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Posted: Wed 13 Apr, 2005 22.56
by marksi
You'll want this website then...

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

Loads of "normal" numbers which are cheaper than the advertised 0870 ones for a huge range of companies.

For example 01383 814219 will get you straight through to Sky's Technical Helpline, and should in theory also bypass the "transferring you to someone in India who will pretend they are called Brian" system.

Posted: Wed 13 Apr, 2005 23.02
by Nick Harvey
Yes, Mark, one of my FAVOURITE web sites!

I already use 0800 279 2000 and option 1 when I have to give money to Sky!

Posted: Thu 14 Apr, 2005 12.18
by Johnny
Nick Harvey wrote:
Jamez wrote:I'd still ring an 0870 number. Afterall, it's the quality of the service and the reputation of the business that would sway me, not whether I was going to save myself 50p ringing you up!
If at all possible, I'd strongly advise against using ANY organisation which CHANGES from an "ordinary" number to an 0870 one.

If the quality of service WAS worth LOCAL rate, ask yourself if it's still worth, what's effectively, PREMIUM rate.

There's an company going round at the moment getting doctor's surgeries to have new, fancy switchboards for free, in exchange for changing to an 0870 number, which this company take all the profit from.

The surgeries also HAVE to take a queuing system, so you get answered AND CHARGED after two rings, rather than gettting the FREE engaged tone like you used to.

In the old days, okay, you got engaged tone for a quarter of an hour and had to keep trying, but when you got through you paid the local daytime rate of 3p per minute and, if you were REALLY sick, you could add the local number to your "friends and family" or other discount list.

Nowadays you get answered after two rings and immediately start paying 8p per minute in daytime to sit in a queue for about fifteen minutes and THEN speak to the receptionist. You're also NOT allowed to add 0870 numbers to any BT discount list.

My doctor's surgery now find me quite amusing because I actually DRIVE up there to make an appointment, as the time and petrol are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than paying for the 0870 call.
We get alot of complaints about been "held on the phone" from customers at our company, although I do not wish to name them :lol:

Posted: Thu 21 Apr, 2005 17.27
by Nick Harvey
Thought I'd update you all with a bit of good news.

Went up the quack's today and there's a big sign in the foyer.

Their telephone number changes next week from the 0870 (8p per minute, daytime) number to an 0844 (5p per minute) number. Not quite the 3p per minute it was before the first lot of changes, but at least a step in the right direction.

The sign says they've been MADE to change it by some government department or other.

YAY, as I believe the younger generation have been known to shout!

Posted: Thu 21 Apr, 2005 18.18
by Sput
Nick Harvey wrote:YAY
YAY!