saynoto0870.com

saynoto0870.com is a UK website with a directory of non-geographic telephone numbers and their geographic alternatives.

saynoto0870.com
Search page
Type of site
Consumer directory
URLwww.saynoto0870.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationNot required
Launched1999
Current statusOnline

The website, which primarily started as a directory of cheaper alternatives to 0870 numbers (hence the name), also lists geographic-rate (01, 02 or 03) or free-to-caller (080) alternatives for 0843, 0844, 0845, 0871, 0872, and 0873 revenue-share numbers.

The vast majority of telephone numbers are submitted by visitors to the website, but the discussion board also offers a place for visitors to request alternative telephone numbers if they are not included in the database. Some companies that advertise a non-geographic number will also offer a number for calling from abroad - usually starting +44 1 or +44 2 - this number can be used within the UK (removing the +44 and replacing it with 0) to avoid the cost of calling non-geographic telephone numbers. Some companies will also offer a geographic alternative if asked.

Motivations behind the website
  • Organisations using 084, 087 and 09 non-geographic telephone numbers (except for 0870 numbers from 1 August 2009 to 1 July 2015[1]) automatically impose a Service Charge on all callers. Calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers, standard 07 mobile numbers and 080 numbers do not attract such an additional charge.
  • The revenue derived from the Service Charge is used by the call recipient to cover the call handling and call routing costs incurred at their end of the call. Any excess is paid out under a "revenue share" agreement or may be used as a contribution towards meeting other expenses such as a lease for switchboard equipment.
  • Non-geographic telephone numbers beginning 084 and 087 have increasingly been employed for inappropriate uses such as bookings, renewals, refunds, cancellations, customer services and complaints, and for contacting public services including essential health services.
  • Most landline providers offer 'inclusive' calls of up to one hour to standard telephone numbers (those beginning with 01, 02 or 03), while calls to 084 and 087 numbers are usually chargeable.
  • Mobile telephones on a contract offer hundreds of minutes per month of 'inclusive' calls to standard telephone numbers, while calls to 084 and 087 telephone numbers are always chargeable.
  • Calls to most 084 and 087 non-geographic telephone numbers are generally not included in bundled minutes from landlines and even less so from mobile telephones. However, a small number of landline providers do include 0870 and a smaller number include 0845 telephone numbers in some of their call packages.
  • Calls to 084 and 087 non-geographic telephone numbers have a much larger Access Charge if called from a mobile telephone, than if called from a landline, making the call price from mobile telephones excessive.
  • Before 1 July 2015, calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers were chargeable when called from most contract and pay-as-you-go mobile telephones.[2] Calls to 0500 numbers remained chargeable from mobile telephones.[3] until closure of this range on 3 June 2017.[4]

Publicity

The site has gained popularity by being awarded Website of the Day by BBC Radio 2.[5] It has also been featured on the BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show[6] and been awarded BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Website of the Week.[7] Newspaper coverage includes The Guardian,[8] London Evening Standard,[9] The Daily Telegraph,[10] and The Independent.[11] Online coverage includes BBC news.[12] It is also mentioned by 'Which?'.[13]

The website is also supported by Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert.com website.[14]

References
  1. "UK Calling: FAQs (Which numbers are affected?)". Ofcom. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015.
  2. "UK Calling: Freephone". Ofcom. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015.
  3. "UK Calling: FAQs (Will 0500 Freephone numbers become free to call from mobiles?)". Ofcom. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015.
  4. "Closure of 0500 range". Fair Telecoms Campaign. 14 March 2017. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017.
  5. Jeremy Vine Show : Website of the Day. 4 March 2005. BBC. Radio 2.
  6. Jeremy Vine Show : Say no to 0870. 6 July 2007. BBC. Radio 2.
  7. "Website of the Week". BBC Radio Gloucestershire. BBC. 6 September 2005. Archived from the original on 12 February 2006.
  8. Levene, Tony (26 March 2005). "Calls that are a big earner". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008.
  9. Staff Reporter (12 February 2007). "Customers urged to 'say no' to 0870 telephone numbers". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014.
  10. Khan, Basheera (19 June 2009). "Here's a cool way to say no to 0870". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009.
  11. Coldwell, Will (19 March 2013). "The 10 Best money-saving websites". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013.
  12. Staff Reporter (26 December 2013). "0845 and 0870 phone lines: Government departments warned". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013.
  13. Staff Writer (2010). "Cheap alternatives to 0870 and 0845 calls". Which?. Consumers' Association. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010.
  14. Lewis, Martin (26 September 2012). "Say no to 0870". MoneySavingExpert.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012.
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