Customers who call helplines are ripped off with premium rate charges, says Which?

Customers who call helplines are being ripped off by premium rate phone charges, according to the consumer group Which?

It accused firms including Tiscali, British Gas and Barclays, as well as Government agencies, of profiting from people who need advice or want to complain.

It said the DVLA made £3.4million from its 0870 number in the last financial year.

Other companies, it claimed, were still using 0844 or 0845 numbers despite the availability of much cheaper alternatives.

By sharing the revenue from these calls with the service provider they are making millions every year, earning more the longer the customer stays on the line.

Which? named 35 companies which it said were continuing to charge over the odds.

For example, Orange is charging customers 50p a minute on an 09 code to contact its technical support while Nikon and Tiscali moved from 0870 to the equally expensive 0871.

A ten-minute phone call to these lines can cost up to £1.

Energy firm Eon switched from 0800, free from landlines, to 0845 claiming: 'A freephone number is not a service valued by our customers'.

TV Licensing and Consumer Direct, the Government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues, said it would continue to use 0844 and 0845 codes.

A spokesman for TV Licensing said: 'If we provided free phone calls, less money would go to BBC programmes and services.'

Consumer Direct said it had cheaper helplines available, but claimed it would be 'confusing' to publicise them.

The DVLA has said it plans to switch to a cheaper number but has not given a date.

Which? said a ten-minute call to an 0845 number cost 60p, while those calling 0844 were charged 50p. In comparison 01, 02 and 03 numbers charged 40p at the most.

A spokesman for Tiscali dismissed the claims made by Which?