http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/consumer/savingideas/article.html?in_article_id=423...<<
Premium rate 0870 numbers and bogus 'half price' wine deals are overwhelmingly the most hated rip-offs for Britons, according to exclusive research conducted by This is Money
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A wide variety of organisations including Government departments, banks, airlines and energy companies have been accused of raking inms of pounds every year from 0870 numbers. Calls to 08 numbers can cost up to 9p a minute while a standard landline call costs 3p. Telecoms watchdog Ofcom says many customers don't realise the full cost of the calls they make.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many customers have all-inclusive phone packages for a fixed monthly fee but these exclude calls to 0844, 0845, 0870 and 0871 helplines. In addition, some companies keep customers on hold for several minutes. The companies collectively earnms of pounds each year from these lines.
Customers can often bypass the 0870 numbers by using +44 numbers supplied for overseas callers. The website saynoto0870.com lists alternatives for dozens of major companies.
Thankfully companies will soon have to inform callers of exactly how much their premium rate number will cost and new 03 codes will be available for companies to use that cost the same price to call as normal landline numbers. But the regulator
Ofgem (?????) has said they don't have to use these until 2008.
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Top 5 Most Hated Rip Offs
1. 0870 phone numbers - 17%
2. 'Half-price' wine offers - 15%
3. Being sold unwanted travel insurance or other products – otherwise known as the scrubbing brush trick - 10%
4. Hospital TV & phone charges - 6%
=5. Ryanair charge to not take a bag - 5%
=5. % world selling used goods as new - 5%
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