I agree, O845 is also a scam.
Its original use was to allow customers to call a number at local rates no matter where they are in the UK. It had a point when a local call cost a lot less than a national call and both where expensive. But today distance is not a cost - we carry a call to Australia or Liverpool for 1p - the reason 0845 is so expensive is because it is another revenue share scam with all sorts of people taking a chunk of revenue out of it at several point for no apparent reason other than they can. The telecom world is akin to banking - it stinks.
FYI our pricing is a simple markup on what we are charged to have the call delivered into the BT (or other) network. You would be frightened by how small that mark-up is.
The only numbers I now recommend are 0800 and geographic.
The new 03 numbers may be ok.
Why are Ofcom useless? You aint seen nothing yet. The Regulation of VoIP statement was due last November, then December, then January, then February, now March - when it arrives it will invlove things that make me angry just to think about.
You would not believe the Alice in Wonderland world those people live in. They are some of the most intelligently stupid people you'll ever meet.