We have some sad news. Our friend Ann Trigg of Dartford passed away last month.

Ann was very active in her local community and loved helping others. She was part of a number of community groups, including the residents association and the neighbourhood watch. She helped disabled and elderly residents in many ways such as by getting their shopping. Ann had a passion for classic cars and she organised rallies in order to bring together like-minded people.

She also devoted much time to unfair telecoms matters. Ann engaged with GPs, patient transport services and retailers on their choice of telephone numbers.

She wrote twice to every English local authority with a 0845 number and carried out much painstaking research to form a list of authorities whose council tax payment lines used 084 numbers.

Among her successes was getting her local council to change its phone number. There was also the alarm company whose devices were running up big phone bills for users due to the type of number they were set to dial. Thanks to her work the company embarked on changing the number these units dial, resulting in a big logistical task reprogramming every last one all over the country.

We and everyone else are forever indebted for all Ann’s efforts.

Thank you Ann and rest in peace.

We are delighted to have contributed extensively to a story run by the Belfast Telegraph about the failure of BBC Northern Ireland to swiftly switch to the 03 equivalent of their 0845 phone-in number, once the truth about the charges was exposed by "Clear Call Rates for Everyone".

This is all about the same number covered by our (on-going) blogging “BBC - Sunday Morning Live - struggling to get it right”, i.e. 08459 555 678 / 03459 555 678.

We firmly believe that eventually the BBC will get its act together and switch this number, in the same way as all other BBC local 0845 numbers have been switched.

For some inexplicable reason, BBC Northern Ireland is holding out, or simply failing to get itself properly organised to do what it should have done years ago. In the meantime, it has to face down this wholly justified criticism.

We first drew the attention of the BBC to its continuing use of 084 telephone numbers, by Sunday Morning Live, on 21 June (Episode 1 of Series 6) - see
Oh Dear BBC ! - still hung up on 0845 numbers? We thought you had hung up on them!
We highlighted the revised call cost announcement which would be required if the number remained in use past 1 July.
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Episode 3
Sadly, on 5 July, nothing had changed, neither the number nor the, now illegal, call cost statement - see this clip:

We highlighted the problem, including a specification of the relevant regulations and requirement, see BBC using 084 telephone number -and breaching the Broadcasting Code.
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Episode 4
Although the number remained in use, new, inaccurate and highly misleading call cost information was provided for the broadcast on 12 July - see this clip:

The message seriously undermines the clarity required by "Clear Call Rates for Everyone".
The Service Charge is invariably 2p per minute for this number - not "up to" something and varying according to the provider.
The basis for charging for calls from mobiles is exactly the same as for landlines, not something wholly different, as suggested.
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Episode 5
Some progress was seen on 19 July, but still the call cost declaration is missing - see the clip.

Still no new number, still no specific Service Charge, but the simple form of the cost message is now being used - although not on the caption run throughout the programme.

Most dangerous and false is the statement that the level of the Service Charge varies - leaving callers to make the wholly false assumption that this is at the discretion of their provider, rather than being a rate chosen by the BBC in conjunction with its provider Vodafone (formerly Cable & Wireless).
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Episode 6
HURRAH! At last the correct information is given to cover the 0845 number!

The next step, to complete the process of “getting it right”, is for the number to be changed to 03459 555 678 and the nonsense of premium call charge rates to be removed.
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3 August
Intervention from the Belfast Telegraph - focussed on the fact that this show simply uses the same call centre for listener/viewer contact as that used by other BBC Northern Ireland shows.
See this blogging - "Shocking" news about BBC NI phone-ins.
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VICTORY
A new 03 number from Vodafone (ignoring the option to simply switch the second digit).

We now await confirmation that the other BBC Northern Ireland shows are using the new number.

The clip to view below is of an advert for Sky Sports, broadcast on "Challenge TV" on the morning of 21 July.
The final frame is frozen and annotated to highlight promotion of a 0844 telephone number without the Service Charge. Declaration of the Service Charge has been a regulatory requirement since 1 July 2015. Sky TV has already been notified of a similar recent case - although the offer being advertised there has now lapsed.
This case has been reported to the ASA, which enforces the BCAP code, in partnership with Ofcom. We hope to see exemplary action, so that the need to declare Service Charges becomes widely recognised and understood - primarily so that those who cannot justify them cease using numbers that impose them on callers.

Let us hope that Sky can perhaps do a little better than Mr Townshend! (Further references to Who titles and lyrics may have to be edited in comments, as I can sense what may be coming.)