Card transactions by proxy

[Jon Ribbens]

On Fri, Apr 08, 2011 at 11:23:15AM +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
> In article <20110408093212.GC28020 at snowy.squish.net>, Jon Ribbens  
> <jon+ukcrypto at unequivocal.co.uk> writes
>> Well, it's not a "premium rate" number by Ofcom's definition, but it's
>> a "premium rate" number in that I will be charged at a "premium rate"
>> for calling it compared to calling ordinary 01/02/03 numbers.
>> Apologies for the tangent though ;-)
>
> I think we should be careful when using jargon which has a precise  
> meaning (such as "Premium Rate"), to nurse a grudge about "high cost"  
> calls,

They are charged at a rate higher than normal calls. The English word
for that is "premium".

> which is presumably an artefact of your chosen phone supplier.

If there is a mobile provider I can choose which does not charge a
premium for 0800 calls, I am not aware of it.

> As it happens, Ofcom is consulting on making 0800 calls from mobiles  
> genuinely free, and they are free from my landline. I hope this doesn't  
> have the unintended consequence of those folks currently offering 0800  
> simply moving their call centres to something with a charge.

It would be amusing if Ofcom lurched from being a complete failure
due to lack of regulation to being a complete failure due to
over-regulation, yes. All they need to do is say that 0800 numbers
must be charged at no more than geographic rates. That wouldn't
require anyone to give up their 0800 numbers.