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The passing of Ann Trigg

17/10/2015

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Ann TriggAnn Trigg
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.

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‘Free’ charity helplines will have to own up to their charges on calls to 084/087 numbers (from 1 July)

17/2/2015

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This news release has been distributed to selected media organisations and relevant parties.

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We have long been drawing attention to the “rip off” of callers by inappropriate use of 084/087 telephone numbers in many areas. Some of these have been addressed, albeit with remaining breaches by businesses, public bodies and NHS providers.

We are aware that many helplines have significant funding issues, but we cannot accept the idea that funding be provided by service users, unless this is clearly declared. It is however unlikely that it would be deemed acceptable to declare a charge for most, if not all, of the 55 services we have listed (there are more!). We are therefore surprised that so many cases remain where declaration of the telephone Service Charge is now imminent.

After some consideration, we feel that this matter must now be brought to public attention, so that efforts in pursuit of an acceptable solution may be maximised.

We will continue to attack delinquent businesses, public bodies and NHS providers for their “rip off”, but we can no longer exclude third sector helplines.

We are reluctant to draw too much attention to specific examples; however a quick read through the list will doubtless cause the eyebrows to be raised on finding certain cases.
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The hidden BT rip-off

23/8/2014

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Noting the further price rise announcement from BT today, we offer a briefing and comment on a rip-off that has long been in place and will now have a greater impact.

According to figures from the DWP, there could be around 5 million of its claimants, mostly pensioners, who are already paying too much to BT for their telephone calls to ordinary numbers.

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Prohibition of use of expensive telephone numbers - the big failure

4/8/2014

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The fair telecoms campaign has long been pressing for prohibition of the use of expensive numbers in a number of areas, where such regulation is possible. Some success has been achieved:
  • Use by government departments and other public sector services
    Cabinet Office Guidance has been published and achieved a high degree of compliance from central government departments. Many local government and other public bodies have however not yet moved to follow this guidance.
  • Use by businesses for contact from existing customers
    Many businesses have moved to comply with regulations that came into force on 13 June 2014, although there are some notable exceptions.
  • Use by the financial services sector for customer contact
    It was hoped that the financial services sector would be covered by parallel regulations to those which came into effect on 13 June, however the Financial Conduct Authority failed to achieve this. It is planning to introduce some form of regulation in 2015. Some banks have announced an intention to switch away from expensive numbers, but generally have not (yet) put this into effect.
THE BIG FAILURE - Use by NHS GPs and NHS bodies
GP contract changes were introduced and guidance was issued to NHS bodies in 2010. This should have led to the end of use of expensive numbers to access NHS services in England and Wales no later than 1 April 2011. Compliance has however been very poor and enforcement action non-existent.
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This briefing gives details of the 350 English GP surgeries still advertising “illegal” telephone numbers on the NHS Choices system.
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The supplement suggests that the number actually in breach is far greater.
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GPs approach 5th year of breach of contract

10/2/2014

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It is our strong view that the firm stand taken by NHS England on the question of delayed compliance with the contractual terms covering use of 084 telephone numbers should prevent practices drifting into a fifth year of non-compliance with requirements that came into effect on 1 April 2010.

The necessary change of telephone number takes only a few weeks to arrange, however a total of 1 year's grace was granted, so that practices could perhaps make more extensive changes to their arrangements.
This news release includes a link to a listing of the 440 surgeries still showing 084 numbers on NHS Choices, with totals by Area.

It also identifies four targets in a call for action.
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Reaction to Culture Media and Sport Committee report - “Nuisance Calls”

13/12/2013

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Our reaction to the Culture Media and Sport Committee report - “Nuisance Calls” is published here, to accompany publication of the report itself today.
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In summary, we are pleased to see many of our comments, as presented in evidence, noted in the report. We welcome the limited recommendations, but are concerned that they do not include the radical steps required to get to grips with this unacceptable and growing problem.

The Inquiry and the Report
  • Comments from the fair telecoms campaign are referred to in the body of the report.
  • The written evidence submitted by the fair telecoms campaign (3 documents) is reproduced in the body of the report at pages Ev 43 to Ev 49.
  • A transcript of the oral evidence presented is found at page Ev 1
  • Presentation of the oral evidence may be seen on parliamentlive.tv
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Eliminating 084 numbers from GPs in England - 2013/4

12/11/2013

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This week marked the conclusion of efforts working with NHS England to produce letters to Area Teams and to practices in breach of their contracts with a demand for action -
“Your Area Team will be in touch to understand your plans for swiftly moving away from the use of 084 numbers” is the conclusion of the message to practices.
Both the formal letter and the NHS England news release acknowledge the assistance provided by the fair telecoms campaign, especially with the busting of myths that have long been used to avoid the need for “reasonable steps” to be taken and to excuse improper action.
The news feed covers all publications, but the following are the key items for attention:
(click on the image to view)
http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/nhse_letter.pdf
The actual letter from the two NHS England Directors to practices using 084 numbers. This document is a copy extracted from the full set of communications linked to from the NHS England media release.

http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/patients_empowered.pdfPatients empowered …
Our invitation and encouragement to affected patients and NHS supporters to print out a copy of the letter in support of their challenge to a non-compliant GP.

http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/atom-084end.pdfThe end …
A message to the Heads of Primary Care in the Area Teams in support of their efforts and listing one example of a GP in each area, to be used in monitoring their achievements.

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A new approach is needed to tackle nuisance calls

20/10/2013

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A news release has been issued to draw attention to a story in the Sunday Post - with an additional story and comment, and an article from the Kirkintilloch Herald.
Some of our commentary follows.

We do not oppose the efforts of those who wish to make the present methods of dealing with the problem a little more effective, but they cannot pretend that this will have a serious impact on what is seen to be a lucrative industry, albeit fundamentally illegal.
Even with the removal of some of the limitations on the powers of the ICO, it will still be unable to put an offender out of business. Direct regulators, such as the Claims Management Regulator in the case of PPI and accident claims, and the FCA in the case of so-called “payday loans” companies, have much stronger and more effective powers over sales and marketing activity by those they regulate and their offshore agents. The first action by the Claims Management Regulator on investigating a valid complaint is to suspend the operator's licence! This is the complete opposite of what the ICO may do.
It is however vital that evidence of nuisance is easily presented and effectively used. With an extensive network of regulators and a wide variety of powers, we see it as essential that a single public-facing agency is established to consolidate the existing dispersed resources. This agency could truly represent the interests of citizens and consumers, by pressing each regulator to apply their specific powers to the maximum, in fulfilment of their particular duties. We see this as a far more proper and effective way to address the issue than having the various bodies trying to work together, as this dilutes responsibility and precludes proper accountability.
Our proposal primarily addresses the issue of public protection from Nuisance Calls in total. This particular story is one of many current examples of how the current approach to this is essentially flawed and will continue to fail. There is the also the issue of special individual measures that some are able to take and which the most vulnerable need to have in place. These are an important part of the general issue of Nuisance Calls, which must be tackled on ALL fronts.
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Well done Pudsey

8/10/2013

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BBC Countryfile calendar 2013
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BBC Countryfile calendar 2014
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BT capitalises on public hatred of Nuisance Calls

2/10/2013

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In response to the BT price change announcements to take effect from 4 January 2014, which will shortly be circulated to customers,we address four elements of these changes:
  • Introduction of a charge for the “BT Privacy at Home” service
  • Introduction of a charge for the “BT Answer 1571” service
  • A 5.6% increase to the charge for the “Choose to Refuse” service
  • A 5.4% increase to the charge for the “Anonymous Caller Reject” service


Statement on the general issue of ‘Nuisance Calls’
Whilst the fair telecoms campaign recognises the important role that individual remedies and mitigation measures play, it considers the issue of Nuisance Calls, made over the public telephone network, to be a public matter. The ICO and Ofcom have a part to play in addressing this, through enforcement of the terms of Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and use of the Persistent Misuse powers. It has however been proved that these bodies, even with some adjustment to the respective regulations and policies, will never be in a position to have any serious impact on the issue. Existing sectoral regulators do however have the necessary, and more appropriate, powers to control the activity that causes nuisance to be experienced, either directly or indirectly. We believe that those who seek to truly understand the situation, and wish for a serious improvement, must cease dealing with relatively trivial points that are accepted and turn their attention towards what is necessary to address the issue in an effective manner.

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