the same price as 0118 to 0118, whereas if we had an 0118 number 01635 to 0118 would be more expensive."

that may have been true once howver ....

for 0845 numbers I have to pay

6.85p call set-up fee +

Daytime: 1.96 per minute
Evenings: 0.49 per minute

for geo fixed numbers like 01189 i can call for free

1/ evenings and weekends on my landline
2/ within the first 500 usage minutes each month on my mobile

maybe you should point this out to your reading supporting engineer?

[cheeryoleary]

Source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_091891

Government consults on use of 084 numbers in the NHS

The NHS could be stopped from using more expensive telephone numbers such as 084, under proposals set out in a public consultation.

Some people are currently having to pay more than the equivalent cost of a local rate call when they telephone their GP or other NHS services. A number of NHS organisations, although still a small minority, have started using 084 numbers in recent years.

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said:

‘We are concerned that some people are paying above the odds to contact the NHS. For people on low incomes who need to contact their local doctor or hospital regularly, those costs can soon mount up.

We know that some people value the additional service that 084 numbers can offer, but others object to being charged more than the cost of a local call to access NHS services. We receive regular complaints from members of the public and parliamentarians about this.’

Don't feel that you are the only ones being bashed. Save that for when some idiot is standing outside your studios with a big oxf*rd off plackard.

[Ian Royal]

I'm with the BEEB on the 0845 number issue.

People wanted competition in telecommunications. With that you get different tariff packages and different companies, with that it's not possible to set up a national number that costs a low rate. 0845 is not a premium rate line if you're getting charged at a premium rate, get a different landline tariff / provider where it won't be.

Most national or large regional organisations have them.


You wanna find a cheaper tariff you have to put up with the consequences, get over it.

[jonboy29red]

why do bbcb still uses 084 when other parts of the beeb are using 03700 whats the diffrence there

[cheeryoleary]

why do bbcb still uses 084 when other parts of the beeb are using 03700 whats the diffrence there

It's like the way mobile phone tariffs work. Confuse people with 'choices' so that they find it very difficult to identify the real cost.

Oh, and 08 numbers have been getting some bad press recently (Say no to 0870 for one example)

[PlasticRoyale]

The BBC generates revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers

You are the editor of the Daily Mail or an agent o Rupert Murdoch AICMFP.

Personally, I'm happy to pay the extra few pence for the privelige of having public service broadcasting without adverts.

You're missing out on some well good jingles M8...

'Autoglass repair, Autoglass replace' being the pick of the bunch

[BBC Radio Berkshire]

FYI...

http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/show ... 0ecd870%7D

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Perhaps this would be an opportune moment to post:

cheeROFLyoLOLeaROFLy

What's your next crusade?

[Wycombe Royal]

FYI...

http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/show ... 0ecd870%7D

But what they don't add is that they are putting the line rental up by £1 per month. Give with one hand and take away with the other, except the only BT customers who benefit are those that use the 0845 and 0870 numbers which I don't.