Now here is is an interesting question that's been raised in Lancashire. Should doctors, and even the Police use non-geographic 0845[4] numbers? Now, technically speaking these are not premium numbers, but are instead "local rate" calls. However, the pricing of the telecommunications market these days, with "free minutes" on mobile contracts, and special deals with landline providers like BT and Talk Talk, means that most people get some level of "local calls free". However, non-geographic numbers are almost always excluded from those deals.
Certainly there seems to be some consensus up in Lancashire about this development not being a good idea. The only excpetion it seems is the Labour MP for Preston Mark Hendrick who thinks that there should be greater competition in the sector to drive down prices. Clearly he doesn't understabnd the way this market works, as the price fix for a local rate call is one set against a BT standard cost, and any Telco offering 0845 redriect has to operate with those cost restrictions factored into their own interconnect charge.
The question really is should people be made to pay an extra premium to call their local Police station? And why is there such disaparity across the country between Police forces? The Met, Merseyside, Manchester, Kent and Dorset don't use them, but Lancs, W.Yorks, Devon, Surrey, Thames Valley, Sussex, Cumbria and Northumbria do. When you factopr in the rise of mobile phone ownership aswell is it right that phoning the Police to report a "non-emergency crime" should cost someone anything up to 35p a minute?
3 comments:
Surely if you are calling your "local" police or hospital there is no need for an 0845 number in the first place! Don't 0845's cost the recipient money to set up/run as well. Not a good use of public money.
At least with 0870's there is always an alternative direct line number there is a website somewhere with a look-up. Same for 0845's please.
I would ask Bojo about this appalling use of premium 'phone lines but I don't want to embarrass the dear before he gets the nomination.
Having to pay anything to ring the police etc about anything that is really important is a no no.
In Manchester (no premium line) they do have a clever gag. That is answer the call but click it straight through to another queue with the same ringing out tone.
Can wait minutes. It is probably better not to get through than be queued when through.
ed - the recipient will receive money from the telco for 0845 nos as well as 0870.
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