I've followed the discussions here for some time, and if this subject has already been done to death I apologise - not clever enough to find it/link to it.

There's a general trend nowadays for premium lines used by businesses to be done away with. I couldn't really have cared less about this as there is always SayNoto0870.com to provide a standard landline number nine times out of ten.

However when I renewed my season ticket I had to queue on the 0871 number (the landline number was permanently busy) for over quarter of an hour, and I've just got my Talktalk bill - the call cost nearly £4.

Nice pocket money for Mr Hetherington no doubt. But in the larger perspective how can the club justify this underhand income stream ?

Do all RL clubs rip their fans off in this way ?

I've always found that I've got through straight away, once I've listed to about 30 seconds of pre-recorded messages.

Perhaps if people renewed 2 or 3 days before the deadline they may have got through more quickly?
A couple of days at current interest rates doesn't cost too much in loss of income.
I do agree thought that the use of premium rate numbers does nothing to reinforce the notion that the club values its customers except as a source of income.

I can say i was in the shop renewing a couple of days before their 'early bird deadline' and there was a queue about 4 or 5 deep waiting to be served the time i was there and browsing around in the shop.

I'm sure they would would say that people have plenty of warning when the deadline is and that the closer you leave it to the last minute, the more difficult (thus longer wait and more money the call costs) to get through.

I live maybe 3 miles from the stadium so i go up on my bicycle in order to avoid the charges i would rack up by calling them. Understand this probably isn't an option for all, but i think you were able to renew online / via email too (again - so long as it wasn't left until late on when they will have been snowed under with others doing similar...)

Maybe you usually do get through after a couple of minutes, but don't you think you might have had to wait because lots of other people were calling the same number at the same time to do the same thing? Just a thought

Also now the ticket office and shop have been merged so ticket office staff have duties in the shop and are often on the desk serving people rather than answering phones. I'd imagine it's especially busier for both tickets and shop at Christmas.