Can I cancel a switch to another provider?

That’s an awfully expensive call rate… Did you definitely call 0330 303 5063? And if you don’t mind me asking, did you use a PAYG phone?

03 numbers should never cost more to call than any 01 or 02 number and by law must form part of any inclusive minutes (including those granted by add-ons or bolt-ons etc).

Called from home phone, but the call lasted forever - firstly the obligatory recorded messages (!), then waiting for someone to answer, then going through all the rigmarole and questions etc setting up the account.  Not very happy.  Why on earth should people have to pay to contact customer services anyway?  Beggars belief really.

In that case, I’d have a word with your phone provider as it sounds like you’re being ripped off.

OVO doesn’t charge to call their support team, that’s the whole point of 03 numbers. It’s the 084, 087, 090 and 070 numbers you have to watch out for.

03 numbers are charged at the same rate as 01 and 02 numbers.  Companies only use 03 numbers because it is cheaper for them than providing an 0800 number!

It’s still cheaper for the customer than the old days of 084 or 087 numbers.

Most people these days have at least some inclusive minutes on their phone contract which makes calling 03 numbers free within those allowances. It’s not worth OVO paying extra  for an 0800 number (which would then have to be charged to your energy bill!) when the 03 number does basically the same thing.

So you were wrong - you DO have to pay to  contact customer services!  And not everyone has a mobile phone contract believe it or not.  A lot of older people - and I am one of them - don’t have a smartphone or even a dumbphone.  

I can also say that other providers charge the same for gas and elect so putting extra on the energy bill to cover the cost of providing 0800 numbers is not an option.

This is the last comment I’ll leave on this thread at this time.

0800 numbers are essentially reverse charge calls. They cost the calling party nothing, but the recipient party pays an absolute fortune if they accept the call. Energy suppliers already have pretty squeezed profit margins, so it’s preferable for them to keep costs under control, hence the lack of an 0800 number being the main contact number for OVO.

It seems the only party making a profit here is your phone company who are probably laughing all the way to the bank by ripping their customers off. I will mention again though, that 03 numbers are always covered by inclusive allowances, which can make them free to call if you do so within those allowances. This is possible on both landlines and mobiles so it may be worth modifying the contract to cover anytime calls if you regularly make national rate 01 or 02 calls, or call 03 numbers as that could save you money.

OVO does operate one 0800 number for specific purposes, primarily for the Collections Team. I give that number out anytime I feel it’s appropriate and have done so over 50 times. But 0330 303 5063 remains the primary number for everything else.

“It seems the only party making a profit here is your phone company who are probably laughing all the way to the bank by ripping their customers off.”

.

ALL telephone providers charge for 0330 calls, so please get your facts right.

Amen

@ALH 

2 of the big energy suppliers use freephone numbers.

Not unusual for companies and the public sector to use non geographic numbers these days that are not freephone numbers. 

Do you mind me asking, do you have a call package with your landline? 

Freephone

Octopus

Eon Next

Non Freephone (depends on your phone/mobile package, the vast majority but not all people will have included minutes in their call plans) 

OVO (although the Collections number is freephone) 

British Gas

EDF

Scottish Power 

Shell Energy

Bulb 

Utility Warehouse

@Jeffus  I’ve just looked for the octopus number and it 0808… so a freephone number, but interested to see that it’s only 5 days a week: