GREEDY companies are ripping off customers by encouraging them to needlessly dial 0870 and 0871 numbers... and then keeping them on hold.
They advertise the phone lines, which can cost up to 35p a minute, as the best way to contact them.
But if you look in the "small print" there's normally another number with an area code that costs no more than 3p a minute - and sometimes even a free phone one instead.
And instead of answering the call straight away the companies leave you hanging on the line for up to 19 MINUTES - boosting their profits when you phone for advice or even to make a complaint.
Britain has 600,000 numbers beginning 0870 and 0871. Calls to them from a landline are charged at BT's national rate of 7p-10p a minute. Dialling from a mobile can be as much as 35p a minute. The total cost to bill payers is £1.5BILLION a year.
Under current laws, firms can grab a slice of this - up to 4p a minute - boosting their profits by millions. But if you call the area number the company gets nothing.
Now a Sunday Mirror investigation can reveal how not only are callers being kept hanging on the line for an average of five minutes - but when they dial the alternative "area" number the company answers almost straight away.
The worst offender we found was the Manchester United ticket line, which left customers hanging on the line for up to 19 minutes - racking up a bill of £1.90 and a profit for the club of 76p.
But when we rang the landline number we got through in just a minute and it cost only 3p.
Phone regulator Ofcom has announced that from next year firms will be banned from sharing in the profits of 0870 and 0871 numbers. But last night there were calls for the ban to come in immediately.
SO WHO'S MAKING MONEY OUT OF YOU?
MAN UTD
0870 442 1994
Took 19mins to get through on ticket line, costing £1.90, with 76p going to soccer club
0161 868 8000
Took 1min to get through and cost 3p
NORWICH
0870 410 2102
A 15-minute wait for car insurance, costing £1.50 and making them 60p
0114 291 3602
1min 10secs to get through. Cost 6p
A&L
0870 901 1001
Took 9mins to get through to mortgage line and cost 90p, with 36p going to them
0800 056 3254
Answered straight away and was free
DVLA
0870 240 0009
Took 7mins and cost 70p, making the DVLA 28p
01792 448 2341
Answered straight away and cost 3p
DHL
0870 110 0300
Took 6mins for postal company's customer services to answer. Cost 60p, with 24p going to firm.
01332 816960
Took 1min to get through and cost 3p
ALTON TOWERS
0870 444 4455
Took 5mins to get through to ticket line and cost 50p, making the fun park 20p
01538 703344
Took 30secs to get through and cost 3p
PASSPORT OFFICE
0870 521 0410
Took 4mins, costing 40p, with 16p going to the Passport Service
020 7035 4848
Took 1min to get through and cost 3p
DELL
0870 908 0800
Took 2mins for technical support to answer. Cost 20p, making the computer firm 8p
01344 373727
Took 10secs to get through and cost 3p
NATIONWIDE
0870 530 2019
Took 2mins and cost 20p, with 8p going to the building society
0800 302012
Took 20secs to get through and was free
EASYJET
0871 244 2366
Took 2mins and cost £1.30, with the no-frills airline pocketing 8p
01582 525001
Took 2min to get through and cost 6p