Who On Earth Thought This Wa A Good Idea

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1166735/public-pay-56m-rip-off-on-government-calls

Why on earth should tax-payers be ripped off for ringing the MWSD's or any other government department for that matter?

And it seems it doesn't even go into the Government coffers either.

Absolutely disgraceful.

[baza]

welcome to rip off Britain, like the avatar.

[Old_Geezer]

It is because government and its departments perceive the public as a nuisance and cash cow rather than the reason they are there and someone to serve. They just don't care.

[Gromit]

Based on a Report by Labour John Healey MP.

http://www.johnhealeymp.co.uk/news/media/telephone_tax.pdf

Damned Socialists.

[New Judge]

The most annoying aspect of this issue is that these numbers are often “answered” by telling you there is nobody to answer your call and then placing you in a queue. From that moment you are then charged premium rates to listen to music.

I note that “David Cameron is concerned bereaved families and vulnerable people are paying premium rates to contact Government departments.” And so he should be. However, his concern would cut more ice with me if he was concerned that anybody, bereaved or not, vulnerable or not, should pay premium rates for a telephone call to a government department. All telephones which people have to use to contact a department which they have no choice but to use should be available only at usual landline rates and the payment for "waiting time" in the queue should be borne by that department. This may give them a greater incentive to answer the phone promptly.

[Gromit]

I agree with New Judge.

Reminds me of when my phone and broaband broke and I had to phone my operator from my mobile. I was on hold ages, and then they had me doing stupid tests. The fault was at the exchange, but my call cost me £20.

[jno]

I agree with New Judge too. Are there in fact local-rate alternatives available on saynoto0870.com?

[Huderon]

Sky are a bit late with this story - there was a piece about it, in relation to HMRC, on Radio 4 a couple of months ago. If memory serves, there are plans to switch to local rate numbers.

[Buenchico]

That look like a poorly-informed report, since it seems to confuse 'premium rate' calls with 'local' (lo-call) rates and 'national' rates.

For example, it states: The DWP has already said it would phase out the use of 0845 numbers". 0845 numbers are charged at the 'local' rate (which was withdrawn for 'normal' calls some time ago). So (from a BT landline, as well as from some other providers) they're cheaper than normal calls.

Similarly, '0870' numbers are charged at the 'national' rate, which is usually no different to a 'normal' (geographic) number.