A popular price comparison website has been accused of ripping off its customers by providing premium-rate phone numbers for insurers even though free ones are available. GoCompare customers are given numbers to contact the insurers offering quotes. In the vast majority of cases the number is an 0843 number, set up by the website and charging up to 52p a minute. The website takes a cut of 7p per minute. Customers pay up to £3.60 for a 20-minute landline call, or £10.40 on a mobile, even though most insurers have free or local-rate numbers. David Hickson of the Fair Telecoms…
Price ##43 mobile advertising has been slammed for steering its customers in the direction of premium rate phone lines to insurers , when free phones are available . Clients who use GoCompare to find customers are often offered 0843 numbers , which are set up by the site and cost up to 52 cents per call , of which GoCompare costs seven pence a minute . However , a spokesperson said the company would no longer use these 0843 numbers .