Premium Line Phone Numbers Again

Two petitions substantially identical to each other and to a third petition I've already talked about ...

The petition is entitled make all premium rate numbers announce thier charges and ensure that there is sufficient time to disconect before charges commence and the explanatory notes say

"Many telephone users have been tricked into calling premium rate numbers that may charge ridiculous prices as soon as the connection is made. Telephone companies could be made to ensure that all premium rate calls are preceded by an announcement stating what the terms & charges for that number are. There could then be a sufficient delay that a user could disconnect before the connection is put through. Many of the premium rate numbers are nefarious in their primary task and many people who can ill afford the loss have been "robbed" by these "services""

As I said in Premium Line Phone Numbers, Ofcom makes it clear that where it's more expensive to call an 0870 number than to call a national number, they have to tell you so, for free, at the start of the call.

Then there are the "09" numbers, which I now realise are probably what the original petitioner meant. Ofcom also has information about them, but directs people to the industry-funded regulatory body ICSTIS for further information. These, it appears, one is expected to know are expensive. They pertain to "services" like TV voting, charitable fund-raising, horoscopes, etc. I suppose, therefore, that the petitioner asking for them to have a message like the 0870 numbers are required to is not being unreasonable.

It's a pity he didn't just check for similar petitions, though ...

Then we have the petition entitled Prohibit Premium Rate Phone Charges and the explanatory notes say

"One of the greatest exploitations of the British public today is the cost of Premium Rate Phone Charges. The telephone is a means of communication and should not be used as an additional revenue earner by anybody over and above the normal business of a telephone service providor. Ofcom has been negligent in this area judging by the numerous press disclosures."

Why "shouldn't" telephones be used for additional revenue generation, if it is mutually agreeable to both sides of the deal? And if Ofcom have been negligent, complain about Ofcom's negligence in some relevant forum, not try to ban the things altogether! And finally, as I say, the 09 numbers seem to be regulated by ICSTIS, not Ofcom ...

In short - why shouldn't people be able to call premium-line numbers if they want to - just because other people are too ignorant to know that calling a number can be expensive, and check what 09 means before dialling it? And why can't people blooming well check for duplicate petitions before making yet more new ones?