Say No to 0870!
Yes, I’m writing something useful for a change.
A lot of companies now use what are known as “Non-Geographic” telephone numbers for call centres, support lines etc. The reasons for this are usually because it allows them to use a number which, for the most part, is a lot easier for people to remember and it standardizes the call costs (usually 4p-ish a min to 0870 numbers). All well and good, right?
Well not exactly. If you, like many people use contract mobile phone instead of a land line, or indeed just because it is easier, you will know that non-geographic numbers such as 0870, 0845 etc are very rarely included in your inclusive minutes. In fact, O2 one of the last providers to include these numbers in their inclusive packages recently announced that this was stopping.
Not only are the numbers no longer included, you are often charges a nice premium for dialling non geographic numbers from your mobile – often to the tune of 20p+ per minute.
Now, I was recently pointed towards a website which I found so useful I almost fell over. Almost.
Some of you may have already come across this site as it has been advertised on various radio stations and certain tv shows and may be using it at the moment, good on you. Help spread the word.
For those who don’t know: What this site allows you to do, is search either by company name or by the non geographic number you have, to find a direct equivalent geographic number. How freaking cool is that. Then you can dial that number, get the same service you would have got from dialling the 0870 number and it’s much cheaper (free if you are on a mobile contract!)
As well as using the service to search, you can also submit any equivalent numbers you know of to help expand the database.
Awesome.
Old news my friend… Jubby told me about that website months ago ^^