0870 numbers are used by many businesses and organisations to provide a wide range of information and advice including many customer service lines. But consumers are often charged more for calling these numbers than they would if they called a 'geographic rate' (01, 02 or 03) number. And because they cost more, businesses and organisations are also able to take a cut of the call charges - a practice known as revenue sharing. This practice has been the subject of huge concern over recent months and OFCOM has acted to curtail misuse.Intent on re-building confidence in Non-Geographic Numbers, OFCOM have announced that inbound calls to 0870 numbers must be charged at the same or less than calls to geographic numbers (starting with 01 & 02) with effect from 1st August 2009.
From this date there will be no further revenue share paid to organisations receiving calls delivered from 0870 numbers. Conversely calls delivered from 0870 numbers will be chargeable on the recipient and some providers will charge up to 2.75 pence per minute.
It is worth checking to see if your business uses 0870 numbers in any guise and if so to ask if you have to change protocols or expectations.
Gareth
1 comment:
Its probably worth looking at 03 numbers to replace these 0870 numbers. Most carried have a replacement 0370 number range see also http://www.intelesis.co.uk/03-virtualuk08.php
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