3 simple ones
It should be LAW that all 0845, 0800 and similar numbers be advertised along with a normal UK landline number. Failure to respond to landline number in same way as the premium number should be a CRIME and result in that company paying your entire phone bill for 1 year. _{the robbing cunts}

Prisoners should only be released early if they have passed national curriculum exams set at time of incarceration. EG: 5 GCSE's C or above / C&G in plumbing etc.

Taxi firms should have to have child seats, so in the event of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a toddler or baby, the local firm can send out a taxi with a seat. London Black Cabs should carry one also.
( zacherynuk @echo off, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 9:06, 10 replies)

But...
0845 numbers are frequently charged at less than national rate, and 0800 numbers are free.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 10:53, closed)

And the taxi/child seat one is a bit mental too.

( Tab Hunter Make this useless process end and so, begin again, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 10:55, closed)

Mental ?
Being stuck 20 minutes from home (or a 2 hour walk) because a taxi firm operating 40+ cabs doesn't have a child seat is mental. imho.
( zacherynuk @echo off, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 19:06, closed)

Oh, wait a sec- maybe I didn't understand....
do they not let you in the taxi unless the baby is strapped into a babyseat? If so, my apologies.
( Tab Hunter Make this useless process end and so, begin again, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 10:13, closed)

unless you are solely reliant on your mobile phones free minutes
in which case, they're a complete cunt as they're chargeable at an atrociously high rate.
( Muns, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 11:29, closed)

Ah, I'd forgotten about mobiles.

( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 15:21, closed)

Not from mobiles ...
From mobiles they cost a fortune.
( zacherynuk @echo off, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 19:02, closed)

There's a website
Called Say no to 0870 which lists the "normal" number that corresponds to the premium rate number.
(BearWithLittleBrain, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 12:07, closed)

Yeah, great iphone & Android apps too
But I have noticed that calling main landline numbers for the likes of IBM, HP and some govt departments - when transferred 90% time calls are not connected due to 'reasons'
( zacherynuk @echo off, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 19:04, closed)

Sometimes that's because a lot of the call routing logic and even queuing is done at the network level (the 0845 layer) before the call is delivered to the final delivery numbers (i.e. the 'real' number). The number of physical lines behind a 'real' number might be limited and they could all be busy or even defunct. For instance one single 0845 number (e.g. HMRC) could route to 50 real numbers in 5 call centres.

Saynoto0870 et al are great but the best solution would be for Ofcom to force providers to include calls to 08** numbers in your bundled minutes.
( custardthehedgehog, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 10:05, closed)