Big Business Rip Off On Services

It always seems to be the people, or the companies, with the most money that like to charge the maximum they can for everything. Despite being in a better position to offer more preferential rates, they charge top whack and still get away with it. And we let them. We feel held over a barrel, paying their prices, grumbling to each other and still paying their prices.

One bug bear of many people is being held in a queue on the phone. Trying to get after sales service, or to get through to our bank or insurance company, we just know they're off having a tea break while we spend a fortune listening to Greensleaves for the hundredth time and it's infuriating. But what can we do? If we hang up, we only have to come back at a later date and wait again. It's amazing that their phones can be that busy all of the time.

Even if we want to complain about the long wait, we get given a different number and are held in a queue just to complain. And just who has that much time? It has been estimated that people spend 4.5 years of their lives being held in a telephone queue even though we know 'your call is important to us' (unofficial figure).

The numbers that cause the most pain to our pockets are ones that being with 0870. The DVLA were the biggest offenders of this non-geographical number use ad made 3.4 pounds million from it in their last financial year. The money is made by sharing the revenue from these calls with the service provider and it encourages companies to keep customers on the phone longer by keeping them on hold and generating more money.

Non-geographical 0845 numbers are not quite as pricey and are useful for the smaller business. Giving out an 0845 number gives the impression of a nationwide company that is bigger than it probably is and small businesses like this because it instils more trust in them than a costly, local number would. An 0845 number can also be moved with the company without having to change.

However, for the multi-national companies that use 0845 numbers like Barclays Bank, British Gas, Halifax, TV Licensing and Virgin Media, these companies are big enough to not need revenue that is generated this way and are using it as simply another method to make even more money. Normal 01,02 or 03 numbers were the cheapest at 40p per minute but if a non-geographical number is required then 0844 is the cheapest.

As if we didn't already pay enough for our TV programmes, the TV licensing office claim this money goes on BBC programmes and services and they intend to continue using 0844 and 0845 numbers. However, energy firm Eon are trying to convince us that their customers don't appreciate a free phone service. Who believes that?

Consumer Direct are one of the biggest offenders in expensive call rates but even though they say they have cheaper alternatives, they say it would be confusing to publish them? Confusing to whom? Maybe it's confusing to all the people daft enough to keep paying through the nose to pay for their utilities.

About the Author

Financial expert Catherine Harvey looks at the way companies use 0845 numbers when there are cheaper alternatives.

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