30 May 2008
The Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency made £3.4m from telephone calls to its 0870 number in the past financial year, consumer champions said this week.
A report from Which? named more than 30 organisations and government bodies that use expensive phone lines.
Organisations using these numbers share the revenue from calls with the phone service provider, which means the longer a customer stays on the line, the more the organisation earns.
Which? editor Neil Fowler said: 'Why should you pay for the privilege of making a complaint? It's unacceptable that companies and government agencies can make big money from people calling helplines.'
Communications watchdog Ofcom has introduced the 03 number, which costs the same as a standard national call, but few organisations have switched to it.
PFmay2008
