Watchdog tackles confusion over phone call charges

by Clinton Manning, Daily Mirror
WATCHDOGS are seeking to clamp down on “rip-off” phone charges costing consumers almost £2billion a year.
Ofcom says there is widespread confusion about the cost of calling 03, 08, 09 numbers used by businesses, charities, government departments and TV shows such as X Factor.
And it says customers are often paying over the odds, leaving them “hundreds of millions of pounds” out of pocket each year.
Worse still, the high call charges hit poorer households hardest as many have ditched land lines in favour of pay-as-you-go mobiles, which often have the most expensive tariffs for calling these numbers.
The biggest change Ofcom proposes is making it free to call 0800 from all phones. At the moment it can cost up to 40p a minute for a 0800 call from mobiles.
Ofcom is also planning to axe 0870 numbers which have become particularly controversial and cap the amount inquiry services, such as 118118, can charge. At present, this ranges from a flat 30p fee up to £2 a minute.
Ofcom’s research showed users had little idea of the cost of calling “non geographic” numbers such as those starting 0845.
Advertisement - article continues below »

People polled guessed the cost of calling a premium 09 number at up to 70p a minute when the reality is up to £1.50, more than twice as much.
Ofcom wants to introduce a traffic light system to improve clarity.
Calls in each band would have an upper limit. It is also pressing mobile operators to charge a flat rate for non geographic numbers so callers can compare costs.
Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, said: “There is clear evidence of widespread uncertainty about the cost of these numbers.
“Consumers need to have more transparency about the price they pay.”
Hannah Bullivant, of Consumer Focus, welcomed the “long overdue” attempt to simplify a “bewildering” range of numbers.
“It’s unfair that someone phoning a number that is free from a land line can pay up to 40p when calling by mobile,” she added.


Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/city-news/2010/12/17/watchdog-tackles-confusion-over-phone-call-charges-115875-22788745/#ixzz18KRDfcR3
Go Camping for 95p! Vouchers collectable in the Daily and Sunday Mirror until 11th August . Click here for more information
source