The End for 0845 Numbers

On 13th June 2014 it became illegal to provide an 0845 or similar number for a customer service line.

It is now a legal requirement that businesses provide a standard-rate number (i.e. 01, 02 or 03) for their customer service lines.

This law has been passed to ensure that no customer is forced to pay an additional charge – frequently incurred with 0845 and similar numbers – when making a complaint about a faulty service or product.

“It’s a shame that the 08 and other non-geographic numbers introduced by Ofcom’s predecessor, Oftel, to “stimulate innovation and competition” have been systematically abused by some network operators (principally MNOs) for so many years,” said Kieron James at Nexbridge. “Calls to these numbers should have been charged at historic local (0845) and national (0870) rates by all fixed and mobile operators. Even today, some operators charge 40p per minute to 08x numbers (whilst adding no value to the call). In my view, the regulator has taken a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

What will happen if I’m not compliant after the deadline passes?

From 13th June 2014, any customer that is forced to use an 0845 number to get through to customer service will be able to take the offending company to court and claim back any excess charges incurred during the call.

While this is all the new legislation outlines, Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading will also be involved in bringing companies to justice.

“This new law sits in the midst of a number of consumer protection measures and the government will want to be seen to be taking action against those who fail to comply with the new law,” said David Hickson of the Fair Telecoms Campaign.

I thought changes to 0845 numbers were happening next year?

There are a number of changes currently in motion surrounding telephone numbers. The 13th June 2014 marks the end for 0845 numbers for use in customer service. June 2015 will see Ofcom alter 0800 and 0808 numbers so that they are free to call from mobile phones.

Until these 2015 changes come into effect, however, 0800 numbers will not be considered basic rate. This is because customers calling in from a mobile phone will incur additional charges. To overcome this, you will need to provide (and clearly display) a separate 01, 02 or 03 number for mobile phone users.

For example, Tesco clearly displays an 0800 number for landline customers and a 03 number for mobile customers on their website.

What have you said?

Customer experience will definitely improve since almost everyone calling those numbers would have been unhappy paying a charge.

– With thanks to Akhilesh

I hope that it leads to an improvement in the customer experience but will wait and see.

I definitely think that it is good news for us all and well overdue but, as I say, I will wait to see.

– With thanks to David

I think it is a good-news story because it is likely to improve the experience for those customers who wish to use the telephone as their chosen method of communication.

We find that improved experience comes with allowing customers the choice to communicate with us in whichever way best suits their needs – be it email, SMS, webchat or any other method.

By offering these services free of charge, you’ll inevitably see increased satisfaction levels among your customer base (provided you previously used an 084 number).

– With thanks to Ben

Need to find out more?

If you think your contact centre may be affected, read our helpful guide A Quick Guide to the 0845 and 0870 number changes.

What do you think about the move away from 0845 numbers?