1 Week Until Call Charge Changes

There is only 1 week left until Ofcom’s new call charging system comes into effect on 1st July 2015.

From this date, companies using 084/087/09 numbers will have a duty to their callers to announce the level of Service Charge that they have chosen to impose. (The Service Charge must be stated as a round number of pence and be inclusive of VAT.)

Companies must also advise that the caller’s telephone company imposes an Access Charge when calls are made to this type of number.

From announcements already made, the Access Charge levels will be in the following ranges:

• From landlines – up to 11p per minute (typically around 9/10 pence per minute)
• From mobiles – mostly from 20 to 45p per minute (with a few lower)

This will apply to all consumer calls to these numbers across the UK, with the aim of making the cost of calling numbers clear for everyone.

Calls made to ordinary landline and mobile numbers are not affected. Neither are calls made from payphones, international calls, or calls to the UK when roaming overseas.

What happens if I don’t comply?

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will, where necessary, enforce compliance with the regulatory duty to make a suitable declaration wherever a 084 number is published.

For 087/09 numbers, this responsibility rests with PhonePay Plus – although the form of the declaration is exactly the same.

However, there is no point in changing the call cost statement ahead of time and confusing customers, as the new “unbundled rates” will not apply until 1st July 2015 – by which time all of the telephone companies will have announced their Access Charges.

Switching to 034 or 037 numbers avoids the need to declare a service charge

These changes only apply to those using 084/087/09 numbers, so switching to 034/037 numbers is one possible route to compliance.

It is quick and easy to switch from any 084/087 number to the equivalent 034/037 number, so it is not too late to avoid the need to declare a charge on callers.

What else is changing?

From 1st July 2015, all Freephone numbers (which begin 0800 or 0808) are also being made free for consumers to call from all phones, whether mobile or landline.

It is likely that companies using 0800 or 0808 numbers will see an increase in their call volume after 1st July – and should budget for a possible need to deploy additional staff.

“The fair telecoms campaign welcomes the fact that this complex and abused area will now be made much clearer,” said David Hickson of The Fair Telecoms Campaign. “Where an organisation can justify imposing a charge on callers, it must do so, whilst stating the rate it has chosen. This applies whether the money is used to offset the cost of its telephone service or if it is taken as revenue – it makes no difference to the caller.”

Is your contact centre ready for these changes?