the fair telecoms campaign
  • Home
  • About
    • Aims
    • David Hickson
  • Issues
    • Service numbers (084, 087, 09 and 118) >
      • UK Calling >
        • UK Calling: Clear call rates
        • UK Calling: Free calls to freephone numbers
      • Consumer Contracts Regulations
      • Financial services basic rate calls
      • Public-sector 084 numbers
      • Ofcom - Simplifying non-geographic numbers
      • When are 084 calls more expensive than geographic rate?
    • Use of 084 numbers in the NHS >
      • Chronology
      • NHS England letter - Ban on 084 numbers
      • NHS 084 numbers - Evidence of call charges
      • Submit details of NHS GP with 084 number
    • Closure of 0500 range
    • ICSS
    • Nuisance calls
  • Blog
  • Media
    • Docs
    • News
    • TV
    • Radio
  • Supporters
    • Register your support
  • Links
  • Contact

The hidden BT rip-off

23/8/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
the_hidden_rip-off.pdf
File Size: 391 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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.

0 Comments

Companies continuing to use expensive numbers (in breach of regulations)

15/8/2014

2 Comments

 
We today publish an updated briefing on cases of companies that appear to remain in breach of the Consumer Contract Regulations two months after they came into force on 13 June 2014.

The briefing identifies prominent examples of how alleged compliance may be mistaken.
Picture
traders_in_breach_15_august_2014.pdf
File Size: 520 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2 Comments

A further briefing on THE BIG FAILURE

6/8/2014

0 Comments

 
Further to the previous blogging, we now publish a list of the NHS Bodies (and their contractors) in England that still remain in breach of the Directions issued by the Department of Health on 21 December 2009.
Picture
nhs_bodies_-_aug_2014.pdf
File Size: 437 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Addendum - 7 Aug 2014

Please note that the previously published list of 350 GPs must be supplemented by those who do not declare their breach of contract on NHS Choices - see these examples.

An item on You and Yours today covered the issues and a case of a practice which had misunderstood the requirements and unnecessarily incurred costs as a result of terminating its telephone service contract early.
0 Comments

Prohibition of use of expensive telephone numbers - the big failure

4/8/2014

0 Comments

 
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.
Picture
gps_140717.pdf
File Size: 2407 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

This briefing gives details of the 350 English GP surgeries still advertising “illegal” telephone numbers on the NHS Choices system.
Picture
gps_140717_supplement.pdf
File Size: 359 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

The supplement suggests that the number actually in breach is far greater.
0 Comments

Public bodies adherence to government guidance

2/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Click this image to read the briefing - or copy this url to refer it on.
Whilst central government departments are being seen to comply with the directions from the Cabinet Office, issued on Boxing Day 2013, there has been no mechanism for ensuring that other public bodies follow the same rules - as for them it is only "Guidance".

As part of our efforts to "spread the word", we publish here an annotated copy of the Guidance which we will draw to the attention of non-departmental bodies, local government and the devolved national governments. We encourage all supporters of the campaign to use this as part of their efforts to rid the public sector of improperly used 084 and 087 numbers. Please refer on the short url - http://tiny.cc/FT_public_bodies_guidance.

We also draw attention to the useful comments made on the use of 080 numbers. Whilst many may benefit from the opportunity to make a call without charge, this will not be possible until June 2015, when 080 numbers become "freephone". Furthermore, as the overwhelming majority of calls to 03 numbers are made without charge, the major beneficiaries from use of 080 numbers are the telephone companies - as they charge for every call.
0 Comments

The revolutionary switch from 08 to 03

13/6/2014

0 Comments

 
On the morning of the day when new regulations prohibiting use of expensive numbers for telephone contact from customers come into force, we offer a briefing on the revolution of which this is a leading part.

Very many traders have, from today, joined others by switching from expensive 084/087 to "basic rate" numbers - commonly the equivalent 034/037 number.

This is a quiet revolution because organisations may be shy about being shamed into stopping a consumer rip-off by a necessary regulation, which is derived from a EU directive.

The briefing explains and provides links to the relevant legislation. It also includes examples of those who have joined the revolution, failed to understand it and appear not to be complying.

This follows an earlier news release and briefing.
Picture
the_revolutionary_switch_from_08_to_03.pdf
File Size: 385 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

The end of expensive numbers for customer calls

6/6/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Click to view
“Traders still using expensive telephone numbers -
only one week left before they are breaking the law!
”
Only one week before the implementation of regulations prohibiting use of expensive numbers for calls from customers (except for those to financial services companies) we highlight 50 well known traders that have not yet complied, nor declared an intention to comply by Friday, 13 June.
0 Comments

NHS England fails to achieve compliance by GPs

17/5/2014

0 Comments

 
We reported in November 2013 on a letter sent by NHS England to its Area Teams, to be forwarded to all GPs. (See "Eliminating 084 numbers from GPs in England - 2013/4")

The letter confirmed the overdue need to swiftly comply with the terms of the NHS/GP contract by ceasing use of 084 telephone numbers - a requirement which should have been met by 1 April 2011. It also required advice of the date by which compliance would be achieved.

Despite the fact that 12 months was granted for this work to be done initially (from 1 April 2010 to 1 April 2011), it should only take a few weeks, at the most.

In February 2014 we advised that the work of achieving compliance had not been completed and suggested actions that may have helped to avoid GPs entering their 5th year in breach of contract - on 1 April 2014. (See "NHS GPs in England set to enter 5th year in breach of contract - THIS MUST BE STOPPED".)

We are therefore disappointed to have to report the problem as remaining un-addressed.
See our new briefing -
Picture
gps_140509_briefing.pdf
File Size: 2568 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


The number of found cases has fallen from 440 to 419, but this would be fully explained by those who reach the end of an arrangement not renewing. The NHS contractual requirement clearly demanded a switch of number within an arrangement - a possibility explicitly confirmed as being available within the text of the November 2013 letter.

It may also be noted that NHS England has failed to advise the position regarding the timetable for compliance - as demanded to be provided to the Area Teams.

We believe that the fundamental principles of the NHS warrant support and clear enforcement action. We continue to assist NHS England by drawing attention to the issue and have offered such further assistance as may be valuable.
0 Comments

Government to end costly calls - will the deadline be hit?

7/5/2014

0 Comments

 
It seems that many consumers will continue to be making “costly calls" after the coming deadline of 13 June.
traders_in_breach.pdf
File Size: 522 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Picture“Government cuts off costly calls”
On 13 December 2013, the government advised that it had taken action to end use of expensive telephone numbers for enquiries and complaints from customers.
← Click the image to read the news release 

The deadline of 13 June 2014 had long been known as the latest date by which the provisions of the EU Consumer Rights Directive had to be incorporated in law, so this confirmed a period of 6 months in which the final stages of the elimination of costly calls could be completed.

With 6 weeks left to go, we note two major omissions from attainment of the government objective:
  • The Financial Conduct Authority has recently announced that it will delay taking action in parallel for perhaps another year - see announcement of FCA consultation
  • Citizens Advice has recently announced that its Consumer Service will continue using a costly number until September - see “Citizens Advice phonelines”

There must now be doubt about whether traders will be ready to comply with the law in time.
See below a briefing listing over 300 well known brand names which currently stand in breach of the forthcoming regulations.
Picture
Click image to view / download briefing
0 Comments

GPs approach 5th year of breach of contract

10/2/2014

0 Comments

 
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.
Picture
gps140130nr.pdf
File Size: 345 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Please feel free to comment. We approve all comments before publishing.

    Archives

    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    May 2012

    Categories

    All
    Bbc
    Consumer Contracts Regulations
    Consumer Rights Directive
    Daisy Surgery Line
    Dwp
    Fair Telecoms News Releases
    FTC Big Question
    Hmrc
    John Healey MP
    NHS Bodies
    NHS England
    NHS GPs
    NHS Kent
    Nuisance Calls
    Ofcom Contract Price Increases
    Ofcom Nuisance Calls
    Ofcom Simplifying Non Geographic Numbers
    Parliament
    Radio
    Telephone Tax
    Television
    Tfl
    UK Calling

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.